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Eat Like Royalty
Sometimes you want something different. You might have heard about Royal Kubo in Clawson and the restaurant’s unique, nightly karaoke — and being the only place in town that offers traditional Filipino food, sets them apart.
Relocating to the trendy area of Clawson nearly three years ago from Oak Park, Royal Kubo has built a following by bringing people in to show off their singing skills (people will even slow dance while you croon Madonna’s “Crazy For You”) but staying for the tasty food. Asian inspired creations with a heavy dose of Polynesian flavors are what you can find in these dishes.
Start your meal with appetizers like Lumpia Shanghai: crispy meat egg rolls with a sweet and sour sauce; or the Lumpia Sariwa: sautéed oriental vegetables wrapped in lettuce and lumpia (a crepe-like wrap) with chicken or shrimp. They cover it with a peanut garlic sauce and green onions. Also try their takes on nachos and chicken wings.
Soups are staples in Pan-Asian cuisine and Royal Kubo serves several varieties, including Miso with tofu or a heartier Tempura Miso Ramen, with noodles and prawn. The kitchen also offers eight different salads from Hiyashi Wakame (a seaweed salad) to a grilled chicken breast. Top them off with their house made ginger-apple dressing. A large selection of entrée choices can be found on the Royal Kubo menu. Try one of the vegetarian dishes like sweet garlic eggplant or Ginatang Gulay — bamboo shoots, green pepper and mushrooms sautéed in coconut milk and served with white rice Other light fare includes Yakitori chicken, which is marinated chicken in teriyaki sauce, or the pork barbeque, cooked in Filipino spices. Both come with garlic-fried rice.
I tried the Kaldereta Baka, a stew-like dish of beef tenderloins cooked with garlic, onions, red and green pepper, potatoes and green olives simmered in a tomato sauce. The olives really lend an unusual flavor and make this a very unique dish.
A popular favorite is the Adobo Manok (chicken) or Baboy (pork). The meat is marinated in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and bay leaves. Heaped over white rice, this dish is very typical of traditional Filipino food. Marinades of soy, vinegar and garlic are their signature.
Noodle dishes like Pansit Guisado — a dish of Bihon rice noodles, pea pods, carrots, celery, onion and cabbage and your choice of chicken, pork or shrimp — or rice dishes like Tapsilog — marinated beef with two eggs any style, over garlic fried rice — are flavorful choices. Asian style seafood choices rounds out the menu. Royal Kubo also has steak and burgers for those not quite ready to step outside their comfort zone.
The dessert Halo-Halo can be found all year, with shaved ice, leche flan and tropical fruit covered in cream and vanilla ice cream. The full bar has traditional drinks like Buko (coconut juice) along with wine and draft beer.
If you're looking for adventure, Royal Kubo in Clawson is the place. Flavorful food and fun entertainment make this restaurant one-of-a-kind. | RDW
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