THERE was a time when LGBTQ+ couple Venz and Venus had only P200 left, a small karenderya-style eatery and faith.
The couple behind Ven’s Kitchen in Basdiot, Moalboal, built their love story alongside their business. What began as an online friendship in late 2015 quickly deepened. At the time, Venz from Manila was working in Malaysia, while Venus from Davao was a hospital pharmacist. By November, they made their relationship official. Four months later, in March 2016, they opened a four-table eatery.
New town. No relatives. No connections. Just grit and trust.
“It was risky,” Venus said in an online interview on Feb. 12, 2026. They were learning about each other while building a business. If the relationship failed, the business could collapse — and vice versa.
“But as we go along, we learned how to give and respect each other,” Venz said.
Starting “karenderya style,” they relied on creativity. They gave dishes witty names: coconut milk chicken became “Snow White,” and orange-glazed chicken was “Chicken with the New Orange.” From 10 dishes, the menu grew to around 30.
They later ran the kitchen themselves. Venz became head cook, drawing from family recipes. Venus handled administration while cooking. They also reinvented Filipino dishes into vegan and vegetarian versions to elevate local cuisine.
Before the pandemic, lines formed outside by 5 p.m. Business was steady. But there were days they were down to their last P200.
“At that time, I told him, ‘Let’s just trust and have faith,’” Venus said.
Then came Covid-19 in 2020. A year later, super typhoon Odette battered southern Cebu. Income vanished. They closed in 2021.
“When we let go of our small restaurant, we thought that was it,” Venz said.
“When you close something, it doesn’t mean it’s the end. Sometimes it’s redirection,” Venus added.
With their last savings — their “final dance” — they built a new bamboo-and-indigenous-material restaurant. Five months later, they reopened in October 2022.
“If you’re at rock bottom,” Venus said, “there’s nowhere else to go but up.”
Their love and business grew together.
“Love story begins when the business begins,” Venus said.
Conflicts came, but they learned to understand each other deeply.
“When she has a tantrum, instead of getting angry, I see the child behind her,” Venz said. “I hug her.”
Meditation, prayer and supportive friends strengthened their bond.
“We don’t need validation from other people,” Venz said. “The happiness is from within us.”
From just the two of them — and their daughter helping out — Ven’s Kitchen now employs about 13 staff. Some workers even waited for them to reopen after the pandemic.
“They never gave up on us,” Venus said.
Going public as a couple was another leap. Venus promised herself she would no longer hide.
“When it’s a man, I will introduce him. If it’s a woman, it’s time to get out,” she said.
“I bravely came with him.”
For Venz, peace comes from faith.
“When you have a connection with God, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “What’s important is that you love each other.”
Looking back at the days when P200 was all they had, they see it as part of their history — proof that faith, patience and love can turn scarcity into abundance.
If they were to give their story a title, they already have one: “Table for two: plated with passion.” / CDF