With the popularity of La Union as a beach vacation destination (relatively) near Metro Manila, there are lots of food recommendations and choices when you walk through the heart of Surftown—also known as Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union.
But like many tourist destinations in the country, some of the best foodie experiences can be found in the quiet parts of San Juan, La Union.
One of these hidden gems is Curo, the in-house restaurant of boutique hotel Curbside Villa.
This restaurant is tucked in a residential area of Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union, and is only a few minutes’ drive away from the beach.
A picture-perfect Instagram-worthy restaurant in La Union
The inside of the hotel and the restaurant is its own paradise. It features a strong industrial design combined with Balinese accents to incorporate the beach town vibe.
Curo has two dining areas to choose from—an al fresco area that offers a cozy home-style vibe with wide open windows for the fresh air to breeze in; and an air-conditioned space where diners can enjoy lots of natural lighting, beautiful works of art, and comfortable seating.
Curo Food Menu
Curo offers a wide array of food choices for any time of the day. They take pride in serving gastronomic breakfast meals and elevated comfort food.
First, our sumptuous breakfast feast started with some of their bestselling appetizers.
Their Curbside Curo-quettes (PHP 340) are deep-fried sweet potato balls filled with spinach and mozzarella cheese. It’s crispy on the outside, and smooth and creamy on the inside.
The Spam Chips (PHP 300) are simply paper-thin Spam slices fried to a crisp and served with garlic aioli. It’s simple yet it instantly became my favorite.
We dined at Curo at 8 AM, so we got to try their delicious breakfast options that are perfect to start the day with.
Here are some of our Curo breakfast recommendations:
Their signature Curbside Breakfast (PHP 360) is a must-try if you love big breakfast meals with many options on one plate. This gastronomic breakfast includes crispy bacon strips, cheese sausage, classic pancakes, toast, sweet potato hash, baked tomato with pesto, and egg of your choice. We couldn’t get enough of the crispy bacon that was super flavorful and not greasy at all.
If you love bacon, you’ll love Curo’s Bacon Breakfast Buns (PHP 380) with sauteed spinach, mushrooms, and two poached eggs smothered in savory marinara sauce, all topped with crispy bacon strips. There are lots of flavors in this dish, but they all blend perfectly. This dish is a surefire way to start your day on a high note.
We also got to try their Cheese Coated Omelette (PHP 380) with farmer’s ham, spinach, and mushrooms.
This Cheese Coated Omelette was massive, filled with huge slices of flavorful ham, and stuffed with spinach and mushrooms. It was also served with a hearty herbed cream cheese topping, toast, and a side of fried sweet potatoes. I didn’t think an omelette would be enough for a filling and satisfying breakfast meal, but this dish proved me wrong.
Curo also offers a lot of classic breakfast options for those mornings when you just want the comfort of something familiar.
You can try the Pancakes or Waffles (PHP 250-340) which you can enjoy with sweet or savory toppings. We loved how perfectly cooked the waffles were—crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
If you can’t start the day without a heaping serving of rice, Curo serves classic Filipino breakfast rice meals as well. Be warned though—their servings are hefty and you’ll surely be full and satisfied all the way through lunchtime.
Curo also offers vegan and vegetarian options!
For the rest of the day (starting at 11 AM), Curo’s salads, pasta, and main dishes are also available to enjoy. Some of these dishes include their must-try Truffle Mushroom Pasta, Salmon Fillet, Vegan Stack, and USDA Angus Ribeye Australian Wagyu.
Of course, we couldn’t forget about dessert. We got to try Curo’s bestselling desserts which were all served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (perfect for La Union’s weather).
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The Baked Three Cheese Tart (PHP 320) features mixed berry compote, fresh blueberries, and almond slivers.
The Dark Chocolate Croissant Pudding (PHP 320) was an instant favorite. It’s a perfectly baked pudding that offers so many playful textures with each bite—from the crip of the pudding crust to the fluffiness of the pudding itself.
For chocolate lovers, you have to try the mouthwatering Molten Chocolate Cake (PHP 320) with Himalayan sea salt crumble and a candied walnut for extra crunch and flavor.
Curo’s Specialty Coffee
We were instantly impressed with the remarkable breakfast feast we got to enjoy at Curo. But the exceptional dining experience was made better with Curo’s specialty coffee which they created in partnership with Candid Coffee.
The Iced Einspanner (PHP 200) (espresso with fresh milk topped with Candid’s signature cream) is a delightfully rich, smooth, and creamy coffee drink.
The Granola Latte (PHP 200) (espresso with oat milk, cinnamon, and caramel) is the perfect drink for oat milk fans and is my instant favorite.
If you want to try something truly unique, you have to try Curo’s Coco Coffee Crumble (PHP 200)—an iced blended drink featuring espresso with pandan, muscovado, coconut milk, and tapioca pearls. This coffee drink is reminiscent of coco jam with nutty hints, and the tapioca pearls are quite a welcome surprise. It’s perfect to enjoy in the summer heat.
Other must-try drinks at Curo include their rich and indulgent Curo’s Chocolate (PHP 220), their soothing Japanese Green Tea with Roasted Rice (PHP 140), and their signature frozen drinks which include the refreshing and perfectly blended Curo Frost Tea (PHP 140).
Honestly, even if you visit just for the coffee and drinks, you’re sure to still have a blast at Curo! Their drinks menu deserves its own spotlight.
Surftown’s Must-Visit Foodie Gem
The next time you plan to visit San Juan, La Union, don’t just make plans for the beach and surfing. You need to carve a bit of time in your itinerary to enjoy the food and drinks at Curo.
As someone who has lived in La Union for half her life, this is one of the restaurants in San Juan, La Union that I will be excited to recommend to anyone I know. I’m confident in the foodie experience Curo can offer, and in the excellent quality of every single dish and drink that offers great value for money.
You just might find yourself coming back to La Union again and again just for this foodie experience!
Curo
Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union
facebook.com/curolaunion
instagram.com/curolaunion
Open daily from 7 AM to 9 PM
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