IT WAS Development Academy of the Philippines president Elba Cruz who was gushing over the tuna at this place. It's the best tuna in town, she says, claiming that she has eaten in all tuna places in the city.
The place she's referring to is Junnex along Cordillera Road at Central Park Subdivision in Bangkal.
If you don't know where Cordillera Road is, it's the main road after you exit from the Bailey Bridge in Matina Aplaya (after the bailery bridge, go left, then turn right at the main road -- that's Cordillera, Junnex is on the left side of the road).
If you're from MacArthur Highway, then go in to Central Park, turn left right at the guardhouse, the corner of the Church, then just drive on till you see Junnex on the right side of the road.
If it's dinner or lunchtime, it's easy to spot as you are sure there will be lots of people, and a good number of vehicles. Yes. It's one of those restaurants that have slipped my notice even as it has been there for quite some time now. Elba is right, though. Their food are gooooood.
And that's because the fish are all fresh, and their grilled tuna belly is that of the big eye tuna. You know big eye tuna, the meat melts in your mouth. Yes. Yummy. We also had tuna sisig and tuna tinola and tuna kinilaw, and the one outlier, the guso salad.
It's a place to enjoy the food in, but you have to squeeze in a little. The place is crowded and can be a bit noisy. There's an outdoor space that's relatively big, and a very small airconned room where you are packed in. Otherwise, the food is really, really good.
This is a place you should bring your visitors to if you want to boast about the freshness of our tuna.
Where's Junnex again?
It's at Cordillera Road at Central Park Subdivision in Bangkal, or the main road that leads to the bailey bridge.