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San Francisco, California: There are only two ways to
explain the sprouting of many Filipino restaurants in the Bay Area.
Either the mainstream palate is finally getting familiar with our
unique cuisine, or the Filipino consumer has evolved into a strong,
independent—and solvent—clientele able to support eateries
catering to our particular ethnic taste buds.
Both explanations may be true,
but judging from the steady and consistent flow of customers in,
say, Ongpin and Goldilocks in South San Francisco, Kuya’s, Patio
Pilipino, Ihaw-Ihaw San Bruno and Tribu in San Bruno, Kadok’s,
Lucky Chances and Manila Eatery in Daly City/Colma, one would be
more inclined to favor the second.
On Easter Sunday, for example,
Kuya owners Giles Bautista had his hands full catering to diners who
had opted for professional restaurant service instead of traditional
home cooking. Ongpin’s loyal customers keeps it busy with orders
for their famous Filipino-style lechon and piping-hot sinigang,
among others. Chef Barry Picazo (great grandson of President Manual
Roxas) keeps Patio Pilipino customers lining up and waiting for his
uniquely-inspired entrees that would be described as “fusion.”
However, it is at Luneta Bistro
in predominantly mainstream San Mateo, where innovative Filipino
cooking is making a big hit with both Fil-Ams and adventurous
American customers who have discovered that classy presentations,
tasteful but non-greasy meals (though still packed with cholesterol,
but who cares?) and great Filipino standard dishes with surprisingly
unique variations, are great dining experiences too..
Luneta Bistro is the brainchild
of Janet Guanzon (and her husband who kept his day job—and takes
over in the weekends), and executive chef Manuel Santos, both
“graduates” of the five-star Mandarin Hotel in Makati. Santos in
the late ‘90’s was first assigned to the Mandarin Oriental
Manila’s front office, but his love of cooking gravitated him to
culinary school and eventually, to Luneta Bristro!
When Janet left the Mandarin to
move to the US, she decided to be a stay-at-home mom until her
daughter was ready for school. Then Janet returned to the work scene
with a vengeance, bravely pioneering a Filipino restaurant in
downtown San Mateo, which is already crowded with Vietnamese,
Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Hawaiian, Mexican, Italian, French and
even famous mainstream restaurants like Astaria and Spiedo.
But great cuisine will out, and
one by one, curious diners were at the door, like Mona Lisa
Yuchengco and friends, Linda Victoire and Dave Byers, and real
estate executive Gemma Lim, who works up the block on El Camino
Real. Bistro Luneta customers are mostly return diners who enjoy
classy meal presentations, great service and uniquely tasty dishes.
According to Janet, their
best-selling specials include kaldereta (lamb or beef), a fried
lumpia that looks like a siomai but tastes like something delicious
and kare-kare that is of a thicker and tastier consistency. My
personal favorite is their Filipino salad that consists of singkamas,
okra, onions, mango, tomatoes, leafy greens—and bagoong!
Yes, mainstream America is
opening the doors to Luneta Bistro on a steady stream, mostly in the
evening, according to Janet. At noontime, it’s mostly pinoy,
rushing in for a hurried lunch break before returning to work.
Filipino cuisine is definitely
going places!
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