Jek's Kubo Bulalo at Ulo- Ulo

August 13, 2013

By now everyone knows that Maginhawa Street (and it's neighboring streets) is a great stretch of foodie heaven. You have your katsu, pizza places, burger joints, milk tea shops, tex- mex restos, etc. But what I have noticed is that there seems to be a dearth of Filipino food themed restaurants. Sure there's your standard carinderia's here and there, but aside from Pino there's really no other nice restaurants that serve mostly local fare.

Enter Jek's Kubo Bulalo and Ulo- Ulo.

We forgot to take a photo of their actual signage up front!

We have noticed this "eatery" since last year, but haven't had the chance to eat here before since it was always full and parking is sometimes a b*tch in Maginhawa. I use the term eatery loosely because it's not your average kanto carinderia but more definitely more affordable than most upscale restaurants. Hmm, maybe we can call it a high end eatery.

You order from the counter like most eateries, and pay there also. Their menu consists of three groups: Specialty, Kubo Favorites and the daily menu. Their specialties are the two dishes mentioned in their name -- Bulalo and Ulo- Ulo (Sinigang sa Miso). Both are good for sharing for two people, but can also be manhandled by one hungry person on his own with no problem Then the Kubo Favorites, in which all menu items already come with rice. Then there's a daily menu that changes from day to day (duh). After ordering, you can take a seat in their yellow and gray themed tables and chairs, either inside or outside. We found it more refreshing to seat out and eat al fresco since the place isn't equipped with an AC inside. Then you wait for them to serve you your food!

We ordered the following:

We shared an order of Bulalo.

Bulalo. 150php.

Okay we really didn't share since I ate most of this with my plate of rice. For 150php, this is really good value for money! The beef was really soft with just the right amount of fat, and came with a piece of bone with bone marrow in it. It also had corn and some vegetables. I loved how the veggies were still very firm and had nice snap to it. Of course, a good soup is what make a good bulalo. And Jek's Bulalo broth is very tasty.

Kim ordered her own Salpicao.

Salpicao. 90php.

At first glance the serving might seem small, but this is a single serve dish meant for one person and not for sharing. The beef is served with some finely chopped garlic on top, and with salpicao sauce/ sarsa on the side. Aside from the rice, it also comes with some carrots and baguio beans. Kim loved that the beef was tender and not rubbery. She also noted that the garlic flavor was just right and not overpowering. Having the sarsa separate from the beef meant that the customer has control if she wants to add some more to the beef. Kim only tried to put some to try it out, since the beef was already flavorful.

For drinks we opted to get a Buko Shake from their own stand, Jek's Bu-ko.

Buko Shake. 30php.

This was really good considering how cheap it was compared to most mall buko stands. And the bottle reminds me of those buko shakes prevalent in Boracay.

Cleaner than your average carinderia and the food definitely tastes better. It might be more more expensive, but the prices are justified with the food they serve. So if you're looking for a hearty Pinoy meal, Jek's is your best bet in the Maginhawa area.

Jek's Kubo Bulalo and Ulo- Ulo
#77 Maginhawa St., UP Village
Quezon City
(02) 434 7362
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeks-Kubo-Bulalo-at-Ulo-Ulo/445767328790161