There’s No Taste Like Home
By Kimberly C. Villegas
Being a UP student requires too much sacrifice, including the need to endure homesickness and the longing for the cozy feel of the countryside. So for you guys who haven’t had the chance to go home to your respective provinces for so long a time already, here’s a little treat that will surely bring back all those childhood memories, chill moments with family, and the familiar taste of home.
“Hi ma’am. Taga-saan po kayo?”
It was such a nice little gesture from a staff who’s actually just expected to do nothing more than stand behind the row of dishes and assist the customers. He was standing behind the row of main course dishes behind the fried chicken adobo—wearing both a smile on his face and a white toque on his head.
The friendly gesture deserves a friendly answer.
“Bulacan po.”
“Taga-Bulacan din po ako! Sa Norzagaray. Tatlo po kami ditong taga-Bulacan.”
It was followed by an exchange of two more lines, which, had it not been for the “ma’am” in his “Enjoy your meal ma’am!” would have felt like you are being entertained by one of the members of the family who hosted this grand feast for the celebration of the town’s fiesta.
Nostalgic
Much of the country’s tourism today owes a lot from such hospitality that Filipinos naturally exert towards visitor, be he a foreigner or a fellow local. But that’s just one of the ways by which Chef Laudico Guevarra’s can make you feel like you were invited in a banquet with the Ilustrados.
Chef Laudico Guevarra’s is a 1920s heritage house, which was turned into a buffet restaurant in 2013, seated at the heart of San Juan City along Guevarra Street,minutes away from the congested streets of the city but miles away from its hustle and bustle. It is, at a glance, a simple, quiet house dwelled by a wealthy family who call their kids “hijo” and “hija”. No trace of food in the air. No noise. No music. No clattering of utensils and plates.
Upon entering the gate, guests are greeted by a green, spacious area with a small fountain where people could simply lounge around, reminiscent of childhood times in your grandma's old Spanish-inspired house in the province where family members sit and chat under the orange rays of the rising sun.
The grand, Filipino-Spanish banquet vibes, however, starts as you enter the house. Customers are welcomed by upbeat staff in white blouse or polo and black slacks or skirt. At the ceiling is a chandelier made of white and gold crystals dangling from the several candle- like bulbs surrounding the edge of the circular bottom, generating most of the light in the dimly lit main room called “Guevarra”.
The very detailed chandelier, however, does not mirror the whole interior of thehouse. Little intervention was done in each of the seven rooms and the restaurant just worked around what is present, giving it the authentic appearance of an old Manila house. The cream- painted walls are adorned with nothing but Filipino- themed paintings, like the famous bayanihan scene , a painting of a group of salacot- wearing men beside their boats, and the planting rice scene, all painted by local artists like Rona Manansala.
Six of the rooms are converted into dining areas, which are furnished only with wooden tables and foamed chairs covered with red leather. The rooms with bedroom- like space such as Recto and Abad Santos are intimate enough yet not too confining that dining with strangers would feel like dining with family whom you have met for the first time. Add it with the natural light coming through the large glass windows and the homey, cozy vibe is complete.
Tickling the native taste buds
While many restaurants in the metro are busy putting the spotlight on foreign cuisines, Guevarra's is celebrating the taste buds of the native tongue. Why won't they dare to rival traditional eateries along the busy streets of Manila that offer the same foods in a much cheaper price, when they got the power couple Chefs Roland and Jacqueline Laudico?
"Syempre, nasa Pilipinas tayo, so ano nga ba y'ung population? Syempre mas maraming Pilipino. So we decided to go for Filipino dishes," Guevarra's Marketing Officer Lyka Mamatugas said with conviction.
Guevarra's is proudly all about Filipino cuisine. Every spoonful of each dish brings into mind images of the reunion of one's kinship, where each family carriesa tray of their specialty dish. However, as the food lingers in your mouth, there is this certain tickle of flavor that only Guevarra's can offer. "May twist" as Ms. Lyka put it.
"May dinagdag (si Chef Lau) na ingredients... And well kay Chef Lau na 'yon," she said with a laugh.
Their spaghetti (one of the "Filipino pastas" offered along with the likes of Pancit Canton and Palabok) for example, perfectly meets the standards of a Filipino kid--that sweet, cheesy sauce showered with tiny meat chunks--uniquely marrying the dominating saltiness and adobo-like taste.
The 60- plus choices are divided into six stations: appetizers, main course, hot and grilled, carvings, desserts, and beverages, all of which are either built by Chef Lau from scratch, are Filipino dishes with his personal touch or foreign dishes revamped to suit the Filipino taste. The vegetarian pizza, for example, which is Italian in origin, was altered into one with the dominating taste of Baguio beans before getting adopted. Filipinos' love of meat and poultry, on the other hand, can be totally satisfied by Liempo, Grilled Chicken and Fried Chicken adobo.
Every good meal needs good dessert to keep it warm and sweet. That task is the purview of Chef Jacq, the wife of Chef Lau, who fulfilled it excellently. The Suman Balls, Chocolate Crinkles, Minatamis na Saging, Buko Pandan and Maruya were all pleasing to the eyes and taste buds. Their colors are something that are not normally used for food, giving it an extra appeal, as if embedded with metals that magnet your hand to pick them up and put them on your plate. They are worth the try though, because their sweetness is not too strong, giving room for the natural fruit flavors to burst.
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Guevarra's experience is not by any means similar to the pretentious atmosphere felt in most of the fine dining restaurants, where people people spend a lot only to be pressured to act sosy and sophisticated. It, however, maintains to be a classy destination for people who would want to travel back in time and enjoy the casual, good old feels that none other than the taste of home could give.
