Magna Kubo was a Filipino restaurant in Beaverton, Oregon.[1] Owner Carlo Lamagna and chef Kevin Balonso opened the restaurant in 2023, as an off-shoot of Lamagna's Portland eatery Magna Kusina. Magna Kubo specialized in rotisserie-style meats and also served bistek, chicken wings, laing, and halo-halo. Despite garnering a positive reception and being named one of the metropolitan area's best new restaurants by The Oregonian, Magna Kubo closed in 2024.

Magna Kubo
Map
Restaurant information
EstablishedJune 2023 (2023-06)
Closed2024 (2024)
Owner(s)Carlo Lamagna
ChefKevin Balonso
Food typeFilipino
Street address12406 Southwest Broadway Street
CityBeaverton
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97005
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°29′14″N 122°48′15″W / 45.4873°N 122.8042°W / 45.4873; -122.8042

Description

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The lechonería Magna Kubo operated at the intersection of Southwest Broadway Street and Southwest Hall Boulevard in Beaverton.[2][3] Magna Kubo served Filipino cuisine such as rotisserie-style meats[4] (including liempo, or pork belly), rice, and atchara with pickled carrot, onion, and garlic. The menu has also included barbecue ribs,[5] bistek (marinated beef shoulder with star anise and garlic),[6] wagyu beef sliders, laing (coconut milk-braised vegetables with shallots and chiles),[7][8] fish,[9] chicken wings, and halo-halo.[10]

For Beaverton Restaurant Week in 2023, Magna Kuba collaborated with Hapa Pizza to serve a pizza with shredded pork, Brussels sprouts, mozzarella, red sauce, cilantro, Thai basil, XO sauce and Caesar dressing.[11][12] For Thanksgiving, a take-out menu included turkey breast marinated in lemongrass and annatto, adobo-braised, crab fat fried rice, sisig-style Brussels sprouts, and gailan with fermented shrimp paste.[13]

History

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Magna Kubo opened in June 2023, as a spin-off of the Portland restaurant Magna Kusina.[14][15] Carlo Lamagna was a co-owner, and Kevin Balonso was the chef.[16] Magna Kubo was among several new Filipino restaurants in the Portland metropolitan area.[17][18][19]

In 2024, Magna Kubo participated in Sobrang Sarap, a tour of sixteen Filipino food businesses in the area,[20][21][22] and was a vendor at the Oregon AAPI Food and Wine Fest in Dayton, Oregon.[23]

Magna Kubo closed permanently in mid 2024.[2][24]

Reception

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Magna Kubo ranked ninth in The Oregonian's list of best new restaurants of 2023.[16][25] The newspaper's Michael Russell called the halo-halo "outrageously good".[26] Katherine Chew Hamilton included the halo-halo in Portland Monthly's overview of the city's ten best dishes of 2023.[27] Krista Garcia included Magna Kubo in Eater Portland's 2024 list of recommended eateries for Filipino food in the metropolitan area.[10] She and Janey Wong also included Magna Kubo in a 2024 list of nineteen Beaverton eateries "making the Portland suburb a dining destination".[28]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Wong, Janey (2023-01-06). "Magna Kubo Is Bringing Filipino-Style Rotisserie Meats to Beaverton". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  2. ^ a b Russell, Michael (2024-05-31). "Magna Kubo, one of the Portland area's best new restaurants last year, has closed". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2024-06-14. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  3. ^ Bishop, Lauren (2023-03-24). "Filipino rotisserie dining headed to Beaverton, rosé fest returns to Hillsboro". Beaverton Valley Times. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  4. ^ Kassin, Kate (2024-01-17). "The 9 Most Anticipated Restaurant Openings of 2024". Bon Appétit. Archived from the original on 2024-06-07. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  5. ^ Garcia, Krista (2017-09-07). "19 Beaverton Restaurants Making the Portland Suburb a Dining Destination". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  6. ^ "Where to Eat This Week". Willamette Week. 2023-12-05. Archived from the original on 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  7. ^ "Magna Kubo, the Beaverton Spinoff of Magna Kusina, Brings Some Much-Appreciated Filipino Flavors to the Westside". Willamette Week. 2023-11-01. Archived from the original on 2024-01-03. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  8. ^ "Where to Eat This Week". Willamette Week. 2023-11-15. Archived from the original on 2023-12-02. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  9. ^ "9 Hellos and 6 Goodbyes: Portland's Biggest Restaurant Moves of 2023". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2024-01-20. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  10. ^ a b Garcia, Krista (2021-03-22). "Where to Find Fantastic Filipino Food in Portland and Beyond". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  11. ^ Russell, Michael (2023-09-26). "Beaverton Restaurant Week 2023: 11 spots you need to try". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2024-01-06. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  12. ^ "6 Must-Try Spots for Beaverton Restaurant Week". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  13. ^ Wong, Janey (2016-11-15). "Where to Order Thanksgiving Dinner Takeout in Portland This Year". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  14. ^ Russell, Michael (2022-12-07). "Magna Kusina is expanding with Kubo, a Beaverton lechonería". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2024-06-14. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  15. ^ Wong, Janey (2023-03-07). "The Most Anticipated Portland Restaurant Openings, Spring/Summer 2023". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  16. ^ a b Russell, Michael (2023-12-14). "At Beaverton's Magna Kubo, a roadside lechonería heads indoors (review)". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2024-06-14. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  17. ^ Wu, Waz (2023-09-14). "This Vegan Filipino Pop-Up Is an Homage to the Chef's Late Father". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2024-03-03. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  18. ^ "What's a Botanical Bakeshop? Visit Portland's Newest". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2024-04-03. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  19. ^ Russell, Michael (2024-02-26). "The 40 best restaurants in Portland you need to try". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2024-05-12. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  20. ^ Bicchieri, Paolo (2024-04-05). "All About Sobrang Sarap, Portland's New Self-Guided Filipino Food Tour". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  21. ^ Russell, Michael (2024-04-01). "Celebrate Filipino Food Month with specials at these Portland-area restaurants". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2024-05-17. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  22. ^ Smith, Suzette. "Filipino Food Month Sobrang Sarap Showcases Portland-Area Food Carts, Restaurants, and Pop-Ups". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  23. ^ "8 things to do in Portland this weekend | May 17-19". KGW. 2024-05-17. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  24. ^ Roland, Rebecca (2024-06-12). "A Popular Portland Gay Bar Is Opening a Second Family-Friendly Location". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2024-06-12. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  25. ^ Russell, Michael (2023-12-13). "We're rolling out our guide to Portland's best new restaurants starting today". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  26. ^ Russell, Michael (2023-12-27). "Portland's best new dishes of 2023". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  27. ^ "Portland's 10 Best Dishes of 2023". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  28. ^ Garcia, Krista (2017-09-07). "19 Beaverton Restaurants Making the Portland Suburb a Dining Destination". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2024-06-14.