LTH Home

Kusina de Manila - Filipino Food in Des Plaines

Kusina de Manila - Filipino Food in Des Plaines
  • Forum HomePost Reply BackTop
  • Kusina de Manila - Filipino Food in Des Plaines

    Post #1 - March 2nd, 2017, 7:00 pm
    Post #1 - March 2nd, 2017, 7:00 pm Post #1 - March 2nd, 2017, 7:00 pm
    I had seen this place from the street a number of times and made note to stop in for dinner sometime. Tonight was the night along with a friend.

    Not a large place, we were greeted warmly and led to a table for two right in front of the piano where karaoke was going on, "the greatest love" "honesty" etc, you get the idea. Winston the owner, waiting on us and making sure we didn't have any questions. Also mentioned to us if we had suggestions for the person playing the piano, to go ahead and make them.

    I had Adobong Kambing (goat meat adobo), this was simply outstanding, the spices, soy sauce/vinegar, pepper with bone-in chopped goat meat. (if not a fan of goat, other meats are available)

    Friend had Lechon Kawali - fried hunks of perfect pork goodness. There have been numerous times where the lechon I've had in Filipino restuarants has either been old or very overfried so that the meat was dry. This version was VERY juicy and skin super crispy, cooked perfectly.

    Plenty of other dishes to choose from, wish they had a website but they do have a FB page. UPDATE: website is operational, see below edit.

    Kusina de Manila
    632 W Algonquin Rd, Ste 100
    Des Plaines, Illinois
    (847) 378-8838
    10am - 8pm (closed Mondays and closed from 3-4pm on Saturdays)
    FB page: https://www.facebook.com/kusinademanila/
    Website: https://www.kusinademanila.com

    -
    Last edited by Sweet Willie on October 19th, 2017, 7:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #2 - March 3rd, 2017, 6:31 am
    Post #2 - March 3rd, 2017, 6:31 am Post #2 - March 3rd, 2017, 6:31 am
    On my 'short list'!
    If Sweet Willie says it's good then it's good to go!
    -Richard
  • Post #3 - March 3rd, 2017, 8:15 am
    Post #3 - March 3rd, 2017, 8:15 am Post #3 - March 3rd, 2017, 8:15 am
    budrichard wrote:On my 'short list'!
    the adobo dish I had was that good, I hope you get to go soon.
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #4 - March 3rd, 2017, 9:45 am
    Post #4 - March 3rd, 2017, 9:45 am Post #4 - March 3rd, 2017, 9:45 am
    Per their FB page they do list a website FYI:


    http://www.kusinademanila.com/
    “There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.”
    ― Mahatma Gandhi
  • Post #5 - March 3rd, 2017, 10:44 am
    Post #5 - March 3rd, 2017, 10:44 am Post #5 - March 3rd, 2017, 10:44 am
    Busghetti wrote:Per their FB page they do list a website FYI:


    http://www.kusinademanila.com/

    I kept getting "This site can’t be reached" messages, so decided not to post, as it doesn't seem to be operational. Did the URL work for you?
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #6 - March 19th, 2017, 9:45 am
    Post #6 - March 19th, 2017, 9:45 am Post #6 - March 19th, 2017, 9:45 am
    My wife and I schlepped down here last night for dinner. For geographical reference, this place is in the same strip mall as New Seoul.

    We were greeted warmly by Winston and he also was our server. He indicated that the woman singing karaoke would be concluding shortly and a different woman from DePaul University would be playing violin.

    Anyway, we were the only non-filipinos in the place. A good sign for me. There was a group of about 20 folks having a birthday dinner at another table. I was concerned that our order would be delayed. Turned out not to be the case.

    My wife and I shared an order of Lumpiang Shanghai. It was quite good. She sent a photo of it to her filipino friend in California. My wife ordered Pork Liempo for her entree. I selected the Adobong Kambing. Winston proudly informed me that he and his chef traveled to Wisconsin to pick out the goat for serving at the restaurant. As Sweet Willie mentioned upthread, the sauce in this dish is outstanding.

