First, meet the Owners: Roy and Kat

ROY and KAT Amurao

They say that true love based on physical appearance easily fades. Others argue that one may be able to recognize true love immediately. But for Roy and Kat Amurao, “love at first sight”–does exist.

After they first met 3 years ago, Roy and Kat, tie the knot. And what drives their relationship and brings them together? The answer: their LOVE for food!

Roy, a culinary expert at Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills  has done his apprenticeship at Spago Beverly Hills owned by Wolfgang Puck. He shares with us why he had fallen in love with Kathlyn Besana–an entrepreneur who graduated with a business degree from Entrepreneurs School of Asia.

Their love story started when Kat took over a business restaurant in 2009. Her first customer was none other than Roy. The two couple ended up with wedding vows and promises of forever at a simple Christian wedding on October 9, 2010.

They said, “That the secret recipe in their marriage is not about the success that they have in the business, but rather putting Jesus Christ as a center of their relationship”.

The couple is currently blessed with son named Lukas Roberto.

Today, the lovely couples manages and owns JT’s Manukan in Tagaytay. Success, love and a happy family. What more could you ask for?

JT’s Manukan invades Tagaytay

 Filipino weddings seem incomplete without the usual, typical signature dishes such as lechon, barbecue and chicken Inasal. If you are planning to have an authentic, traditional Pinoy wedding then JT’s Manukan Grille is now offering catering services incredibly reasonable prices. The restaurant has just recently opened in Tagaytay, which has become a key wedding location due to it’s romantic environment. Whether you are thinking of getting married soon or not, JT’s Manukan Grille is worth driving to for a delicious, hearty meal.

Tagaytay has always been known for it’s scenic views and the delectable Filipino cuisines it houses; and as JT’s Manukan Grille’s newest branch kick’s off, another native culinary haven is set to delight both the locals and tourists.  Located at Kaybagal South, Aguinaldo Highway 4120, Tagaytay, the newly opened grille is the offspring of the real life and business partnership of Roy and Kath Amurao. What was once a humble branch outlet in Granada Street near Gilmore Quezon City, JT’s Tagaytay is now the eight branch among JT’s chain of grills.

Despite a foreign gastronomic inclination, the team-up have decided to go local with the traditional Ilonggo grilled chicken. With an open-air set-up, alfresco settings which resemble the Inasal chicken outlets commonly seen in Bacolod City, the JT’s Manukan Grille-Tagaytay is sure to capture the hearts of every foodie, young and old.

JT- “Joyously Tempting”

Well originally, JT stands for Joel Torre, a stellar actor who has found a second stardom in is humble yet very popular roadside restaurant-JT’s Manukan Grille. He and his wife Cristy has started the business way back (the year the business started). JT’s does not only boast good food but a laid back and Pinoy ambiance as well.  People eat off of banana leaves with wooden tables and chairs perfect for the roadside setting. With all these, support came not only from family and friends but from the mob too. As they say, there’s just no better advertisement for a restaurant than a full house, so as expected a loyal clientele had been established and the rest is history.

But what else could be the star of the restaurant but the grilled chicken Inasal, marinated and prepared the way Ilonggos have been coking it for generations. The chicken’s succulence is in the secret marinade, a distinct recipe of vinegar, calamansi, soy sauce ect., then it is skewered onto barbeque sticks and put on the heat. And while the chicken is being cooked, it’s basted with atchuete (annatto) oil, which lends to it an appetizingly yellow sheen. Served either with plain and garlic rice, the Inasal is eaten with a make-your-own special sauce made from sinamak (native Ilonggo vinegar), soy sauce, calamansi and red finger chilies.

But if one does not feel like eating chicken, there are also alternative dishes such as Pork Barbeque, Spareribs, Boneless Bangus, Sate Babi, Kansi (Bulalo of the Ilonggos) and Batchoy. One can also fulfill his craving for chicken wings, on Baticolon (chicken gizzard), Atay (chicken liver) and Isol (chicken bottom).