What Niña is really all about

A little girl is not what Niña is all about.

Niña is a quaint restaurant, located at the 5th level of the Podium, that offers a fusion of menus – from Spanish to almost anything a diner can think of.

The creative minds of Niña, now fondly called the baby sister of ñ are cooking up dishes that Niña patrons will surely enjoy.

Leah Sison, one of the owners, says that Niña as spin-off of ñ, offers exciting menus such as tapas and paellas. "At Niña, you will notice that we get the favorites and best sellers of ñ."

However, Leah has lowered the prices at Niña since the restaurant caters to a much younger and different market than ñ. Niña is budget-friendly and not intimidating compared to ñ’s fine dining and upscale market. Niña is more of a lifestyle, according to Leah. It is eating by whim, when you are free of schedules. It is also a place where people could get together. People who are confident, who enjoy being with family and friends and who know how to have fun, who love good food, people who are accomplished and yet down-to-earth.

"We still offer the same five-star ñ flavor. We just made our dishes more affordable but we do not sacrifice the quality. We chose the cheaper dishes in ñ’s menu, like those priced below P250 and ‘resized’ some of the dishes," says Leah.

Solo paellas at Niña only cost P190 while at ñ they can be had for P390.

Complete meals are also offered at Niña, including rice, a side dish of vegetables and viand. The completos comidas have become popular among office workers and yuppies not only because they are made to order but because they are flavorful and filling at the same time.

The 40-seater Niña has gathered its own crowd. Among the favorites of Niña’s patrons are completos comidas like Adobo Flakes (145), Rosemary Chicken (P165), Callos (P150), and Arros ala Cubana (155). Other crowd-pleasers are the paellas: Valenciana (P190), Marinera (P190), and the Negra (P185).

There is nothing pretentious about Niña. It is a fun place with an attitude and a personality of its own. While its other restaurant ñ caters to high-end clients, Niña is more of a fast-food joint.

Niña restaurant is a young crowd-drawer. Its "New Yorker look," particularly its orange chairs, are reminders of the owners’ New York days.

"There are lots of pictures of the dishes on display to remind diners of what they’d like to order."

Despite its appeal to the young. Niña also attracts older customers.

"The young ones, after trying our dishes, would bring their parents to Niña. "Even the friends of my relatives who are from Madrid love our food," Leah says.

Leah lists her personal favorites at Niña. "I always order Paella Marinera. Among the completos comidas, Adobo Flakes tops my list. I also love Arroz ala Cubana. It reminds me of my youth. It is the comfort food of my youth."

Recipes at Niña are based on heirloom pieces. "The paellas were from my late Lola Eulalia’s recipe," quips Lea who was named after her lola. "The callos were from the recipe I used to make for my dad."

Leah, who has an extensive training as chef in Manhattan after finishing Culinary and Restaurant Management at the New York Restaurant School and who has worked at the Grappino, Colors and American Restaurant, says that recipes which are not usually associated with Spanish cuisine have also been injected into Niña’s menu. That is why a diner can find non-Spanish food as American sandwiches, Italian pasta and desserts such as Mango Pablova. "But our pasta dishes like Chorizo con Tomate have that Spanish touch," she adds.

Other partners at Niña restaurant are Marivic Diaz a UP Hotel and Restaurant Administration graduate who also studied and worked in New York City and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America; Rocio Pantaleon who studied Business Management at De La Salle University and is a graduate of International Business at Boston University (she owns and manages Distinction Homes); Patricia Pecache who has a degree in Business and Economics from De La Salle University and who was a supervisor at Basic Advertising (she is now based in New York as production manager of La Loop). Fernando Magallanes III who earned a scholarship at Cooper Union School for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City and is one of the founders of 1/0 360 Graphics. He is a managing partner for Pipeline, a cross-media and resolution company; Gerard Cua, a graduate of UP with a degree in Business Administration who works in a family business. Maritess Tantoco, the youngest daughter of Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco of the Rustan’s Group of Companies, who resides in Monaco where she runs her own company, International Fashion Boutique, and Tina Trillana, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who has worked with Tabla, an Indian restaurant in Manhattan and with Dean and Deluca, New York’s premier deli.

Leah aims to offer "value for money" for every Niña customer. They have also formed a chill club where loyal diners are treated to fun theme, parties. The club has had wine-tasting classes, jamming with bands and manghuhula festivals, among other privileges. Members are also entitled to special discounts and freebies.

A little girl is not what Niña is all about. It is about good food and eating it in good company at your most pleasurable time.