    The menu is huge. I'm looking forward to future visits to work my way through it. Definitely work the schlep. Great find Sweet Willie!
    Never order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard
  • Post #7 - October 19th, 2017, 7:34 am
    Post #7 - October 19th, 2017, 7:34 am Post #7 - October 19th, 2017, 7:34 am
    Busghetti wrote:Per their FB page they do list a website FYI:


    http://www.kusinademanila.com/
    website is now working.

    Just noticed that they serve breakfast starting at 11am, I usually am thinking about lunch by that time but good to know.

    FYI, for those who are curious about this place or have wanted to try Filipino food, an LTH dinner is planned for Tues Nov 7, see Events, all are welcome!
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #8 - October 19th, 2017, 4:52 pm
    Post #8 - October 19th, 2017, 4:52 pm Post #8 - October 19th, 2017, 4:52 pm
    I had asked a friend of mine who married a Filipino & lived in the Philippines for a stint what he thought of the menu, here is his response:

    [Start]
    In my experience, a typical filipino family meal would start with soup, include something grilled, a vegetable dish of some sort (which almost always has meat "for flavor"), perhaps some noodles, and always white rice.

    Looking at the menu, I'm partial to the following:

    Sisig - basically chopped pork face and ears.
    Lechon Kawali - deep fried pork belly
    Give me these 2 dishes and a few Red Horse beers, and I'm all set

    I like both beefsteak tagalog and kalderetang - we eat them often at home - probably suitable for folks who don't want to venture too far from the familiar

    Kare Kare - filipino oxtail curry with peanut sauce and fermented shrimp paste. This can be really good but I've also had it where it was pretty nasty - way too fatty and overpowering shrimp paste.

    Binagoongang Baboy - their picture looks different than how I've had it. I've had crispy binagoongang which is fried pork pieces cooked in the bagoong topped with diced mango and tomatoes.

    Crispy pata - this is just like bavarian schweinehaxe. A crowd pleaser but I'm personally partial to the german style.

    Dinuguan - I'm not much of a blood eater, but I had this homemade cooked over an open fire and it was out of this world. My wife has never let me order it out but she's used to this being made right after slaughtering a pig for lechon, so her expectations are pretty much not going to get met in a restaurant setting.

    Adobong pusit - squid adobo - I really like this over a bit of white rice

    Grilled stuffed squid - this is a common dish and one that's hard to mess up

    Sinigang - I like it with shrimp (suck the heads). If done right, it should be bright, fresh tasting and bracingly sour.

    As you can see on the menu, filipino vegetable dishes are rarely vegetarian. I love laing but I'd ask if they use fresh taro leaves. I suspect some places use dried taro leaves and its just not the same as fresh. I also like the dish with squash, green beans and coconut milk - a nice light vegetable dish

    Their chef specialties appear to be from Ilo Ilo, a regional cuisine that I'm not familiar with.

    Hopefully that's a good start and I wish you all a great meal.

    Take care,
    [End]
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #9 - October 19th, 2017, 5:00 pm
    Post #9 - October 19th, 2017, 5:00 pm Post #9 - October 19th, 2017, 5:00 pm
    Grateful for the insights. I've had Filipino food on a fair number of occasions, but this seems to offer more variety than I have seen elsewhere. Perhaps, as noted, this is because of regional differences. Looking forward to the dinner outing there.
    "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." Ronald Reagan

    http://midwestmaize.wordpress.com
  • Post #10 - November 7th, 2017, 9:17 pm
    Post #10 - November 7th, 2017, 9:17 pm Post #10 - November 7th, 2017, 9:17 pm
    4 of us LTHers dined at Kusina de Manila this evening.

    Restaurant was not crowded on this Tuesday evening.

    Our group dined on 6 items.

    Bangus Sisig - Made up of boneless bangus (milkfish) cooked with onions and sweet chili peppers, serve don a sizzling plate.

    Beef Steak Tagalog - Thinly sliced beef cooked in soy sauce and lemon juice and topped with slices of onions, served with white rice.

    Lechon Kawali - Crispy deep fried pork belly dish served with a side of lec hon sauce

    Adobong Kambing - goat adobo - tender goat meat stewed in garlic, onions, vinegar, and soy sauce.

