March 4, 2007
Shown above are some of the antique furnishings of the cafe
And what better place to savor the pinakbet pizza and the art of fine dining than at the Herencia Café. The Café boasts of elegance with an Old World feel. Decorations of Florentine glass, antique wood and wrought iron furniture, vigan tiles, and a superb view of the famed Paoay Church combine to create the perfect mood. I was distinctly reminded of Café Intramuros without the hustle and bustle of the city. Indeed a visit to Herencia Café is a glimpse on our genteel past; and a taste of the famed pinakbet pizza, a glimpse into the future of Ilokano cuisine.
THE ILOCOS TIMES - FEATURE
Herencia Café: An “Edible Landmark in Ilocos Norte”
courtesy of VIEW FROM THE BELLTOWER by Stephen T. BarreiroHerencia Café: An “Edible Landmark in Ilocos Norte”
Ilocos Norte is famed for the beauty and magnificence of our architectural landmarks such as the world renowned Paoay Church and the Burgos lighthouse, which have also become virtually synonymous and symbolic of their towns.
Our culinary traditions have likewise begun to attract the attention of the tourist and consumer public as well; Batac for its empanada and Pasuquin for Biscocho.
Arising in the picturesque town of Paoay is a new center for culinary tradition, the Herencia Cafe. Literally meaning “heritage,” Herencia is a restaurant which has remained faithful to classical Ilocano cuisine as in their authentic and delicious servings of pinakbet and bagnet. Also on the menu are various entrees from classical Spanish, Italian, and Indian cuisine like the Beef Salpicado, Chicken Lemon Grass and their exellent pasta collection. The Arabbiata, which is spaghetti with stewed tomatoes, herbs and olive oil is comparable as the one I have tried at Italiannis and Cibo but at a fraction of the price (only P85 per serving). For a sample of “fusion’ cuisine, try the Mango chicken with cheese curry sauce, a basic Indian dish modified with the use of Italian cheese.
Shown above are some of the antique furnishings of the cafeIndeed, Herencia Café has also been at the forefront of the latest advances in culinary development promoting what co-owner Sammy Blas has referred to as “fusion cuisine.”
Pinakbet PizzaHerencia has taken the quintessential Ilokano dish pinakbet to a new level of culinary excellence by creating the pinakbet pizza. By combining traditional Italian pizza with local ingredients used for pinakbet, Herencia has created a unique delicacy which has begun to attract national attention.
According to Herencia co-owner Sammy Blas, the idea of using pinakbet as a topping for pizza intrigued him; for example anchovies which have been used in pizza making for ages were replaced by the similar yet uniquely native ingredient bagoong, then add okra, eggplant, and longganiza meat as toppings over mozzarella cheese, all placed on a classic hand tossed pizza crust. Voila! A dish which is both an aesthetic as well as a gastronomical pleasure.
And what better place to savor the pinakbet pizza and the art of fine dining than at the Herencia Café. The Café boasts of elegance with an Old World feel. Decorations of Florentine glass, antique wood and wrought iron furniture, vigan tiles, and a superb view of the famed Paoay Church combine to create the perfect mood. I was distinctly reminded of Café Intramuros without the hustle and bustle of the city. Indeed a visit to Herencia Café is a glimpse on our genteel past; and a taste of the famed pinakbet pizza, a glimpse into the future of Ilokano cuisine. As the famed Paoay Church has put Paoay on the World Heritage list, the Herencia Café may also bring Paoay to the world’s culinary map as well. An “edible landmark” indeed.
Visit Herencia Café at McArthur Street, Bgy. 14, Sangladan, Paoay (in front of Paoay Church). For inquiries you may call tel. 077- 614 -0214.
Visit Herencia Café at McArthur Street, Bgy. 14, Sangladan, Paoay (in front of Paoay Church). For inquiries you may call tel. 077- 614 -0214.
best in the world! and best place in the world for pizza!
ReplyDeleteHerencia Cafe materialized through the ingenious minds of Sir Sam Blas, Dr. Mamaclay, Dr. Bareng, Dr. Alipio, to name a few..I was one of the witnesses on how it really started and thank God, they're soaring high right now...Kudos to my former bosses!!
ReplyDeleteYesterday, I went inside the cafe to supposedly inquire about the pinakbet pizza now being promoted. I might add that I went in there without the intention of dining in but only to buy some 'pasalubongs' and the pinakbet pizza would be a nice one. Unfortunately, none of the staff even bothered to ask my business of going in, thinking perhaps that I was just an "uzi" ("usisero") clad in "tourist clothing" denim pants and Milo T-shirt. It was quite an unfortunate incident since being an Ilocano myself and a native of the adjacent town Batac, I was actually recommending my colleages with me to give the pizza a try. Nonetheless, the reception I was given was an undeserved one which probably suggests that the staff in the said cafe should still need some training in terms of proper customer service if ever they would want to contribute to Ilocos tourism.
ReplyDeleteThe crew present when we went to Herencia Cafe were really accommodating. They even allowed us to leave our heavy bags in the restaurant because we still have to go to the dunes and Batac after our sumptous lunch.
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend the bagnet, dinuguan and pinakbet pizzas.
You said it right , Saldy Lopez , We were there at Herencia Cafe on April 8, 2012 , the staff really need some training in terms of proper customer service especially the pregnant one. They don't deserve to work there .
ReplyDelete