A former kusinero named Larry Cortez who has emerged to become a succesful restaurateur welcomed us to Kuse and Old Vine Grille. Two different yet interconnected dining joints that are owned by the same restaurateurs.
Now let us introduce you to our favorite starter, meet Tessie Tomas (salad).
Made with fresh greens, salmon, prawns, alfalfa sprouts and slices of grapefruit tossed in balsamic vinegar. This salad is perfect to ready your pallette to the explosion of flavors ahead.
An alternative to Ms. Tessie Tomas is someone from the province, ask the waiter for the native Paco salad. This is one salad that is hard to find but luckily, is available at Kuse. This local dish is made with kesong puti, slices of fresh tomato, and onions. Have a serving and benefit from the nutrients of these ferns!
Above is a picture of the delectable lamb spare ribs in curry sauce. If it is your first time at Kuse, this is a must-order off the menu. Note that their dishes are always good for two persons to share but this lamb curry might just be too good to be shared.
Kuse's specialty rice is called the Dulong fried rice. The brown strips you see above are small fishes fried to their crispy yummy perfection. They are called dulong and mixes in the salty taste with the rice. Perfect for any viand like the Lamb Curry.
Finish off with a different type of sapin-sapin, Old Vine Grille's sapin-sapin creme brulee. Personally, I have had enough of sapin-sapin, but this dessert doesn't remind me at all of the usual layered rice cakes. The crispiness of the caramelized sugar changes everything. The perfect happy ending any Kuse can give!