    Fried Chicken - Specially marinated chicken, deep fried making it crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

    Laing (with Shrimp) - Spicy dish made from dried taro leaves and made creamy by using rich coconut milk with shrimp and shrimp paste for added flavor.

    I really enjoyed the Bangus Sisig, ratios of items were spot on, flavors fresh & deep.

    Fried Chicken was juicy, perhaps a hint of curry?

    The Laing I would have liked to be more funky with shrimp paste, I really couldn't detect any, still a very good dish.

    The goat adobo was not as stellar as before but I did notice that it got better after it cooled off a bit. I'll still order this again next time.

    Not as much live music being played as last time, but a highlight of this evening was an acoustic playing of this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1A_X8VMIqU
    -
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #11 - November 7th, 2017, 9:55 pm
    Post #11 - November 7th, 2017, 9:55 pm Post #11 - November 7th, 2017, 9:55 pm
    Sweet Willie wrote:a highlight of this evening was an acoustic playing of this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1A_X8VMIqU
    -

    Truly a highlight of a lovely evening!

    I enjoyed all of the dishes---flavors, quality, presentation. I'd never had Filipino food before. I'd happily go back to Kuisina de Manila for more.

    The food, the hospitality, the music, and the company were all pleasures. I'm glad I made it to this dinner.
    "Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
  • Post #12 - November 8th, 2017, 10:46 pm
    Post #12 - November 8th, 2017, 10:46 pm Post #12 - November 8th, 2017, 10:46 pm
    The menu says lemon in the beef steak Tagalog -- but it didn't taste like lemon -- it tasted like calamansi. I asked, and the owner checked with the chef and confirmed that it was calamansi -- which is sometimes called a Phillipine lime -- but has a distinctive taste that is orangier than a lemon and made the dish evem more interesting.

    Oh -- and we did have a brief discussion about whether or not a Filipino singing an Adam Sandler song might not be a case of cultural appropriation. :)

    But I agree with those up thread who enjoyed the dinner. Outstanding. Oh -- and if you get the milkfish -- eat the skin. It's as crisp as a potato chip. Remarkable.
    "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." Ronald Reagan

    http://midwestmaize.wordpress.com
  • Post #13 - November 15th, 2017, 4:38 pm
    Post #13 - November 15th, 2017, 4:38 pm Post #13 - November 15th, 2017, 4:38 pm
    Sorry it's taken me so long to post. I've been really tied up with some family issues; literally since I pulled out of the parking lot of Kusina de Manila. I'll echo the good words above. I especially enjoyed the Bangus Sisig and the Lechon Kawali (I'm a sucker for good chicharrón, and this lechon had some nicely crisped skin). I'd eagerly go back, which is not something I can say for most of the other Filipino places I've been.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #14 - January 28th, 2018, 10:39 am
    Post #14 - January 28th, 2018, 10:39 am Post #14 - January 28th, 2018, 10:39 am
    Last night's dinner was outstanding. We were warmly greeted by Winston. He remembered us from our previous dinner.

    My wife and I shared our usual appetizer of Lumpiang Shanghai. Though I think she ate more than her designated half. 8) My wife ordered Adobong Baboy (pork adobo) and I selected Pancit Palabok. Clean plate club for me. Some leftovers for her.

    Winston is a man of many talents. On piano, he accompanied the violin player for a couple of pieces. In addition, he was doing card tricks with a family at another table.

    This restaurant is a gem. Looking forward to future schleps down to Des Plaines.
    Never order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard
  • Post #15 - June 14th, 2018, 5:08 pm
    Post #15 - June 14th, 2018, 5:08 pm Post #15 - June 14th, 2018, 5:08 pm
    sometimes it is just hard to get a restaurant into one's rotation, trying to buck that trend by grabbing takeout from Kusina de Manila this evening.

    Ordered the goat adobo (Adobong Kambing) and Bangus (milkfish) sisig (both of these are described upthread).

    Winston took my order and again explained how he personally sourced fresh goat in Wisconsin.

