Prubechu, A Taste of Guam in the Mission

Prubechu
2847 Mission St., Mission
Phone: (415) 952-3654
Status: Open

The Bay Area is getting its very first taste of the food of Guam thanks to Prubechu, a new restaurant from the duo of Shawn Naputi and Shawn Camacho. Both natives of Guam, the pair have most recently been working for Manny Torres Gimenez, who bequeathed them the former Roxy's Cafe space in order to focus full-time on his other Mission restaurant, The Palace. The two Shawns have overhauled the space in record time, and opened to the public on Tuesday; the name of their restaurant means "You're welcome" in Chamorro, the native language of Guam.

Naputi, who was the chef de cuisine of Roxy's under Gimenez and has also worked at Incanto and Salumeria, is running the kitchen, offering food with Guam's trademark blend of Spanish, Filipino, and Asian flavors, filtered through his upscale cooking sensibility. The unusual dishes include keleguen, a ceviche-like dish of meat marinated in fresh coconut and citrus and wrapped in titiyas, a coconut-accented flatbread; tinaktak, a dish of ground beef marinated in coconut milk, which Naputi has upgraded with the addition of house-made cappellini; and a caramelized potato soup. Dishes are available a la carte or as a Roxy's-style tasting menu for $40.

Camacho, most recently the GM of the Palace, will be the GM here as well. He worked together with Naputi to make over the Roxy's space, which has a sleek, modern look. (The duo spent three weeks upgrading everything themselves.) Wine and beer are on offer, and there's a small corkage fee for those who prefer to BYOB. Hours are 5-10 pm daily; reservations can be made by phone or by e-mailing them.

Here's the full menu (click to expand):

· Shawn Naputi and Shawn Camacho Take Roxy's Space [~ ESF ~]
· Manny Torres Gimenez Closes Roxy's Cafe [~ ESF ~]