Cariñosa restaurant opens for business

A new Filipino-American restaurant opened its doors yesterday for an affordable dining experience on Middle Road, just across the Mobil gas station in Garapan.

Businesswoman Tetchie Tagorda, the owner of the Tambayan Music Lounge & Restaurant in San Jose, launched her new business venture—the Cariñosa’s Bakeshop and Restaurant.

Tagorda said her restaurant is unique compared to other Filipino-American restaurants, which usually serve fastfood meals. She said her restaurant has an a la carte menu that is served fast but fresh from the pan.

Cariñosa serves a wide array of cuisines, including Filipino, American, Italian, and Japanese, among others. “We can prepare meals based on customers’ requests,” she added.

Customers are assured of a relaxing ambiance with jazz and classical music filing the air, and the food selection ranging from Filipino favorites such as tapsilog [beef strips with fried rice and fried egg], bulalo [beef and bone marrow soup], Italian Chicken or Seafood Fettuccine, American sandwiches such as Grilled Chicken Breast and Hometown Burger, to Japanese yakisoba, assured Tagorda.

Besides iced tea, customers may also enjoy fresh juices such as melon, mango and buko [young coconut juice].

While the bakeshop is still being put up, Carinosa’s restaurant now serves customers daily. The restaurant serves breakfast from 6am to 9am; lunch, from 10am to 2pm; and dinner, from 6pm to 10pm; on Fridays, the restaurant opens continuously from 6am until 3am the following day.

Tagorda said the restaurant would also serve lunch buffets at an affordable price of $4.99 per person every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The restaurant is also available for functions for any occasion and provides catering services.

Yesterday noon, Tagorda and friends conducted a ceremonial ribbon cutting at the restaurant. Fr. Nonoy Recaido attended the ceremony to offer prayers for the business venture’s success.

Tagorda renovated the old Cariñosa’s Karaoke Lounge and converted it into the restaurant. Tagorda said she would soon reopen the Cariñosa’s Karaoke Lounge at the same vicinity, just adjacent to the restaurant.

Tagorda also owns the Tambayan Music Lounge & Restaurant in San Jose, which has been showcasing live band entertainment since 2003.