    Couple of points to note: Despite being a take out order, there was still plenty of crispy skin with the bangus sisig!! Mrs Willie is not an adobo fan but made the comment that the goat adobo here is a much darker, heavier adobo than normal. She was thrilled with both dishes as was I.

    Now to continue the trend and keep trying some of the other dishes.
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #16 - June 14th, 2018, 6:50 pm
    Post #16 - June 14th, 2018, 6:50 pm Post #16 - June 14th, 2018, 6:50 pm
    Glad to hear you're still happy with Kusina de Manila, Willie. I remember our dinner (and the music :) ) there well and look forward to eating there again.
    "Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
  • Post #17 - January 10th, 2019, 8:12 am
    Post #17 - January 10th, 2019, 8:12 am Post #17 - January 10th, 2019, 8:12 am
    Took an out of town friend last night to Kusina de Manila, the bangus sisig and goat adobo are still terrific
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #18 - September 11th, 2019, 6:23 pm
    Post #18 - September 11th, 2019, 6:23 pm Post #18 - September 11th, 2019, 6:23 pm
    Sweet Willie wrote:... the bangus sisig and goat adobo are still terrific
    had the same two items this evening for dinner, still excellent. Sometime I'll have to try something different !
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #19 - July 21st, 2022, 9:06 pm
    Post #19 - July 21st, 2022, 9:06 pm Post #19 - July 21st, 2022, 9:06 pm
    Sweet Willie wrote:
    Sweet Willie wrote:... the bangus sisig and goat adobo are still terrific
    had the same two items this evening for dinner, still excellent. Sometime I'll have to try something different !
    still excellent, had these two items as takeout tonight
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #20 - September 14th, 2022, 3:19 pm
    Post #20 - September 14th, 2022, 3:19 pm Post #20 - September 14th, 2022, 3:19 pm
    Just called for a takeout order. Restaurant mentioned that they just got their order of fresh goat in. Offered a buy 2 goat meat dishes, get the 3rd free. I'm just the person to make that type of offer to !! :D

    Ordered 2 goat adobos (Adobong Kambing) and am trying a new goat dish Kalderetang Kambing "Tender goat meat stewed in tomato sauce, garlic and onions with green bell peppers, carrots, and potatoes"

    If nearby, consider this restaurant, great stuff
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #21 - September 14th, 2022, 5:36 pm
    Post #21 - September 14th, 2022, 5:36 pm Post #21 - September 14th, 2022, 5:36 pm
    Sweet Willie wrote:Just called for a takeout order. Restaurant mentioned that they just got their order of fresh goat in. Offered a buy 2 goat meat dishes, get the 3rd free. I'm just the person to make that type of offer to !! :D

    Ordered 2 goat adobos (Adobong Kambing) and am trying a new goat dish Kalderetang Kambing "Tender goat meat stewed in tomato sauce, garlic and onions with green bell peppers, carrots, and potatoes"

    If nearby, consider this restaurant, great stuff


    I love goat. Let us know how this dishes turned out. (And having eaten at this restaurant, I do kind of imagine it will be good.)
    "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." Ronald Reagan

    http://midwestmaize.wordpress.com
  • Post #22 - September 14th, 2022, 6:11 pm
    Post #22 - September 14th, 2022, 6:11 pm Post #22 - September 14th, 2022, 6:11 pm
    Cynthia wrote:
    Sweet Willie wrote:Ordered 2 goat adobos (Adobong Kambing) and am trying a new goat dish Kalderetang Kambing "Tender goat meat stewed in tomato sauce, garlic and onions with green bell peppers, carrots, and potatoes"


    I love goat. Let us know how this dishes turned out. (And having eaten at this restaurant, I do kind of imagine it will be good.)

    Our usual order of goat adobo (Adobong Kambing) was stellar as usual, very thick adobo.

    The new goat dish Kalderetang Kambing was more of a stew but had a delicious hint of coconut milk along with chilies. So glad the owner's offer forced my hand to order a different dish than normal.
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.

Contact

About

Team

Advertize

Close

Chat

Articles

Guide

Events

more