Bagoong Club: Just as good on its 5th year
Remember the childhood fable about the race between the hare and the tortoise? The hare bolts from the starting line quickly, becomes overconfident and soon loses steam. The tortoise, on the other hand, ventures determinedly along. Step by step, he sure footedly and confidently ventures forward. He overcomes all obstacles in his path so that he eventually ends up winning the race.
That fable could very well apply to the restaurant business. After the fanfare that comes with opening shop, the novelty soon wears off. The drudgery of the daily grind sets in and more likely than not, some restaurants are soon no more. Alternatively, success can bloat egos so that a once-welcoming place becomes insufferably stuck-up. Believe me, I’ve seen this happen often enough so that I catch myself asking, “Will this new place live up to its promise?†Thankfully, some restaurants do.
Bagoong Club is one of those happy stories. Five years after my first visit, I am happy to report that the place has stayed true to its commitment of serving good Filipino comfort food without pretensions. The prices remain reasonable, the servings are still hearty, and the service is just as attentive.
Of course, some of the original staff have moved on and there are quite a few unfamiliar faces. “People have been moving up to other things,†confirm restaurant co-owners Rosky and Franco Sevilla. But even if training new people entails additional work, the brothers cheerfully take on the extra effort. They are, after all, the sort of unselfish people who want others to do well. Thus, Bagoong Club is the kind of place that values and celebrates success. No such thing as “crab mentality†here.
Still, it was good to hear that Tristan Bayani (who was the chef when the restaurant first opened) still holds court in the kitchen. Even without trying everything on the new menu, his presence and the Sevilla brothers’ hands-on style of management is an assurance that the food at Bagoong Club remains hearty, tasty, down-home cooking. With them taking an active hand in running the restaurant, we were confident that it remained a place for big eaters who truly enjoy rich, distinct and full-bodied Filipino flavors. This is not a place for those insipid, hoity-toity and exaggeratedly plated scraps pretending to be Filipino food.
On our latest visit, we were sorely tempted to choose the usual favorites yet again. But seeing as the bulalo sa monggo, crispy pork binagoongan and traditionally slow- cooked ox-tail and tripe kare-kare are always satisfying, we ventured to sample the newer dishes. There was a tasty, creamy laing espesyal made without scrimping on coconut cream, ensaladang cilantro sa ginulat na tilapia, and balut adobo with cloves of garlic and green mango. Most surprising, however, was a tasty dish called Mula sa Puso which is a crispy banana-heart sisig. Of course, the popular bagoong sampler is still around. But with all the tempting choices listed on the menu, it is easy to go overboard and order more than one should eat.
Fortunately, the restaurant offers lunch specials so that one can visit every day and try something new in acceptable (non- gluttonous) portions. “We came to a realization that the big servings may be intimidating for small groups of diners,†admits Rosky. Hence, for P175 one have a full course of soup (choice of bulalo con monggo, sinigang na bangus or sinigang na salmon belly sa miso), salad (ensaladang itlog na maalat, inihaw na talong or steamed vegetable ensalada), and viand (kare kare, binagoongang baboy, ginulat na tilapia, garlic chicken inasal, Bicol express na kamto), and rice.
“How do you hold out against the fierce competition in this area?†I catch myself asking and realize, too late, that this might be a dim question. I know firsthand that Rosky and Franco are direct descendants of warriors, heroes and patriots — a great grandfather who was the aide-de-camp of the Filipino revolutionary general Gregorio del Pilar (also their relative); and a grandfather who is the nationalist Francisco ‘Soc’ Rodrigo. Of course, they will not give in!
Rosky chuckles, “Hindi kami madaling patumbahin (We’re not pushovers).†He concedes, however, that there has been a real effort to retain authenticity of taste. Our conversation veers to the division of their hilltop, pine-clad property in my hometown of Baguio and I learn that Kapit Langit, their summer home in Baguio, has been sold. “I went around one last time, and thanked the house for many happy memories,†relates Franco. I, too, am a bit saddened as my city transforms.
But it dawns on me that although physical property may change hands or disappear, there is always food to make us remember. By staying true to the authentic flavors, we have a pathway to old and happy memories. This is Bagoong Club’s contribution. Its food is our handhold to memory, our kapit langit to good, old times.
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Bagoong Club is at 122 Scout. Lazcano, Quezon City. For information, 929-5450
