TAMBUKIKOY: Chicken Inasal At Its Best

Only an Ilonggo knows how an authentic chicken inasal should taste. This is what Treena Cueva-Tecson, a genuine Ilongga, born and raised in Bacolod, carries with her when she openned her Tambokikoy restaurant which sells authentic chicken inasal – cooked and prepared the way a genuine inasal should be. “The inasal in Manila are sweet, dry and not cooked well, I know how inasal should taste like. Ilonggos would really know the authentic taste of inasal,” said Treena, who has a full-time marketing and PR career before giving it up to be a full time wife and mom two years ago. “And the inasal places in Manila sell inasal by the stick. No one is selling whole chicken inasal.” Being a marketing and PR woman, Treena applied blue ocean strategy in his business by offering something that the saturated market does not have yet; a whole chicken with an authentic inasal taste. Treena started her Tambokikoy just last September, armed only with P250,000 in capital, her mom’s recipe and her husband’s full support. Tambokikoy, which means chubby in Ilonggo, is envisioned by Treena as a take-out place that will sell authentic-tasting whole chicken inasal.

With a very ideal location, which is just right across the Mandaluyong City Hall on Maysilo Circle, market response has been very good. Office people and families have been dropping by to order take out, starting at lunch time until dinner. They open at 11 a.m. up to 11 p.m., Monday to Sunday.

Treena cooked her chicken inasal rotisserie-style over charcoal and not on electric grill. By chopping it two minutes after it is cooked, she said the juice goes back and it does not dry out. Treena is expecting to recoup her investments by December. This early, inquiries of franchising have already been received by Treena, although she said she is not yet ready for franchising.