If you are familiar with Cebu City’s food scene, then there is a big chance that you know what Kusina ni Osting is. For the uninitiated, Kusina ni Osting sounds like any random street restaurant. But to Cebuanos, this well-loved ‘kitchen’ is one of the city’s go-to spots for fast, affordable, and delicious meals.
Kusina ni Osting is a pop-up eatery along F. Ramos Street across Velez College. Manned by Mr. Riel Quijano, known among his diners as Osting, the eatery opens at dusk and ‘vanishes’ at around 4 in the morning.
Unlike most eateries, Kusina ni Osting serves ‘midnight favorites’ like canned goods, noodles, pancit canton, and eggs. The process is pretty simple – you pick a canned good or pack of noodles, hand them to Osting, and you can watch him prepare your food right in front of you.
It is said that the original diners of the restaurant were graveyard shift workers and midnight ‘snackers’. Also, a lot of the original clients were online gamers leaving internet shops late in the evening. As it got more popular, however, the clientele started to expand with the eatery becoming an actual dining option for many Cebuanos. Soon, the crew had to deal with a steady stream of people visiting the restaurant even after midnight.
As Osting prepares the food himself, he had to learn how to do his job in the shortest time possible. Soon, Osting was preparing, cooking, and serving at least 3 boxes/stacks of canned dishes each day. To reach this number, it can only mean one thing – Osting was lightning fast!
Now hailed as ‘Cebu’s Fastest Eatery Chef’, Osting is able to attract hungry diners as well as curious onlookers. His technique and years of experience in this kitchen have helped him solidify this good relationship with his avid supporters. And these same supporters help spread the word about the eatery to their own circles.
So, if you ever find yourself craving a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup or a delicious egg-wrapped slice of beef loaf in the middle of the night, you know exactly where to go!
