There has been a resurgence of heritage cuisines in the Philippines, and I am all for it!
Back in October 2025, I joined a Unilever Food Solutions event exploring the future food trends in the Philippines. One of these food trends focuses on Culinary Roots. This means that in the upcoming years, we will be seeing a resurgence of heritage cuisines and a revival of regional dishes. Upon hearing this, I was hopeful that this trend would gain momentum in Mindanao.
Currently, food trends in Davao and Gensan are leaning towards expanding our horizon to coffee and matcha culture and having a taste of different cuisines, like more European, Asian, and Middle Eastern options on the table. While this is amazing and allows us to explore the world through taste, some go the path less travelled and incorporate flavors from heritage recipes and traditional techniques.
One of these restaurants would be Gensan’s newest café – Tribu Kefi. This establishment has recently opened last quarter of 2025 on Pacifico Bugarin Street (corner Lleon Lido).
Tribu Kefi is the first tribal café in Gensan, taking inspiration from the colorful and beautiful traditions of the T’boli and B’laan communities. Every element you see once you enter the restaurant is a celebration of heritage and ancestry. From the beautiful woven patterns adorning its walls to the intricate selection of artistry on the dishes served, everything is a beautiful homage to the community. The genius behind it, Chef Cris Carangian, with his team, devotes their time and care to curating the dishes in an artful manner that highlights local ingredients and incorporates indigenous recipes. The commitment is evident, such as the use of Region XII’s Matutum coffee beans for their coffee drinks.
Apart from the beautiful artistry of the dish served on the table, Tribu Kefi also provides a high level of food preparation and presentation at such an accessible price relative to Gensan market. Inspired by T’boli craftsmanship not only through the dish but also in its location, Tribu Kefi is a cultural experience that deserves to be experienced firsthand.
Food Review
While I would 100% come back and support this restaurant and hope for its success in the future, I would be giving my honest food review and experience, trying the dishes and drinks for the first time.
Onuk Nelut – 10/10 (10,10)
Onuk Nelut is a T’boli-inspired chicken soup dish that tastes like a really good Tinolang manok. We started our meal strongly with this P125 soup. It has two cuts of chicken (I’m assuming chicken thigh), garnished with a lot of white onions, over which the waiter poured over the amazing-smelling broth. Despite the simplicity of the dish, the presentation was unexpected for a P125 dish. It provides an immersive experience for the diner. Amazingly, despite the lack of ingredients you see on the dish, the soup is nourishing and packed with flavor. The white onion provides a light sweetness to the dish, which makes a great contrast to the umami flavor.
Onuk Tudbulul – 6.9/10 (6.8,7)
Onuk Tudbulul is Tribu Kefi’s version of grilled chicken inspired from T’boli’s method of barbecuing. Overall, the dish is a beautiful piece of art. It has an intricate tuile as a garnish that has a similar taste and softer texture to that of a crispy cassava wafer called burikit, a perfect fried egg, three skewered grilled chickens, and their own version of Java rice. It also has these side crumbles that have a sweet and salty taste to them. Its similar flavors are of burnt coconut meat mixed with pulverised peanuts. The texture and flavor are quite nice, but the barbecue sauce used on it was not to my preference. There was an imbalance of sweetness and tang from what I think is calamansi and sugar. It was too sweet for my liking.
Tnafay Onuk– 7.5/10 (7,8)
Tnafay Onuk is breaded chicken with honey cream sauce. You can opt to have the sauce on the side or have it served drenched with the sauce. I would recommend opting to have the sauce on the side. This way, you can enjoy the breaded chicken and experience it differently with the sauce, and you can control how much of it gets added to your experience based on your preference. Similar to Onuk heklafak, it is served with a pretty tuile as garnish, but the presentation for this dish is a little lackluster compared to the other two dishes.
However, the breaded chicken is really enjoyable. The flavors are not overcomplicated with salt and some spice, yet it leaves you with another biteful each time. It’s crispy, juicy, and tender. It’s not as oily as well, unlike other breaded chicken I’ve had. The honey cream sauce, though, was a bit mayo-forward, had a tangy aftertaste, and was on the sweeter side. I’m not quite a big fan of the sauce.
Drinks Rating:
Tultul Salted Caramel Latte – 6.5/10 (6,7)
Latik Latte – 8/10 (8,8)
One of the things that really piqued my interest was the Latik Latte. I have not encountered such a drink in Davao, and I’ve only seen it in Gensan. The presentation is superb. Adding blue curacao, gave the drink beauty and uniqueness. It also turned into this greenish drink once mixed, which is reminiscent of a mucky-coloured matcha drink. As to its taste, the latik flavor will definitely hit you as soon as the drink hits your palate. The smoky, burnt coconut flavour is hard to overlook. The taste strongly finishes with a caffeine kick at the end. The Matutum beans aren’t as acidic as other coffee beans, which I like. It’s more nutty in flavor but lighter in terms of richness.
The tultul salted caramel latte is good, but not anything special compared to the latik latte. It’s sweeter, and I can’t really taste the added salt in contrast to the beverage. A good choice for those who want sweeter drinks and want to avoid the risk of ordering food they are not familiar with.
Restaurant Rating
Food:
Their food is generally good. Its presentation and serving size are there, but it does leave a lot of room for improvement to capture the interest of the masses. Since it’s different and new, it needs to get the right balance of flavors that are different but comforting and that actually stick. Personally, the right spot would be flavors like Onuk Nelut and Latik Latte. It’s different yet has a sense of familiarity.
Their dish also needs to have the right balance, like their breaded chicken. It would have scored much higher if it weren’t for the sauce, which was too mayo-forward, or the grilled chicken being too sweet, while the Java rice is also sweeter.
Value for money:
For its price, I would say it’s a good value for money. The presentation of the dish, the dining experience, the beauty of the location, and the food are generally good. Would want to come back for their bread, other meals, and pasta next time.
Location:
Their location is accessible via car and public transport. It is far from the busy areas of Gensan, which is ideal for those who want to spend a quiet and peaceful time dining. The place is very beautiful, well-lit, and clean, and has really great air conditioning (perfect against the Gensan sun).
Service:
Service is great, although I can’t vouch for it during peak hours since we dined at non-peak hours. They have an usher, which was unusual for cafes but provides great showmanship. Their usher is very helpful as well. Knows their food and provide great suggestions. Attentive. They have limited free wifi and have some outlets.
Variety:
Limited options for each category. Around 1-4 options only. Some dishes are uncommon but are really intriguing. As it is considered a cafe rather than a restaurant, I think it has a better selection of meals compared to some other cafes in Gensan. They do lack cake options, though.
Personal Recommendations
Onuk Nelut, Latik Latte, Tnafay Onuk (sauce on the side)
Information
- Payment Method: Cash, Gcash/Maya, Bank Transfer
- Budget: P600-800 for 2 pax
- Type: Filipino, Regional, Heritage
- Facebook Page:
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