On top of the Filipino’s list of gustatory must-haves are naturally our very own Filipino dishes. Locally, when Filipinos dine out, most still flock to restaurants that specialize in Filipino dishes, never mind if diners can whip up the same meals themselves at home.
Abroad, a measure of homesickness by Overseas Filipino Workers is when they start craving for the authentic taste of Sinigang, Adobo and Kare-Kare.
Congo Grille knows this only too well and so has catered to this demand with a roar. Since its opening in 1999 in Quezon City, the well-loved Grille has expanded to 10 branches in Ortigas, Makati, Alabang, Laguna, Pampanga, etc. Their latest branch is at the Mall of Asia which opened yesterday.
According to co-owner Kenneth Sytin, the success of Congo Grille hinges on its being a real family restaurant. Eighty percent of customers are families that even bring along their babies in cribs. When competition offers a menu for the sole purpose of complementing alcoholic beverages, Congo Grille offers food that even the little ones hanker for.
The top three best-sellers of Congo Grille are sisig, inihaw na pusit and crispy pata. A single Congo Grille branch serves about 60 orders of sisig a day. The number of pusit consumed daily can weigh a staggering average of two tons. Crispy pata? Oh, only about four tons every week.
"The secret is in the serving," says Kenneth. "We make it a point that we offer bigger servings. And though a few milligrams of meat or a five peso difference in price may not seem much to the rest of the world, these things matter to Filipinos. We love a good bargain; pride ourselves in being wise consumers. If not, why do you think we are the biggest sachet-market in the world?"
Of course, flavor is close second to size in determining which food fare gets the Filipinos’ nod. Filipinos, Kenneth says, love food with intense flavors that burst in their mouths.
"Bicol Express must really be spicy. Otherwise, customers will complain. Adobo must bear the right relationship between the sourness of vinegar and the saltiness of soy sauce. And don’t forget the garlic or you’re dead," he says.
Beyond food, it’s ambience that Congo Grille sells. Truly evocative of fun dining experience, all Congo Grille restaurants are African-themed. Greeneries are all over the restaurant while ethnic bric-a-bracs and walls with African-themed murals are hallmark designs.
The name "Congo Grille" was inspired by a clannish breed of silverback monkeys of Congo that exemplify putting premium on family. He avers that despite popular culture depicting gorillas as ferocious animals, it has admirable qualities.
"We were initially reluctant to use the gorilla as our symbol because, honestly, what comes to mind is King Kong or Planet of the Apes. So at first, we worked around the idea of using a giraffe or an elephant," says Kenneth. He adds: "But research shows that gorillas are one of the most nurturing and family-oriented animals that tend to their offspring more than 12 hours in a day. They only become savage when threatened. Otherwise, life is about fun and games for them."
Now that Congo Grille is firmly entrenched in the restaurant industry, Kenneth says that they are improving the finer details of customers’ dining experience with them. Of foremost concern is speed in getting food on the table on average of 10 minutes after it has been ordered.
"From casual dining, we’d like to evolve into fast casual. Meaning, we get the food to people almost as fast as fast food restaurants do. And medyo matagal lang ay yung mga inihaw na pagkain because there’s no going around it. Pag masyadong mabilis ang pagkakaluto non, baka makunat at hilaw pa. Nobody likes that."
"Of course, our advantage over fast food aside from cozier, classier ambience is that we offer more choices. At this point, we have about 118 choices on our menu and growing. Apart from Filipino dishes, we have also incorporated in the menu Korean, Mediterranean and Japanese cuisine. We don’t stop discovering what other food items customers like," he says.
Congo Grille has also put up its own commissary that ensures quality of food in all branches is consistent. This means there is only one source of all ingredients used and cooking methods are the same.
By 2010, Kenneth and his partners will be taking Congo Grille to the next level by opening branches in key cities around the Philippines like Cebu and Davao, and, perhaps, even opening the business to franchising. And maybe soon, a Congo Grille in the US!