MANILA – No need to book a flight to Cebu to get a taste of Hukad sa Golden Cowrie as the popular restaurant chain recently opened a branch here in Metro Manila.

Expect to see the familiar lamps shaped like puso (rice wrapped and boiled in coconut leaves) at the garden area of Trinoma mall in Quezon City, where Hukad’s first Luzon branch is located.

The homey atmosphere is still there, but a few modern tweaks were added to make the interiors cater to the Manila crowd.

“Our stores are similar, but not exactly the same. For example, we have stores that opened in Zamboanga and they have the vinta (traditional boat),” said director for product development Kristine De La Riva-Kokseng.

It was in 1982 when Golden Cowrie opened its first branch in Lahug, Cebu City. The Hukad brand was developed only in 2008 as a handle for the restaurant’s mall-based branches.

Today, Hukad and Golden Cowrie have 24 a total of branches across the country. Aside from Cebu, Zamboanga and Manila, there are also restaurants in Bohol, Dumaguete, Tacloban, Boracay, Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao, Butuan, Tagum, Pagadian and General Santos.

Hukad gets its name from the Cebuano term which means “limitless servings of food,” and this is exactly the experience that the restaurant aims to provide its diners – from the unlimited rice offerings to the extensive menu covering more than a hundred regional specialties.

During the launch of Hukad’s branch in Trinoma, ABS-CBN News and selected media and bloggers were served some of the restaurant’s specialties, a combination of the familiar and unfamiliar.

It’s hard to go wrong with Hukad’s meat offerings – the Cebu Lechon Belly is sure to satisfy with its crispy meat and skin, while the Oxtail Humba is a sweet, savory and comforting dish that calls for lots of rice.

Twists to the well-loved sisig are nothing new, but Hukad’s version is certainly worth a try. Instead of the usual pig face, this restaurant serves chopped up balut (fertilized duck egg) on a sizzling plate. It is a novel way of introducing this “exotic” street food – the chick and yolk are barely recognizable, but the flavors are definitely there.

There is also the ngohiong, a kind of spring roll that is popular among Cebuanos. It contains mostly mashed ubod (heart of coconut palm) and is more of an acquired taste, but nevertheless interesting.

Also noteworthy is Hukad’s effort to accommodate vegetarian diners. Aside from the salad options, the restaurant also has a vegetarian version of dinuguan, a Filipino stew that traditionally includes meat simmered in pig’s blood.

Hukad’s dinuguan has tofu instead of meat, with a blend of vegetables and black beans used to make the “blood” sauce. It is, of course, not as flavorful as the original, but is still a tasty alternative.

For dessert, try the Ube Halaya Crisp a la Mode, or purple yam jam encased in a crispy spring roll wrapper and topped with cheese ice cream. Let the ice cream melt slightly on the fritter and enjoy a nice contrast in textures and temperatures.

On a tight budget? Hukad is offering affordable sets at P149 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and bundles for four persons starting at P1,399.

“We’re hoping to introduce the Cebuano flavors to the Manila market. We hope that these will be readily accepted here,” Dela Riva-Kokseng said.