Bean there, done that

Success is in the bean. Just ask sisters Trina Imperial and Carissa Tiaoqui whose flourishing food business stands solid on a foundation of teeny-weeny vanilla beans.

But look how far the vanilla bean has gotten them – from a coffee shop in Malate to another on Leviste St. in Salcedo Village in Makati. They also have plans to branch out to The Fort. Both coffee shops are, you guessed it, named after the bean that started it all – Vanilla Bean.

"It is the secret ingredient of all our cakes and pastries," chorus Trina and Carissa. "And it is more flavorful than just vanilla extract."

The sisters make sure they give only the best to each customer, even if they have to start from scratch. For it is easier to uncap a bottle of vanilla extract than to purchase a vanilla bean which the sisters buy abroad or in Santi’s. Used to extracts myself, I asked Trina to describe how a vanilla bean looked like.

"It’s the size of a Baguio bean. What we use are the tiny, tiny pods inside. A regular recipe will consume about half the contents of a bean."

Didn’t know vanilla could be such a thrilla.

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Trina and Carissa are daughters of former Energy Secretary Mario Tiaoqui and his wife Baby. As far as the sisters can remember, they both loved to cook and bake.

Trina remembers that during the suspension of work and classes during the 1987 coup attempt against the Aquino administration, she and Carissa whiled away the time baking apple pies. And whaddayaknow – they sold 110 apple pies, a coup in itself.

Trina worked for Northwest Airlines before she decided to fly towards a different direction – the kitchen. Off she went to the prestigious California Culinary Academy (CCA) where she trained for two years to become a full-fledged chef.

Carissa followed and enrolled in an eight-month baking course. Armed with the coveted CCA diploma, the sisters returned to Manila and put their faith in a bean. It turned out to be their rock.

"So far, so good. Very good," smiles Trina, who is so hands-on in the kitchen she is its "expediter." (An expediter is the one who makes sure that as soon as the order comes in, she calls it out. She makes sure the order is ready in 12 to 15 minutes’ time.)

A visit to the Vanilla Bean Café at the Ground Floor of the Adamson Center on Leviste St. in Salcedo Village spills the beans on why business has been good for the Tiaoqui sisters.

The café has this "Come in, you’re welcome" look. ("It doesn’t look standoffish at all, even if its in Makati’s business district," says PEOPLE Asia associate editor Bing Salud.) The food servings are man-sized but nothing on the menu is over P 200. The entrees and dessert look and taste like they were prepared by CCA-trained chefs – which is exactly what Trina and Carissa are. The dining area is done in morning yellow, and framed floral prints add to the warm and cheerful ambience.

Three members of our group immediately went for the Fillet of Chicken with Sauce Mornay (P149), described in the menu as "comfort food with a twist."

"Filipinos love chicken, especially fried chicken," reveals Trina.

Other bestsellers are the Chicken Parmigiana with Pasta Marinara (P145), Seafood Au Gratin (P179) and the Barbecued Pork Ribs (P135).

The twist is in the sauce Mornay (yup, as delectable as Rebecca is to the men).

"It’s a cheese sauce, but I add onions in it to add a bit of a bite. It has butter, flour and two kinds of cheeses (sharp cheddar and parmesan)," volunteers Trina.

How do the sisters keep the prices affordable?
"By using ingredients that are in season. When tomatoes are in season, we have lots of tomato-based dishes. The vegetable side dishes to our entrees are vegetables that are in season," says Trina.

* * *

And now, for the dessert storm. Vanilla Bean started as a dessert place, and its cakes and pastries remain as potent as a scud missile.

This is Carissa’s field of expertise. "When I was around five years old, my mom bought me a Betty Crocker cookbook and I wanted to try out everything!" she recalls.

Carissa usually modifies the recipes she discovers, and comes out with something better.

The sisters say they know the economy is good when people order dessert.

"We really know when people are trying to save money. This is when all of a sudden, only one person will order dessert and they share. But when times are good, everyone has dessert. Everyone has coffee," observes Trina.

The dessert, flavored by vanilla beans, has that home-cooked flavor. You kinda expect your own mom coming out of the kitchen with an oven-hot apple pie on a tray.

Of all the days in the week, the day after payday is when their café is packed. But a lot of people also come in the middle of the pay period.

"A good slice of cake or pie really uplifts people," notes Trina. "You could see the transformation. Some of our customers walk in grumpy, but leave the place with a smile."
For Trina and Carissa, business is sweet, especially when you let people have their cake, and eat it too!

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