« Cafe Juanita - Eclectically Romantic | Home | Chef Alain Raye's La Regalade in Manila! »
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Adarna Food & Culture - The Magic of the Rich Filipino Heritage
Currently, I'm inspired to promote really good Filipino restaurants. Technically, this is not part of the series 10 Restaurants We Love But Never Blogged Before. LA from Studio 23 News Central raved about this when we were in Sitio Remedios, Currimao. This is so far away from where we live but the trip was worth it! Check out Adarna Food & Culture :)
Adarna Food & Culture was conceptualized by partners Beth Angsioco and Chef Giney Villar showcasing Filipino antiques and different Filipino flavors around the country. The restaurant is a reapplication of Beth Angsioco's Adarna house and the first resto for AHA-graduate Chef Giney Villar. The food and ambiance is quite unique so you got to check this out and let me know what you think.
Adarna Food & Culture Menu:
Soup | Salads & Vegetables | Appetizers | Historic Regional Dishes 1 | Historic Regional Dishes 2 | Historic Regional Dishes 3 | Rice | Dessert | Drinks | Cold Drinks | New on the Menu | New Desserts | New Cold Drinks | Heirloom Recipes 1 | Heirloom Recipes 2 | Old & New World Pinoy Plates |
(Don't be intimidated with the menu, I'll give you some recommendations below)
Coincidentally, we bought a book from Adarna House (in the recent book fair) about the Ibong Adarna. We read the story to Aidan regularly and we promised him that we will bring him to see Ibong Adarna. He would love to see that painting of the Ibong Adarna above. Adarna is a Filipino magical bird that can cure sickness just by listening to its songs and can turn you into stone with its poop. The restaurant was named Adarna to proclaim its Filipino heritage and the "magical" dining experience it offers.
I love to see old newspapers and this one with a headline about Magsaysay's inauguration and later on his funeral.
Felicidad (P 120). A luxurious drink made from eggs, cream, milk with a splash of rhum and vanilla. Nice with a naughty streak. An unauthorized deviation from a secret originally wholesome family recipe.
This is something unique that you got to try. It is like drinking sweet cream that is very addicting.
Seafood Special (P471). A true-blue Manila family shares an Iberian style seafood dish of shrimps, scallops and fish in a flavorful tomato-olive oil suace topped with bell pepper, fried onions and parsley.
This is one of their best sellers. Adarna specializes on unique sauces like this oily tomato sauce that is sweet with a spicy kick in the end.
Piassok (P304).From Mindanao, experience this exotic Sulu dish of beef chunks cooked slowly in smoked coconut cream and ten spices till tender then buttered and grilled just before serving.
With a description like exotic Sulu dish, we decided to try this. The coconut cream is not offensive. The sauce is rich and complicated.
Batanes Yellow Rice Family Size (P130). From up north, a rice dish that is so simple it is elegant. Turmeric, garlic and a bit of pork flavors the rice for a special treat.
A different treat from your usual garlic or paella rice. I didn't know they have this rice in Batanes...
Platanillos con Mangga (P150). Light cream on crepe twirled into a cone and finished with rhum-flavored mango slices.
Technically it is mango crepe but the light creme and rhum gives it a different yummy treat and a fitting end to the magical meal.
Room of the Stars
Adarna has two special rooms that you can reserve with a minimum consumable of P5,000. The first room showcases the partner's collection of old movie stars.
Can you spot Vilma Santos and Tirso Cruz (see Bigger version)?
Check out these old Filipino Movie Actors and Actresses.
Room of the Carnival Queens
Before Miss Philippines, there was the Carnival Queens of the Philippines. It is the first time I heard about Carnival Queens and I'm starting to learn a lot about our rich Filipino heritage.
Check out the different Carnival Queens in their majestic poses.
Collection of Old Long Playing Discs... Too bad the LP player is not working...
Old Bottles Collection
I can't identify any of the old bottles on top.
FREE old Sari Sari Store
Live out your childhood memories by grabbing any of the FREE goodies in this sari sari store!
Old Pinoy Comics, Old Softdrinks Trays, Takalan ng Kanin, Tirador and many more...
The Space Balloon is the best seller so it is often out of stock. You can get chocnut and white rabbit for FREE before you home.
