25/01/2015
Last Friday, January 23, Adarna Food and Culture called for the last order at 945pm for the last time.
For more than seven years, we welcomed guests for lunch, dinner, and special corporate and private functions. Each time was an honor to be chosen.
We became part of their lives for a time as much as they became part of us. We met many amazing people we otherwise wouldn’t have met had we been doing something else. And our lives have been enriched by every encounter.
Beth and I took a very long leap of faith when we decided to put up Adarna in 2007. We both had some business experience, but not a restaurant. The ‘cooking’ process was sprinkled liberally with missteps and misadventures, but each one was always an important lesson.
The restaurant business is not for the faint of heart—everyday you expose yourself to criticism, ridicule and even the danger of being shut down for a mistake or a miscalculation.
Humility, honesty , adherence to excellence and utmost concern for guests were important qualities that a restaurant team had to live by each and every day. It was/is an emotionally and physically demanding industry with hardly room for second chances. To work in a restaurant means having a capacity for great personal sacrifice—restaurant staff have to work harder and longer on occasions when they themselves would like to spend time with their own families such as Christmas or weekends.
But everybody knew how to have fun or find fun in the work. Part of the fun was not knowing who would come through our doors.
We had a policy that celebrities/personalities should be treated as private persons and not to be bothered for pictures or autographs. Staff were also prohibited from telling other people about our guests so as not to compromise their privacy or security. But, please forgive me as I break that rule this one last time as I mention a few.
Everyone in the staff crushed on the beautiful Angel Locsin for being down-to-earth, Carlos Celdran whose energy filled up the place, yogini Tesa Celdran, power couple Aiza Seguerra and Liza Diño, the humble Gloc 9, all four members of the E-heads-- Raymond, Buddy, Marcus and Eli who made everyone in the room giddy.
The always dapper Arnold Clavio, charming Kat de Castro, Rep. Imelda, Irene and Sen. Bongbong Marcos, beauty queen/activist Aurora Pijuan, sports host TJ Manotoc, Uma Khounys, Tado (+), Paulo Alcazaren, T***k Macaraig, Rep. Kimi and Mark Cojuangco, elegant Richard Yap, handsome Jim Paredes, forever beautiful Multi-hyphenated Gilda Cordero-Fernando,
Sen. Sonny Angara, Rappler boss Maria Ressa, Malou Tiquia, multi-faceted Margaux Salcedo, Gary and Angeli Valenciano, Bro. Eddie Villanueva, charismatic Pastor Ed Lapiz, Christian and Winnie Monsod, Rep. Edcel Lagman, DOH Sec. Espie Cabral,
Mikael Daez, Chefs Roland and Jackie Laudico, Chef Gene Cordova, designer Steve de Leon, food history writer Felice Sta. Maria-Prudente, Chit Juan, artists Popo San Pascual, Ling Quisumbing; Rajo Laurel, Nix Alanon, Monique and Cris Villonco, Nina Puyat-Daza, Purple Yam's Amy Besa
our dear regulars former Justice Alfredo and Tita Rowena Benipayo and their daughters Rica, Triccie and Becca; Juana Change, NUSP’s Inday Varona, Rody Vera, Adel Tamano, broadcaster Maki Pulido, the Mabuhay Singers, Redford White (+)
Bond girl Rachel Grant, Ms. AiAi delas Alas, Albert and Liezl (+) Martinez , the women artists—Julie Lluch, Aba, Kiri ,and Sari Dalena; Araceli Dans; Kidlat Tahimik and the de Guias- Kidlat, Kawayan and Kabunyan;
St. Luke's Dr. Joven Cuanang; Dodong and Princess Nemenzo; designers Edgar Madamba, Edgar San Diego, Oskar Peralta, and Lito Perez; Mayor Herbert Bautista (a regular!),
Ivan Mayrina, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, Rep. Sonny Belmonte, Rep. Teddy Casino, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Rep. Miro Quimbo, Mayor Dan Fernandez, Ed and Girlie Villariba, Lovely Rivero, Atty. Katrina Legarda, director Nick de Ocampo, Maestro Ryan Cayabyab,
Rep. Shalani Soledad, Chef Reggie Aspiras, KC Concepcion, Drew Arellano, K Brosas, Alma Concepcion, gallery owner Norma Llongoren (+), Nanette Inventor, Rep. Nanette Daza, Rep. Winnie Castelo, Mareng Winnie Cordero, Rep. Jun Ebdane, TV show hosts Ram de Vera and Portia Baluyut,
Comm. Rowena Guanzon, Dr. Butch Zialcita, Bea Roxas, Vicky Lopez, poet Ruth Elynia Mabanglo, Gary Granada, Noel Cabangon, Carla Martinez, Skarlet,
Sonia Roco, the Mabuhay Singers, Prof. Michael Coroza, Victor Alikpala, Luis Manzano, Nanette Inventor,
Behn Cervantes (+), Vin Dancel, Susan Magno (+), Lourd de Vera, Rovilson Fernandez, Ate Gay, Sen. Kit Tatad, VanDolph, Tonypet Gaba, Winner Jumalon,
Ricky Lee ,Direk Joyce Bernal, bloggers Chuckie and Aileen Dreyfus, OAP’s Anton Diaz, Ivan Man Dy, Spanky Enriquez, author Ige Ramos, hotelier Maning Gatchalian, Chef Angelo Comsti, Gabe Mercado, Freethinkers’ Red Tani,
Howie Severino and many, many more. Balikbayans, foreigners, corporate and government executives, embassy officials, students, artists, foodies, housewives, lovers and friends, we thank you all for gracing Adarna.
But for now, it’s time to move on.
We bring with us special memories from those heady days. We thank those who recognized our efforts—Nescafe Gold Spot Awards for awarding us 2nd place as Best Filipino restaurant in our first year, the Singapore-based regional restaurant guide The Miele Guide for including us TWICE in the top 500 restaurants in Asia from 2011-2014, Yummy food magazine and Spot.ph for including us in their various top lists. And recently the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence, for including me as nominee, the only Filipino, in the Regional Asian Cuisine Chef category. We thank all the TV shows, all the food and travel magazines that featured us, newspapers and e-magazines here and abroad that showcased us doing what we loved most—promoting Filipino pride and culture through food.
We also thank our lessor and suppliers for their products and services to ensure proper and timely service.
For sure, we will miss waking up early to go to market, the buzz of the kitchen, the late nights setting up for events and welcoming guests at the door. We will miss our dining and kitchen team who always did their best through all the challenges we faced—Jacq, Rhea, Buboy, Steven, JM and Joseph, you all rock and we wish you all the best.
We hope that we have, in our own small way, imparted plate by plate, an interest and curiosity for the complexity and uniqueness of the Filipino experience. That we are a unique people, evolving yet constantly in touch with our history as expressed in the way we prepare and enjoy our food.
Last call at Adarna.
The LPG has been shut off. Stocks kept. Floors mopped. Utensils washed and returned. Doors and windows locked. Lights out.
For now, Adarna has to take flight.
May the memory of meals cooked and shared, carry us through as Beth and I meet with you again in the future.
Maraming salamat po. Salud!
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