Cena: More Than Just Another Hangout For The Young

You can’t miss it. It has this canopied staircase that sweeps up from the curb, leading to the glass entrance of the dining area on the second level. This is Cena, the newest kid on the block in this area in Libis along E. Rodriguez Ave. that has come to be known as the restaurant row in outer Quezon City. In a long strip of mostly grilleries, a pizza parlor and Japanese fastfood, Cena is the only one that specializes in Spanish-Mediterranean-Italian cuisine. Where the others serve beer, Cena serves wine. Not strictly fine dining but "casual-class dining" is how Chris Escudero, manager and one of eight partners, prefers to describe it.

All twentysomething, falling within the age range of 24 to 26 years old, the partners are old friends from Ateneo and La Salle who share one thing in common, a love for good food. A number also carry the famous surnames of well-known politicians and government officials. Young, however, does not necessarily mean unprepared. Miko de Villa, son of Sec. Renato de Villa, was the owner of what used to be a popular watering hole where Cena is now located, the former Lokal. Eliza Antonino is the daughter of Rep. Luwalhati Antonino of Gen. Santos City. Eliza will have a wealth of experience to share with her partners when she returns from New York where she is presently working at the Four Seasons. Paula Locsin is the daughter of Cong. Vicky Locsin, while Chris Escudero belongs to the well-known Escudero clan from Laguna. Chris, who took up Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) at La Salle, was only 18 when he started helping his mom, former assistant governor of the Central Bank, Evelyn Escudero, in her cafeteria business. Chris got to run his own canteen in a building along EDSA, catering to the employees and tenants there. The other partners include Ditrie Villacorta, Von Tan Gana, Johann Ramos, who is currently pursuing his MBA at the AIM, and Lovell Gopez, who also happens to be CEO of the family-owned business, Mizuno sports equipment. Gilbert Alan Mathay, who is a nephew of former Quezon City mayor Mel Mathay, is Cena’s sous chef, while his wife, Cecile Uy Mathay, is Cena’s pastry chef.

Shortly after a basic apprenticeship at The Peninsula Manila, Alan studied at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in London where he received his Grand Diploma with Credit in Superior Cuisine and Grand Diploma in Superior Patisserie in 1997. Back in Manila, he worked at Le Taxi Café Bistro and Bar where he met his wife, Cecile, who received her training at the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA). From Le Taxi, Alan transferred to the Cheval Blanc Restaurant at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. His last stop was at Toque! Café and Restaurant in Tomas Morato where he was chef de partie, until he joined his friends at Cena as partner and sous chef.

Alan likes to talk about his personal favorites from the menu which he put together for Cena. For appetizer, it’s the Phyllo Crab, which is a tasty bundle of crabsticks with mango, cucumber and Japanese mayo wrapped in crispy phyllo pastry with cilantro cream. For salad, his choice would be the smoked salmon on a bed of green lettuce with garlic sour cream dressing. His favorite tomato soup is served with chunky bits of tomato with croutons and chiffonade of basil. The Ciopino is a pasta dish which Alan created by incorporating a typical Italian stew with spaghetti pasta. Another favorite pasta dish would be the Chorizo Castillano, made with linguini pasta with diced Spanish chorizo sautéed in garlic, olive oil , and mixed with cream. And for his main dish, it would be a choice between the pan seared Chilean sea bass served with spinach, asparagus, carrots, zucchini and mandarin orange sauce, or the roasted prime rib.

"All the steaks at Cena are USDA-approved and certified Angus beef," Alan remarks. Other favorites would be the barbecued beef ribs, "braised with our very own barbecue sauce," Alan says. Or for something fancy, there’s the beef fondue, tenderloin cubes served with a variety of sauces. Another favorite seafood would be the pan fried crispy soft shell crabs with al olio pasta and garlic butter sauce. An exciting new addition is the king crabs than long-style. There’s also a choice of paella marinara or black paella. For dessert, the chocolate fondue, with a choice of dark, white or milk chocolate, is an event in itself. Alan is particularly proud of his truffle cake which is "a chocolate mixture with coconut and made into a cake," he explains.

Alan remembers when he used to raid the freezer back home when he was only 10 years old. That early, he already enjoyed cooking for himself. He’d go marketing with his mom at the Seaside Market in Parañaque, or at the Farmers Market in Cubao. As a teenager, he used to do the grocery for his family so that he became a familiar figure at Uni-mart which was near where he lived. No wonder there’s a twinkle in his eyes whenever he talks about what he now does for a living. It’s not work, it’s fun. If you did not know any better, you’d think they were just a bunch of friends out for a good time at Cena and not the serious business partners that they are.

The name Cena, or dinner in Spanish, is supposed to carry good feng shui, so this was the name chosen out of a list which the partners originally came up with. The dining area covers a floor area of 250 square meters with a seating capacity of up to 88 persons. The interior is understated with a simple elegance that’s relaxing. A wall is painted a vibrant purple which gives it a very contemporary look. The tables are comfortably spaced to provide enough privacy among diners. Cena opens from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and re-opens at 5:30 p.m. to midnight on weekdays and until 2 a.m. on weekends, for dinner and social drinking.

Chris is proud of Cena’s extensive wine list. "We are the only ones that offer four choices of house wines. Usually, you just have a choice of red or white wine," he points out. The list includes a selection of Italian, Australian, Spanish, Californian, Chilean and French wines. There is also a variety of cocktails, local and imported beer, other hard drinks, as well as soft drinks, shakes and juices.

Cena is more than just another watering hole for the younger set. It has attracted the 25 years old and above crowd who keep coming back for the Cena dining experience. With a ratio of almost one waiter per table, the guests are well-attended, too. Many of the waiters are veterans of other well-known dining places so that it is not uncommon that a guest would recognize one waiter or another as someone whom they’ve known from some older establishment. The waiters are familiar with all the dishes so they can assist you in your order.

"We know we are doing well when our guests compare us with the other more established dining places," Chris remarks. They have been compared to places such as Le Soufflé, Melo’s and Casa Armas. But guests have noted that Cena’s prices are more reasonable and they have bigger servings. The executive lunch is a set lunch complete with soup and salad for only P135. Cena also offers catering service. The feedback has been very encouraging, enough for the partners to consider opening other branches, perhaps in Makati or Alabang, as part of their future plans.