Año way to enjoy Pinoy food

Success is no accident for this accidental restaurateur. Shipping magnate Dionnie Guerrero never intended to get into the food business, but now, his successful restaurant Café Año, which serves comfort Filipino food, just celebrated its third year anniversary and continues to entice diners with its new menu, which includes a wide variety of Italian, American, Japanese, French, and Korean dishes.

Dionnie was a regular diner at the LJC restaurants around Remedios Circle, Malate, Manila. He frequented these places almost every day since these were a few blocks away from his office. And there he met the man who inspired him — the late Larry J. Cruz, owner and president of the LJC Group.

Café Año owner Dionnie Guerrero and chef Manny Manansala

Dionnie and LJC remained friends and business partners in some of LJC’s restaurants until the latter drew his last.

In 2008, Dionnie decided to go solo and opened his own resto, Café Ano, in Alabang, which boasts Filipino classics with a yummy twist.

Pinoy Comfort Food at its Finest

Three-in-one: Turon, manga at suman served with plum sugar and coco cream sauce from Café Año in Westgate, Alabang

Formerly affiliated with a well-known restaurant chain that had its roots in Malate, Café Año still carries some of the former’s all-time favorite Filipino dishes, but the recipes were modified with the help of chef Manny Manansala, a seasoned cook who’s got 30 years of experience under his toque, for that unique Café Año twist.

From breakfast, lunch, merienda, and dinner, Filipino classics take their place at the heart of Café Ano’s menu. The secret is to keep food the way Pinoys have always enjoyed it — simple, fresh, and flavorful.

The menu is so extensive diners will surely have a hard time choosing what to order. If you’re undecided, stop staring at the menu. Just call the waiter and he/she will gladly recommend something that will satisfy even the most discriminate palate.

Kapampangan-style sinigang: The bulanglang bangus belly is flavored with crushed guava. Savor the juice of real guava with every spoonful.

Café Ano’s breakfast platters are a big hit with diners. Choose from Sacada Breakfast, pork tocino, Vigan longganisa, fried egg, garlic rice, wansuy tomato and onion salad, and turon saging saba for dessert; the Marinero, mongo na may chicharon, daing na bangus, spiced sardines, garlic rice, salted egg and tomato salad, and minatamis na saging; or the Haciendera, beef tapa, spicy longganisa, scrambled egg, garlic rice, tomato-eggplant and onion salad, and ripe mango for dessert. Perfect for diners-on-the-go, each platter costs only P250.

Care for kare-kare?: Crispy kare-kare with assorted veggies and served with bagoong and mango salad

Marinated in garlic and vinegar and deep-fried to a crisp, the chicken skin crackling is a delightful opening dish. These crispy chips come with a spicy vinegar dip that’s sure to set your taste buds on fire. Follow that up with simmering bulanglang bangus belly. The Kapampangan way of sinigang is flavored with crushed guava and kangkong leaves. With every spoonful of the not-so-thick broth, you’ll savor the juice of real guava and the freshness of the fish. Just don’t mind its pungent odor.

For the entrée, Dionnie recommends Bangus Año, a half-kilo boneless bangus marinated in palm vinegar, pan-fried, and served with atchara, papaya, and garlic-chili dip.

 “This is my personal favorite. I don’t get tired of eating this dish. But since I’m diabetic, I try to shy away from fried and fatty dishes. Chef Manny is not only Café Año’s executive chef. He’s also my personal cook and dietician. He whips up flavorful veggie and seafood dishes, which make me forget about my diet restrictions. They’re not just yummy, they’re healthy, too,” enthuses Dionnie while showing us photos of the dishes chef Manny prepared for him from his cell phone.

Sticky but yummy: Café Año’s suman sa lihiya

Isda ni Juan Tamad — deboned pla-pla marinated with lime juice, deep-fried, and served with steamed kangkong, okra, and four dipping sauces, —is to dine for.

As for dessert, Café Ano keeps it simple but oh-so delightful. Maruya ala mode — a big fritter filled with chunks of sweet saba bananas and served with a heaping scoop of macapuno ice cream and chocolate sauce — is a must-try.

For someone like me who lives in QC, where malls and restaurants are within a 15-minute drive, there’s no need for me to fuel up and pay the exorbitant toll fees to travel down south. But Café Año’s Bicol Express and suman sa lihiya gave me a yummy reason to. They’re worth the trip!

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Café Ano is located in Westgate, Filinvest, Alabang. For reservations call 771-1281