Where the name Kumba is derived from inspires me to be as genuine as possible in creating a menu and a space that connote how I like things done, simple but full of flavor. —Tina Legarda

At Kumba, I found myself at a table that felt like home, though I was in the company of Philippine dining royalty, such as Glenda Barretto, Myrna Segismundo, Beatrice Kahn-Legarda, Nina Daza Puyat, Sunshine Y. Puey, Francis Lim, Angelo Comsti, and Pepper Teehankee. But that’s the magic of Tina Legarda’s new restaurant, nestled on Aguirre Street in Parañaque, where her Bamba Bistro first took root.

Here, the table is more than a place to eat. It is a threshold, an invitation to partake of something deeper, something that lingers beyond the last bite. For what Kumba offers is not just sustenance but soul, as only something born of love can.

Kumba, drawn from the Tagalog word mapagkumbaba, which means “humble,” is a tribute to Tina’s three-year-old daughter, Miles. It is through food that this love is spoken, plated in dishes that hold the kind of tenderness only a mother’s hands can prepare.

Pulled pork asado cuapao, its softness yielding to memory. Papadum tuna tartare, where grilled pineapple and eel sauce whisper of sweetness and smoke. Dan dan duck dumplings, black pepper crab noodles, tamarind chicken inasal with whipped liver, crispy chicken skin, and sukang pinya—each a story, a moment, a homecoming. Then there is the thanh long kha, a noodle dish with mussels poached in green curry, along with the bistek short ribs crowned with gremolata, the crab and scallop omelette, the unagi kabayaki with roasted bone marrow and whipped scallion. Finally, the last indulgence: Sikwate & Suman or Visayan chocolate and sticky rice, kissed by mango butter, coconut, and peanut. Each bite, an embrace.

Even the drinks tell a story. Dónde Está la Biblioteca?—a frozen margarita plus sangria—is an inside joke in cocktail form, a playful contradiction. Then there’s Mojito Ni Tito, where mint leaves, calamansi, and rhum swirl into nostalgia. Nakakapagpabagabag—a name as dizzying as the drink itself—mixes kiwi, apple, mint, and vodka, a refreshment with a twist of mystery. Sundown Express, fresh pineapple laced with tequila, is the golden hour captured in a glass.

And so I ate, I shared, and I was filled—not just with food, but with warmth, memory, and meaning. At Kumba, the feast extends beyond the plate. It is a love letter, a lullaby, a promise that no matter where we go, the taste of home will always find us.

Kumba is located at 92 Aguirre Ave., BF Homes, Parañaque, Metro Manila.