On the menu are pure love and a drink called Dónde Está la Biblioteca

Where the name Kumba is derived from inspires me to be as genuine as possible in creating a menu and a space that connote how I like things done, simple but full of flavor. —Tina Legarda

At Kumba, I found myself at a table that felt like home, though I was in the company of Philippine dining royalty, such as Glenda Barretto, Myrna Segismundo, Beatrice Kahn-Legarda, Nina Daza Puyat, Sunshine Y. Puey, Francis Lim, Angelo Comsti, and Pepper Teehankee. But that’s the magic of Tina Legarda’s new restaurant, nestled on Aguirre Street in Parañaque, where her Bamba Bistro first took root.

Here, the table is more than a place to eat. It is a threshold, an invitation to partake of something deeper, something that lingers beyond the last bite. For what Kumba offers is not just sustenance but soul, as only something born of love can.

Kumba, drawn from the Tagalog word mapagkumbaba, which means “humble,” is a tribute to Tina’s three-year-old daughter, Miles. It is through food that this love is spoken, plated in dishes that hold the kind of tenderness only a mother’s hands can prepare.

Pulled pork asado cuapao, its softness yielding to memory. Papadum tuna tartare, where grilled pineapple and eel sauce whisper of sweetness and smoke. Dan dan duck dumplings, black pepper crab noodles, tamarind chicken inasal with whipped liver, crispy chicken skin, and sukang pinya—each a story, a moment, a homecoming. Then there is the thanh long kha, a noodle dish with mussels poached in green curry, along with the bistek short ribs crowned with gremolata, the crab and scallop omelette, the unagi kabayaki with roasted bone marrow and whipped scallion. Finally, the last indulgence: Sikwate & Suman or Visayan chocolate and sticky rice, kissed by mango butter, coconut, and peanut. Each bite, an embrace.

CUAPAO NI CRISTINA Pulled pork asado cuapao with garlic cream, pickled mustasa, peanuts, and chicharon

STEAMED GROUPER in ginger sauce with clams, crispy shallots, and leek oil

TANH LONG KHA (off menu) Poached mussels in green curry sauce with garlic noodles, garlic coconut crumble, and chili oil

SIKWATE AND SUMAN Mango and sticky rice with milk chocolate mousse, mango butter, coconut, and peanut

Even the drinks tell a story. Dónde Está la Biblioteca?—a frozen margarita plus sangria—is an inside joke in cocktail form, a playful contradiction. Then there’s Mojito Ni Tito, where mint leaves, calamansi, and rhum swirl into nostalgia. Nakakapagpabagabag—a name as dizzying as the drink itself—mixes kiwi, apple, mint, and vodka, a refreshment with a twist of mystery. Sundown Express, fresh pineapple laced with tequila, is the golden hour captured in a glass.

DONDE ESTA LA BIBLIOTICA Frozen margarita and frozen sangria

I'M VEGAN (off menu) Seared slices of eggplant and banana in pineapple-coconut sauce with Asian romesco and crispy shallots, served with scallion fried rice

TINDAHAN NI MARIA (from Bamba Bistro) Pechay, chorizo, and salted egg salad in guava vinaigrette with pili nuts

TAMARIND CHICKEN INASAL with whipped chicken liver and crisp fried chicken skin, served with homemade sukang pinya

BLACK PEPPER CRAB NOODLES with garlic butter cereal and coriander

UNAGI KABAYAKI Rice bowl of shiitake mushroom, bacon, and roasted bone marrow with whipped scallion

KATAIFI Goat cheese and feta with guava, arugula, and pistachio in basil vinaigrette

BISTEK SHORT RIBS in curry-onion sauce with Asian gremolata and labuyo sambal

BISTEK SHORT RIBS in curry-onion sauce with Asian gremolata and labuyo sambal

And so I ate, I shared, and I was filled—not just with food, but with warmth, memory, and meaning. At Kumba, the feast extends beyond the plate. It is a love letter, a lullaby, a promise that no matter where we go, the taste of home will always find us.

Kumba is located at 92 Aguirre Ave., BF Homes, Parañaque, Metro Manila.