Adarna Food & Culture
119 Kalayaan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Telephone: +632 926-8712
Mobile: +63 917 961 8113
adarnafoodandculture@yahoo.com
Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
September 18, 2008 in 02. 100 Awesome Restaurants in the Philippines, 03. Romantic Restaurants For Special Occasions, Restaurants | Permalink
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/183075/33586168
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Adarna Food & Culture - The Magic of the Rich Filipino Heritage:
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Thank Goodness Anton! I thought you lost your foodie touch with all the other blogs about musicals and what not. OAP used to be my most visited web site because of the informative yet somewhat exclusive restaurant guide, but up until now i would have given up. I couldnt even access your 'best of' list which i frequently reference for i trust that your taste with both food and ambiance was up to par even at the expense of higher prices. Any guy that asks me where to bring his date i always tell them to checkout your website for the latest and the most secluded of rendezvous. I hope in the future you feature more resort/hotels from the different vacation spots in the Phils. More Power! Oh, and yeah, will try out Adarna soon.
Posted by: erwin | Sep 18, 2008 8:57:41 PM
Let's just say I was just distracted for a while... Thanks for the support!
Anton
Posted by: anton | Sep 19, 2008 1:09:29 AM
we recently learned about carnival queens in our class too. according to our brilliant historian of a professor, only the most beautiful, intelligent and charismatic women from prominent families get the prestige of getting the "Miss Carnival Manila" crown. He even showed us a photo of The Manila Carnival Arcade which boasted of grandeur, and sculptural intricacy.. a far cry from the campy Enchanted Kingdom and Star City we know today. It looked like the love child of Paris' Arc de Triomphe and Washington D.C.'s Capitol Building.
that place seems pretty interesting and your food photos are beautiful as usual. :)
Posted by: marie | Sep 19, 2008 2:23:28 AM
we recently learned about carnival queens in our class too. according to our brilliant historian of a professor, only the most beautiful, intelligent and charismatic women from prominent families get the prestige of getting the "Miss Carnival Manila" crown. He even showed us a photo of The Manila Carnival Arcade which boasted of grandeur, and sculptural intricacy.. a far cry from the campy Enchanted Kingdom and Star City we know today. It looked like the love child of Paris' Arc de Triomphe and Washington D.C.'s Capitol Building.
that place seems pretty interesting and your food photos are beautiful as usual. :)
Posted by: marie | Sep 19, 2008 2:30:25 AM
the food looks good.....sayang i wasn't able to join you guys. tinatamad na kasi ako lumabas nun time na yun eh :(
Posted by: Ann Ong | Sep 19, 2008 4:51:43 PM
hmm....
the resto look good and eye love it.
during my 9 days stay at Manila, i insisted my friend that i want to eat Filipino food. i instantly fall in love with the food. my friend manages to convinced me to packed few cans of Laing..because I love it when i tried at Aristocrat.
wish i have long2 holiday fly again..(God willing)
add on my list Adarna..thanks...
I miss Tagaytay Leslie's as well.....*sigh...
How can i move to Manila???
('',)
Posted by: sheela | Sep 19, 2008 9:03:07 PM
I was able to try traditional yellow rice when I was in Batanes earlier this year. It was in Itbayat, at a small cafeteria called Lara's Cafeteria where we had all our meals.
They sell the turmeric ginger powder at the pasalubong shops in Batan too.
Posted by: Rhea | Sep 23, 2008 11:02:12 PM
i always pass by this place as i live 2 mins away! nakakahiya i haven't even tried it. now it's a must.
Posted by: Lia | Sep 27, 2008 10:28:42 PM
I was there before new year with my family. The place was quite unique and the food taste ok but the serving SUCKS!!!!I's been to other Pinoy Resto during my vacation and my over all rating was fair to good. I don't expect Adarna to have servings like the American way,I was just so disappointed about their serving.
I'll give them 2 years in business if they continue to offer that very small size serving.
Bitin na Bitin!
Posted by: Bitin na Bitin | Jan 2, 2009 2:56:59 PM
I totally agree.The place is nice but serving size was so disappointing for the price. I am not going back there.I will discourage my friends too.
Posted by: Lily M. | Jan 2, 2009 3:11:31 PM
I totally agree.The place is nice but serving size was so disappointing for the price. I am not going back there.I will discourage my friends too.
Posted by: Lily M. | Jan 2, 2009 3:12:16 PM
