Kanin Club -- Restaurants in the Philippines

When I first tried Kanin Club it was back in first year college. The first and I think the original branch is from an area near my university in Sta. Rosa. It's not really that far from Alabang. Just take the expressway and take Sta. Rosa exit. Chances are, you pass by the mall it's in, Paseo de Sta. Rosa, on your way to Tagaytay or to the beach in Batangas.

On my first time there, when I first looked at their menu, I was thinking it was expensive. But later on I realized that it was actually worth it. We all ordered as a group, something I would recommend. I guess it's also because Filipinos having close-knit families, eating in a group is very common and recommended. Most orders in Kanin Club serve up to 3 or 4, I would say. Honestly, the servings are actually pretty good. Usually, if you aren't experienced with ordering there, you'll end up with leftovers for sure.

During my first time, I was able to try out their crispy liempo (pork belly) and Bagoong rice recipe. From that moment on, I knew there was something really special about the recipes of Kanin Club. They really are able to represent a great deal of Filipino cuisine. Their customers will surely experience the tastes and flavors in our history and culture. If you have not eaten in Kanin Club then you are surely missing out.

I actually just came from there. This time it's in their Alabang branch in West Gate in Filinvest. I had a really heavy lunch. Now as you can see I'm exercising my fingers to compensate.

This time we ordered their Crispy Dinuguaan recipe (pork cooked in some sort of blood stew). This isn't really the common way of serving this dish. It's actually something new. The menu even says that it has been effective in convincing those who previously didn't use to eat dinuguaan. I do applaud their efforts to innovate on the different age-old recipes in the Philippine cuisine. I actually think that a big portion of their success is due to these innovations.

There are so many other unique things that are in their menu like that Sinangag na Sinigang (an original fusion of pork cooked in sour broth and fried rice) that will surely leave the first-time goers a bit of curiosity. But don't worry, you won't be disappointed because you'll surely be coming back for more. Just a while ago, the place was packed and from what I hear it's always like that.

I'm not really someone who's deprived of Filipino food and recipes. I grew up in a family who loved to cook Filipino food, especially in my mother's side. And so I was already exposed to these kinds of recipes even in my younger years. That being said, I can really say that they really made a lot of innovations and experimentation with the recipes and they did so without destroying the essence of the different dishes. They just mixed around the local ingredients and methods with the pre-existing recipes, added a bunch of new techniques and came up with a really diverse menu.

We see the beauty of a competitive market at work and how it forces people to innovate and provide better goods and services. There was actually a time when the owner of Kanin Club gave a talk in my university during the time I was studying there. Of course, it was something I was interested in and so I watched it. He seemed to be a very knowledgeable restaurateur who has a deep understanding of the business and the behavior of consumers.

Aside from having really good food, their restaurant branches are also presented and packaged well with an interior that mimics an old and native Filipino house during the Spanish occupation. Also, I noticed that they were playing music that's from this era. It's all really memorable and this is something that is reflected in their strong brand identity.

So what are you waiting for? If you have not tried eating in Kanin Club then it's about time that you try it out! It's something that you won't regret. Of course it's very important to also support our local cuisine. It's like you'll be getting a taste of our heritage and culture.

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