La Cocina de Tita Moning's

I only found out about La Cocina de Tita Moning's when I joined John Silva's tour of the National Museum complex. During the tour's break, a restaurant staff came and gave us a copy of the menu. After skimming through it, I was so convinced Jen and I had to try it. So a few minutes later, the lady got our reservations, and gave us a map so we won't get lost going to San Rafael street in the San Miguel District of Manila. (We did manage to miss a few turns and had to go around twice, perhaps because we were talking about another authentic Thai restaurant.)

The San Miguel District is nothing like the concrete jungle of Makati I'm used to so it was like a mini-holiday for me. The old houses next to government buildings, a Burger Machine booth in front of the Philippine Cancer Society, barb wires everywhere, and Malacanang is a short walk away.

The restaurant is located at the Legarda Family's ancestral home - so it looked like how it was when the rest of the family lived there. Upon arrival, we were given complementary lemon grass tea and edam toasts as we chose what to eat. For starters, Jen and I decided to split a fresh arugula salad with mangoes and grapes, gorgonzola cheese, caramelized walnuts and their homemade walnut vinaigerette. Think of Cyma's Roka salad only ten times tastier. For our main course, I opted for their osso buco with white wine risotto while Jen opted for a pan-grilled sea bass with a soy-sake sauce and jasmine risotto. All this took place at the home's living room adorned with a Hidalgo painting and Czech crystal pieces.

Instead of waiting for our food at the dining table we were escorted by another staff for a tour of the house. It was during the tour that we learned of Don Alejandro's various interests (he was an ob/gyn, a photographer, and even a radio fanatic), their dressing rooms (I love his daughter's wedding dress full of heavy beads), their family library (they had an old map of Europe where Czechoslovakia was still a country), and of course, the small shop that sold some of Tita Moning's food. The tour actually ends at the dining hall adorned with red table cloths, Meisen plates on the walls, silverware and Murano center pieces.

The meal started with usual bread and butter (I love their Ivory butter knife with engravings) followed by the arugula salad. Just like all the other dishes, the salad was prepared just the way Tita Moning would have had it. That salad was heaven in a bowl. I could have skipped my ossco bucco but when it arrived, it was just as irresistable. I've never had meat that tender, tasty and LARGE - the serving was good for two in my opinion. Eating there reminded me of my lola's cooking and now I really have to learn all her recipes from my mom. For dessert, we decided to split a rich (yet light) bread and butter pudding with candied pili nut horns. :)

I did not have room for coffee or hot chocolate so I was content with silver tea: hot water in a cup. Their tablewere is so beautiful I could spend hours looking at the design. I was just amused a western plate had palm trees on it.

Although the meal was a bit pricey, it was all worth it. Where can you have a dining experience as if your were stepping back in time, you are treated like a family guest (with matching pictures too!) and food prepared just like they did 20-40 years ago? Nothing could go wrong. It was just a perfect and pleasurable dining experience.

For more details, check La Cocina de Tita Moning's Website.