A taste of the Philippines has arrived in our corner of southeastern Manitoba in the form of a new restaurant, Kubo Fiesta, located at 445 Main Street in St. Adolphe. Kubo Fiesta mixes bold flavours with a welcoming space for the community to gather and try something new.

Open Tuesday to Sunday, with precise hours of operation being solidified in the coming days, the restaurant is located at the former site of the St. Adolphe Drive In. Along with a newly decorated interior, the menu, curated in part by head chef Roberto Bancolita, features Filipino cuisine with a nod to burgers and fries.

Over summer weekends, Bancolita and his family plan to offer outdoor service, serving up Filipino street food and halo-halo, a shaved ice-based dessert.

The recently opened restaurant boasts the only Filipino-dedicated menu in the region, which is largely why the family chose to open their business here.

“There are no Filipino restaurants on the south side [of Winnipeg],” says Johanna Dela Cruz, one of the seven family members taking on this endeavour. “Mostly in the north.”

The family is excited to offer cuisine not otherwise found locally. So far the reception to their vegetable dishes, such as pinakbet and chop suey, has revealed them to be crowd favourites. 

Dela Cruz also emphasizes the presence of sisig on the menu, a traditional Filipino dish that features pork belly and pork face with a spicy house-made “special sauce.”

Bancolita’s experience in the culinary world has spanned far-flung locales such as Sweden, Guam, and Saipan. During a quick break from morning kitchen prep, he encourages locales to come try out their menu.

While there are plenty of options for all palates, those who enjoy a little extra spice might be happy to know that jalapenos and ancho chili peppers are at play at Kubo Fiesta, adding depth to several of the restaurant’s signature dishes.

“It’s not just about us,” Dela Cruz emphasizes while reflecting on what the family would like the community to know about the new restaurant. “It’s about the locals too.”

She adds that the family is very curious about the community. They have appreciated receiving a lot of feedback and comments from residents so far and look forward to deepening that connection in the future.