This new California food spot offers ‘lutong bahay’ meals
Photos from capunoslutongbahay/Instagram
From careers in the medical field, Raul and Joan Capuno switched to a different path, choosing to pursue their love for cooking. This new path led to the opening of Capuno’s Lutong Bahay in Santa Maria, California, offering the community a taste of home.
Serving up comfort and community in every dish, the couple transitioned from their longstanding careers to embrace their passion for cooking.
They opened Capuno’s Lutong Bahay last December, with a mission to share authentic Filipino flavors with the community.
“Since we have this love for our Filipino food, we started this restaurant because we want to share more of that with the Santa Maria community,” Raul told Santa Maria Times.
Realizing their hearts belong to the kitchen, Jonah said, “We found love when we were cooking in the kitchen. There with my husband and my family, because sometimes when they go in the house, they go straight to the kitchen because we love to eat.”
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Mouth-watering lutong bahay specials
Capuno’s Lutong Bahay boasts a variety of Filipino meals that have quickly caught the palates of locals. Visitors’ choices include the Pinoy cult-faves pancit, chicken and pork adobo, crispy pata and lumpia.
For your meal enders, don’t miss their Halo-Halo topped with homemade ice cream and ube halaya.
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They also offer combo meals of Beef Pares (sweet and savory beef stew), grilled liempo, lechon kawali and tortang talong to name a few — all paired with a side of pancit and lumpia.
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Ube lovers will rejoice as the newcomers on their menu – ube crinkle cookies and ube brownies – are crafted from their homemade ube halaya.
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Additionally, they cater to vegetarians, offering a selection of vegan-friendly meals — for dine in or to go via their website.
Offering homestyle meals, Capuno’s Lutong Bahay hopes to give patrons a dining experience that feels like home.
“That’s why we have the name Lutong Bahay, it means home-cooked. So everything that we offer here is basically the way that we cook at home,” Raul said.
Married for 33 years, Jonah, 55, and Raul, 56, migrated from the Philippines to the US in the ‘90s. After working in the medical field for decades, the couple are now channeling their love for Filipino food and bringing a taste of home to Santa Maria.
What customers are saying
Capuno’s Lutong Bahay have received commendable reviews from patrons, garnering an impressive 4.9 Yelp rating.
One reviewer, Joe S. from Buellton CA posted, “My wife and I just finished our lunch here and we’re thoroughly impressed. The ambiance is great, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that made our lunch experience even more enjoyable.”
Whether you’re craving for lutong bahay or a foodie exploring Filipino cuisine around California, check out their delish meals Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
