By Dianne Camille Teran
Layout by Neil Dominic De Luna
If you like the feel of oldfashioned Filipino home in a clean and
brightly-lit contemporary building, you
might want to try Pamana Restaurant
located at the Aguinaldo Highway,
Tagaytay City. Home to traditional
architectural styles owned by Happy
Ongpauco, a third generation
member of Barrio Fiesta clan, what
more could we expect from a family
seasoned in time and still dishing
out their legacy of classic Filipino
restaurants that we always love?
The restaurant offers homey Filipino
styles steeped in hardwood-based
furniture, windows distinct with capiz,
crocheted table runners, and classic
local home decors you seldom find in
new interiors. The number of old family
photos abound were wonderfully
hung on every corner of their walls.
Pamana was also blessed with a
picturesque scenery and cool windy
weather and boasts not only its prime
location, but also its architectural
artistry and nostalgic home ambiance.
The menu, where you can
also find Barrio Fiesta classics Crispy
Pata and Bulalo Steak and World
Topps’ (Happy’s other restaurant)
Adobo Rice, is a collection of their
family recipes handed down for over
a hundred years and a handful of new
and exciting formulae.
Appetizers in here are
no ordinary appetizers. Who said
appetizer servings should always be
petty? Absolutely not in Pamana,
where Filipino generosity is greatly
evident not only to quantity but to the
quality of a real meal kick starter. You
can enjoy Lumpiang Lucena, Sizzling
Sisig with Aligue, Tokwa’t Bagnet,
Tinuktok, their Dagupan’s Tiyan ng
Bangus showered with roasted garlics
that would make your appetizer
68
already a satisfying gastronomical
adventure.
But of course, the best is
still yet to come. Moving on with
their soups that gives pleasurable
warmth, classics like Sinigang na
Hipon, Sinigang na Buto-buto and
Sinigang na Muliputo are staples on
homegrown bistros. Chicken Binakol,
a real gem on the menu is a must try
especially for those who are seeking
a different story on your favorite
sinigang. Served in young coconut,
Chicken Binakol is a bit sweeter
because the broth is actually coconut
water that gives a more refreshing
attitude on the soup.
A major part of their menu is
entitled “Our Heritage” for no reason
other than showcasing their family’s
prideful bequest recipes.
Aside from the already
said Barrio Fiesta classics, Pamana brags its
specialty, the ThreeWay Adobo: chicken
white adobo, adobo
flakes, and native adobo spareribs- three
different ways adobo
is prepared but will
surely end up in one
happy tummy. Another must-try is their
Binagoongang
Bagnet; perfectly
crisped up pork
belly, smothered
with alamang
paste honed to
taste just rightly
impeccable.
Pamana also
offers salads,
desserts, noodles and meriendas that
are authentically Filipino comfort
food. Here you will taste the best
Pansit Malabon, Crispy Tawilis, La Paz
Batchoy, Lumpiang Ubod, Halo-halo,
Dirty Ice Cream, and a Pandesal
platter complemented with our
favorite palamans.
Another cool thing about
this resto is that their condiments
are served on sungka boards.
They gave us another way to play
with our sungka together with our
palettes providing authentic Filipino
complements on our favorite
Filipino dishes. Like the Pamana as a
restaurant, it offers new ways to enjoy
our favorites but still harnessed on
tradition and Filipinos’ natural love for
food.