Before moving to Boston in fall 2024 for graduate school, I made sure to soak up the “island vibes” of my home state as much as I could.
I call the state of Hawaii home — more specifically the island of Oahu, and ironically, I am not an avid beachgoer.
But I am a foodie, so I made sure to enjoy a lot of local “grindz” — food in Hawaii Creole — from my favorite restaurants, cafes and eateries before heading to the East Coast.
Out of all my favorite foods and restaurants, there is one place that I treasure dearly: Tony’s Kusina. Plot twist, Tony’s Kusina is not an actual restaurant. Rather, it’s a nickname for my father’s home kitchen. Because of his enthusiasm for cooking, my father would playfully call himself the head chef of Tony’s Kusina.
The word “kusina” comes from Tagalog — one of the major languages of the Philippines. The word is derived from the Spanish “cocina,” which translates to “kitchen” in English.
My father — who is of Filipino descent and speaks Tagalog fluently — can cook a variety of Filipino dishes alongside other Asian dishes, Hawaii-style dishes and Western dishes. He was born in the Philippines in Nueva Ecija and immigrated to the U.S. when he was young.
My dad’s cooking always filled the kitchen with a delicious aroma, thereby whetting my appetite.
I can’t recall every dish I had before I departed from Hawaii, but for Filipino dishes, some of my personal favorites made by my father include beef mechado — a stew dish akin to beef stew with vegetables — bistek Tagalog — a dish consisting of sliced beef and onions braised in a soy sauce marinade — and adobo made with pork riblets.
For dishes beyond Filipino cuisine, my father would make Korean-style fried chicken, baked salmon with furikake topping, Hawaiian garlic shrimp, saucy barbecue pork ribs, savory and tender oxtail soup and creamy alfredo fettuccine with chicken, mushrooms and broccoli.
My father would also make vegetables like grilled asparagus, stir-fried broccoli with oyster sauce and garlic, and a Korean-inspired cucumber salad dressed with soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and gochugaru — Korean chili flakes.
I have neutral feelings towards pinakbet, a Filipino vegetable stew. However, my father’s version is pretty darn tasty. He seasons it just right — not too salty, right amount of umami — and I like how he carefully selects a medley of vegetables for the dish instead of having one prominent vegetable.
Although my father still has intact motor skills and memory, he moves at a slower pace compared to before. His chopping and stirring motions are more plodding. He is unable to stand for longer than 15 to 20 minutes straight. When he cooks, he needs to take intermittent breaks to sit on the couch or a dining chair.
Despite my father’s feeble condition, his dishes are cooked to perfection. The care and thoughtfulness in his cooking never fails to shine through. Perhaps I’m slightly biased because he’s my father, but his dishes are delectable and “broke da mouth” — which means something is delicious in Hawaiian Pidgin.
My father’s limited mobility, which you may be wondering about, is not due to old age, smoking or drinking. Currently, he is in his 50s, does not smoke and he only drinks socially. In 2021, my father had a stroke. I am unaware of the finer details of what happened since we do not live together, but, according to my stepmother, my father’s stroke occurred at home during the evening. Luckily, an ambulance quickly picked him up and brought him to a hospital for treatment.
Simply put, I thank the stars that my father is still alive.
As long as I could remember, my father was a “work-with-his-hands” type of person. He worked in construction for decades, knew how to change the oil in a car, handled minor home renovations, maintained a small garden and knew his way around the kitchen.
Considering he used to be more active, I can only imagine the worries he now faces. I hope he knows how much he means to me, my half sister, my stepmother and other family members.
Even though my father is somewhat reserved and comes from a humble background, I’m very thankful for his hard work and his tasty, home-cooked meals filled with love.
I hope I can continue to enjoy my father’s company and his delicious, comforting food for many years to come.
I’m contemplating returning home for a bit during the summer. If I do, I’m certainly making a pit stop at Tony’s Kusina.
