San Juan, La Union — One question I am often asked is “what makes you happy?” And most of the time, one of my outright answers would be ‘food’. I mean, who wouldn’t? Some people may say that food, a delicious one at that, only brings temporary pleasure or dopamine spikes and not real happiness. I disagree. Good food (and drinks) are both pleasurable and happiness-inducing.

And those were exactly the things I’ve felt during a dine in experience at Curo, the in-house resto of rhe beautiful Curbside Villas in San Juan, La Union. The experience surely tickled the epicure in me. I have to admit, that I was really hungry when we decided to go to Curo for a brunch (since I spent my early morning, that day, paddle boarding). So could you just imagine how my eyes wondered in excitement and my tummy in heightened hunger, when our food were served on our table. (Honestly though, I had a challenging time to choose what to eat because Curo’a menu offers so many good food and drink options.

A pleasurable experience associated with good food and drinks came about the moment I had a taste of their food. It was like love at first bite especially with their “Spaghetti al Nero di Seppie” –  Curo’s super delicious version of a calamarata or squid ink pasta with crumbled feta, cherry tomato confit and fresh dill. It was served with deep fried calamari and grilled shrimps . It reminded me so much of my Italy trip. It was SUUUUUPER SATISFYING! Delizioso!

From among their all-day breakfast neals, we opted to try the Curbside Breakfast – a Curo signature meal that has cheese sausage, crispy bacon, classic pancake/toast, sweet potato hash, egg and tomato with pesto. The sausage was a mouthful of palatine goodness and the inclusion of a sweet potato hash was a pleasant surprise!

Lastly, we had some waffles with mixed berries, almond slivers, and cream to balance off the savory tasting dishes we had. We wanted to try their vegan ice cream for dessert, unfortunately, it wasn’t available. So that’s good enough reason to comeback.

The summer season means indulging on iced coffee (or tea), fruit shakes/ coolers and other thirst-quenching drinks. So we opted to try three different Curo cold drinks: Einspanner – an iced double shot espresso with a signature cool whipped cream. We were lucky to have a first dib on this relatively new drink of Curo. The coffee authority in our group approves of this drink!

We also tried another caffeinated cooler called Lychee Stout – an iced aerocano with lychee and calamansi. Some people may say this combination be an acquired taste. But as a lychee lover, I say this is something refreshing to the taste. Lastly, we tried one of their frosted drinks in the form of a Peach Frost Tea – peach flavored black tea. I might sound a little biased on this but this is my favorite because I adore anything peach!

Besides the good food and drinks, Curo’s zen vibe and minimalist (modern industrial) architecture add up to the relaxing experience. So whether you are an epicure who delights on good food or just a casual diner, a Curo dining experience will surely satiate your palate and tummy. The next time you plan a weekend food trip to San Juan, make sure you include Curo in your “eatinerary”!

Address: Curo is located inside Curbside Villa, Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union.