Small Place, Big Pot, Great Taste: The Kusina sa Aquino of Tangub City, PH

Every time we pass by Tangub City, this humble little place above the small hill always catches my attention. A head turner, a huge cooking pot in the front yard of this mini-restaurant looks amazing.

Its silver and shiny look makes me wonder if it is a real pot that could accommodate and cook 4 people inside, or if it is just for trademark/popularity purposes. Every time, the kids would exclaim, "Dako kaayong kaldero! Yehey! Grabe ka big!" which in English they say, "It is a very huge pot! Yehey! It is really huge!"

Tuesday night, Last week, we fetched my mother and son from the Tangub City bus terminal, they were coming from Cagayan de Oro City. We were expecting that by 6 pm, they would be arriving in Tangub City, but the bus they were riding arrived at a quarter to eight in the evening. We waited for them for more than an hour without eating dinner ahead since we expected them to arrive earlier.

When they arrived, we immediately headed for home, but on our way, we all started to starve. Sky (my 5-year-old son) started to complain that he was hungry. We looked for somewhere to eat, but we couldn't find any at 8 pm. Then I remembered the big pot, which was a few minutes away from where we were at that time. My husband drove fast to catch up before that small restaurant closed. Luckily, they were still open, but we would be their last customer for that day as the manager/owner instructed his people.

We quickly ordered Bulalo (beef stew), we badly needed a hot soup, it was rainy and cold, and a bowl of dinuguan (pork blood stew). It was our first time to climb up to that mini-restaurant on the hill that we used to turn our heads every time we passed by.

Unexpectedly, the place was cozy, spacious (since we were the last customers, the place was all ours hahahahah). Simple decorations made the place welcoming and warm to its customers, added with a big Last Supper Canvas on the wall that made its customers having that "feel at home" feeling.

The wash stand was unique. It was a clay jar with a faucet where you could wash your hands before digging into the great-tasting food they serve. To give an honest review, their food was great and was very Filipino. Swak na swak sa panlasang Pinoy.

On one side, there was a Pasalubong Corner (souvenir corner) with racks full of displayed souvenir items and products. There were dried fruits, some sweet delicacies, nutritious foodstuffs, and more. Jeff (my son with autism) started to give glances to that food stuff and perhaps to choose which one he would go to grab, hahahah. He loves chips and snacks.

Sky jumped out of his chair when he noticed the aquarium in the other corner, while we waited for our food to be served. He had those big smiles when he saw the white Arwanas gliding and swimming inside. This little guy loves fish very much.

After having that hot and tasty dinner, we then got out of the place and went immediately to the Big Pot. I used to think four people could get inside the pot, but I was wrong. The 5 of us can actually fit in, or even 6. It was really big and it was made with something like the same material as real pots are. We touched it and it was not hot, hahahahah. The fire beneath the path is just LED lights that look like real fire.

We then took our poses and snaps, making the Big Pot our backdrop. My kids and I were truly amazed by that big pot that looks peculiar because of its size. That was a very unique idea. Some of the workers told us that the big pot made their business more popular and famous vloggers tend to stop by, take some videos and photos of that unique structure they are well-known for.

That night showed us that simple things can make us happy. We were hungry and tired, but we found good food, a cozy place, and that huge shiny pot that always made us smile. It felt good to finally stop and enjoy what we used to just look at from the road.

Sometimes, it’s fun to discover small surprises on the way home — a warm meal, happy kids, and a giant pot that makes everyone smile. We will surely come back, not just for the food but for the good memories we made on that little hill in Tangub City.