Kusina Tonino's, Dipolog City

After I published my review about Tonino's Resto and Wine Bar at D' Hotel, Dipolog City (post here), the management of D' Hotel invited me for a free dinner at their newly-opened cafeteria just across the hotel. It is named just the same as the resto and wine bar but it is open for everyone, from all walks of life, I must say.

 

The establishment is like a food court that we always see inside the mall but this one is just a sole cafeteria along the sidewalk. The interior is inviting because it is homey and so colorful because of the artworks and paintings created by the Romano Family.

This place can accommodate a lot of dining customers and this is even accessible to all the surrounding establishments in the city - schools, banks, offices and more because it is situated at the heart of the city. Also, they have a separate room for conferences and special occassions if you want to celebrate it here.

This is a self-service establishment so you get to choose your food and pay at the cashier.

Let's take a look what my brother and I ate that evening.

Chicken Afritada - Php45.00

This is so good because of the rich and thick tomato sauce. It tickles the taste buds and it really impressed me.

Roasted Pork - Php50.00

My brother and I loved this because the meat is so tender and it has a distinct taste. Not too salty. Nice.

Pork Menudo - Php45.00

This is not the usual menudo that can be found in any carenderia. This is really good because the meat is tender and the dish itself doesn't have much fat in it plus the sauce compliments the entire dish.

Pork Ginaling - Php50.00

I love ground pork but this time I wasn't really impressed with it. It was soaked in oil, literally and it didn't taste good. It was so plain and boring. they could've lessen the oil in it and put more spices or seasoning to taste.

Lechon Paksiw - Php55.00

I did not attempt to eat this dish because of how it looks like. I always love lechon paksiw especially if it's a week-old already. However, for this one, I am scared if my blood pressure would soar high and kill me right then and there. It is obviously swimming in the sea of oil and according to my brother, it doesn't have any distinct taste. He can feel and taste the oil and nothing else. They could've make this dish more local that would really impress the mass market.

Balbacua - Php70.00

I was really tempted with this dish because this is one of my favorites. They have their own recipe for this because they have added more ingredients to make it more delicious. It has more spices and peanuts. It was love at first bite for me because of the spiciness of the chili on it. I consumed it alone and did not even share it. However, it changes my perception when my stomach became upset after a couple of hours and got sick for 2 days. Maybe my tummy was just so sensitive with this dish and did not cooperate but this is a sure hit for the guys out there.

They also have a line-up of different kiosks. They have their own lechon stand, buko bar, Bon Appetea for milk tea lovers, Dipolog Cupcakery for desserts and more.

The only request that most of their customers that I've talked to want to happen is to put up an airconditioning unit because the place is really warm especially if it's crowded already. They can't take the heat. Also, I observed there were a lot of flies dining in too.

If you want to experience affordable dining, try this new cafeteria in the heart of Dipolog City.


Kusina Tonino's
Dipolog City