The name Cucina Gayuma intrigued us for some time now. We were hoping to try it sooner but it was closed on a Monday when we visited the area. Gayuma is a filipino term for love potion or food that will make you fall in love with a person. In a sense, the Gayuma term is misleading because the food is actually experimental meals on Filipino fusion. Gayuma is used to refer to food that seduces your senses. I remember that there was a Gayuma restaurant before (in Katipunan?) but this one is not related to it.
Laing Pasta (P190). Taro Leaves, coconut milk and cream topped with smoked fish and crumbled white cheese.
The Laing Pasta of Cucina Gayuma is getting a buzz in the foodie community. It is the best and if you have only one dish to try this is it. We love laing made from gabi leaves and authentically made in Bicol. It is a little bit creamy and the laing taste blended well with the pasta.
The ambiance is characterized by old wooden tables, mismatched chairs, antique accents, and red motif. The small office before was transformed into a Filipino Spanish home. The only thing that was off for us was the waiters in black. In Chinese, wearing black is a sign of bad luck and death.
Cucina Gayuma Special Menu
Appetizer, Salads, Beef, Pork, Chicken
Fish, Pasta, Dessert, Drinks.
Pesto Pita Pizza (P95). Pesto Pizza topped with sun dried tomatoes, tuyo, olives and mixed cheeses.
The menu prices are affordable with servings proportionate to its price. Take the pesto pizza pizza as an example. For less than hundred pesos, you get a small platito size pizza. It compensates its small slice with a rich taste of cheeses and tuyo.
Alimaki (P120). Alique and avocado stuffed Japanese style maki.
A deadly high-blood combination of aligue and avocado is a cute concoction but not memorable.
Cheese Crusted Baked Fish (P230). Baked dory fillets infused with mushrooms and shallots, and topped with mixed cheeses.
This is one of the best ways to enjoy the dory fish – baked and with a lot of cheese! Dory is usually bland in taste, the baked cheese on top gives it a salty ending.
Lamb Goulasch (P300). Lamb shanks and sausages in a Hungarian tomato stew.
The tomato stew is thick, rich and a bit salty. Eat it with the beans and rice to complement the tender lamb meat.
Leche Flan (P60). A rich flan that melts in your mouth.
We would recommend to end your meal with an old-school rich leche flan that is guaranteed to give you flashback of your childhood memories.
Cucina Gayuma
Villa Ortigas Unit 22,
Granada St. Quezon City
Telephone: (+63 2) 723-2975
Website: welovecucinagayuma.multiply.com
Store Hours: 11:30am-2pm (Tues-Sun), 6pm-10pm (Tues to Thurs, Sun), 6pm-11pm (Fri-Sat)
Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
The one near Katipunan was known for their bbq and desserts. I liked the baked fish at Cucina Gayuma, bit too oily though.
Black uniforms look a bit neater in case of spills. Maybe they were going for the easy to clean look. I don’t think this place is a chinese restuarant anyway.
Nice post! I was going to ask if it was related to the old Gayuma in Katipunan, because I wasn’t able to try it. Oh well. The Laing Pasta looks interesting. Thanks for sharing!
We are waiting for the North Min post… Hehe! I hope you enjoyed it,although I guess the timing was not so good.
cucina gayuma!! must try also their laing cheese spread 😉
wow laing pasta seems really unique and looks really good.. how i miss the food variety in manila 🙁
shan
http://the-f-word-blog.blogspot.com/
Cucina Gayuma is now open daily. Sunday to Thursday, 1130am to 2pm and 6pm to 10pm. Friday to Saturday, 1130am to 2pm and 6pm to 11pm.
Tried the laing pasta in Cucina Gayuma last week. The pasta tasted like it was cooked ahead of time, then re-heated when we placed our order (this made it dry), which is a really big no-no. Also, their waiters are not as knowledgeable about their menu as they are expected to be.
It’s a good thing, however, that the owner (I suppose) went around each table to get feedback from the guests. We gave her our comments, and she was gracious enough to take note of them. They have an interesting menu, and even if I wasn’t too impressed with my first visit here, I might still go back to try the other things they offer.
Going around the area, we chanced upon Spiga D’Oro, a newly opened Italian place. The owners are very accommodating and are very eager to please/satisfy their customers. Their pasta was good, but I wasn’t able to try their pizza though… So the next time you are in the area, you might wanna try out these two interesting places. 😉