Cabel Filipino Heritage Restaurant: Southern Mindanao food on spotlight
MANILA, Philippines — The two-storey house circa 1930s in front of Malacañang Palace evokes a feeling of nostalgia.
Its colonial feel also harkens one to a place where most likely hearty dishes were served, and it is certainly true for Cabel Filipino Heritage Restaurant.
It is not surprising because the recently opened restaurant was formerly known as Casa Roces, a Filipino-Spanish restaurant that had a storied past rooted from its family's influence in the country's media industry.
These days, another family proudly from the South continues to bring that homey feel to the two-storey house through its food and the stories of each rooms in the two-hectare property.
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Cabel is an ode to King Cabel Moreno's maternal grandfather. Moreno's family converted the former Casa Roces and turned it into their first Cabel restaurant in October 2022.
His lolo is from Ilocos who met his grandmother who is from Sulu. They fell in love, and raised their family in Sulu, and later on, King's family moved to nearby Zamboanga City.
This explains Cabel's menu. It is inclusively Filipino as it offers familiar Filipino fare such as the loved and best-selling Kare-Kare, Pinakbet and Lumpiang Shanghai from Luzon and Kansi and Humba from Visayas. Noticeably, its menu features dishes that may not be as familiar as the previous ones. These are the dishes that King and many people from Southern Mindanao grew up loving.
In their menu are Beef Kolma, Tiyula Itum and Pyanggang Manok, dishes that are rich in flavor and will most likely be favorites for those who will take their first bite of them. Deliciously spicy could best describe many Southern dishes as they burst in the mouth with their varied layers of flavors — from the decadent coconut milk to chilis that sting the tongue and the back of the throat.
The Tiyula Itum and Pyanggang Manok share one common ingredient that many diners who are unfamiliar with it often mistake it as pesto on first glance. It is, however, far from it. That "pesto-looking" sauce is actually Pamapa, which is coconut meat toasted over firewood until it turns into golden brown. It will then be ground with freshly harvested turmeric, ginger, lemon grass, garlic and pepper corns.
King said that these are significant dishes to Southern Mindanaoans as these are influenced by neighboring countries Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia.
For dessert, two of Mindanao's popular sweet treats are included in their menu. One of Zamboanga's famous desserts is part of their menu. Their version called Knicker Iced Treat combines fruits topped with ice cream. Durian takes the form of creamy ice cream and is made from scratch in Cabel.
"There are a lot of different restaurants serving Filipino food. We want our diners to know that at Cabel, we promote the bestsellers of the entire Philippine archipelago. Our preparation is the old way of cooking, the way our ancerstors handed it down from one generation to the other to keep its originality," King explained.
Into the food business
King, who serves as the restaurant's Operations Manager, revealed that Cabel is technically the fourth restaurant opened by his mom Melissa.
Back when they were young, his mother ran two restaurants in their native Sulu and Zamboanga. She had to let them go since she was raising him, his younger brother Miguel and their youngest sister Isabel.
Fast forward to today, her sons, Miguel and King, are in charge of two restaurants that honor their family.
Miguel has been deftly running Palm Grill, located in Tomas Morato, Quezon City, for five years now. The restaurant focuses on Southern Filipino food, like the ones mentioned above.
King fondly shared that his mother is a huge influence in their lives.
"My mom is our sunshine so it's orange and bright. She's the most loving person that I know," he said, adding that it is the reason why the private function room at the second floor of Cabel is named after her and why several corners and spaces in the restaurant is painted with orange.
It's also the reason why many spaces in Cabel are named after his family: Miguel's Barter is a nook that sells all goods, from local coffee, inabel and weaves from small businesses from Ilocos to Sulu, an obvious reference to the famed Canelar barter in their native Zamboanga City, and Isabel's Gallery, which features quarterly art exhibits for up-and-coming artists for free.
Cafe Clara, named after his niece, is a space for Filipino merienda of kakanins and coffee, which he plans to open soon. Of course, King will also have his own space by, hopefully, June. It will be a speakeasy bar for those who want their quiet little nook in a corner with their favorite spirit on hand.
"We offer food from North to South because that's the story e. From Ilocos to Sulu. They (grandparents) met and they fell in love. And if you notice, I tried to give each area names talaga because they deserve it. This is the legacy I want to leave for my family," King said. — Video by Philstar.com / Anjilica Andaya
RELATED: WATCH: How to make Pyanggang Manok, Mindanao's delicious 'burnt' chicken dish
