(PHOTO BY XAVIER SOLIS)
WE HEARD about this pretty chill, Instagram-worthy new restaurant where families and friends can have their fill of typical Filipino favorites without blowing the budget.
Tucked amid old buildings and historic landmarks (across Plaza Independencia and Malacanang sa Sugbo), this new place is called KKd stk + bbq.
What’s more, it is said to offer one of the best chicharon in the city. The newly cooked pork rinds are plated on a small boat-like container made of dried coconut stems and served with native vinegar spiced with garlic, onion and siling labuyo on the side.
According to Gary and Ria Caballes, former hoteliers who run the restaurant, the “lethal” chicharon is a gem, a family secret recipe passed all the way down the line to them.
It’s the same dish enjoyed by patrons at KoKoDine back in the late 90s, where it used to be located at P. Del Rosario Street.
Gary said the chicharon is one of the main reasons customers keep pouring in.
At P120 per serving, it’s easy to see why it’s a bestseller. And the taste? Really delicious homemade-style chicharon.
Crispy Pata (PHOTO BY XAVIER SOLIS)
For a three-week old restaurant, it was almost full when we went there on a Wednesday night. A live band was playing but the idea is to have non-intrusive music while diners chatted over dinner or waited for their food to arrive.
KKD feels somewhat like an IKEA showroom, this trendy warehouse space. We couldn’t help fixate our eyes on the high ceiling adorned with lanterns made from wooden pallets and bamboo baskets, the open house floor plan, the exposed ceramic brick wall where a tangerine 1907 bicycle is suspended, the quotes on the gray painted walls, the carved wood swan and giraffe in a corner…
(PHOTO BY XAVIER SOLIS)
Head upstairs to the alfresco area where there’s a view of the Malacañang sa Sugbu and the orange lights illuminating the boulevard stretch going to the South Road Properties.
According to Gary, there was a time when he actually used the vintage bike to go around the city for some exercise. And now it serves as the centerpiece of KKD.
Tinolang isda (PHOTO BY XAVIER SOLIS)
There is a varied selection of excellent food at pocket-friendly prices. We had humba, rellenong talong, pork belly, chicharon, and the crispy pata, which is another KKD bestseller. You can also order fresh seafood and have it prepared STK—Sinugba, Tinuwa or Kinilaw —you decide. Or if you prefer “turo-turo barbecue,” there’s chorizo or chicken skewers. Dessert can be leche flan topped with mango slices or fresh fruit shakes.
Avocado shake (PHOTO BY XAVIER SOLIS)
The KKD stk + bbq can accommodate some 170 diners at a time, perfect for the Sunday crowd since the Basilica del Santo Niño is just nearby. KKD is at corner M. J. Cuenco Ave, Cebu City.
