The words "heritage," "historical," "traditional" and "elegant" immediately come to mind as you enter the Adarna Food and Culture restaurant. It's almost like stepping into the past, or the home of one your great-grandmothers. But the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and not stuffy or intimidating at all.
To get to the main dining room, you need to go through two outdoor seating areas, one covered and with a replica of a sari-saristore (complete with a bangko and a makeshift checkerboard with tansan checker pieces, a stash of plastic balloons, candy and a host of other familiar store items), and the other, an open-air courtyard with trees and a water fountain.
Indoors, the place is bedecked with more Filipino memorabilia–from old newspaper and magazine clippings, posters and photos, to rotary telephones, lamps and more. An upright piano stands on one side, ready to be played on nights when, say, the Mabuhay Singers come to entertain on special occasions. Crocheted table covers and doilies abound. The two function rooms are decorated with photos and clippings of the artistas and Carnival Queens of yore.
It's a celebration of Filipino culinary heritage, its owners say–their menu based on regional, historical and heirloom recipes passed on through the generations from family elders or cooks. As you sit down, the waiter sets the table with exquisite china and crisp, freshly-pressed, monogrammed linen table napkins. But you'd want to get up again just to browse through the memorabilia–there's just so much to look at.
As you finally settle back to your seat and peruse the menu, you might discover a few Filipino dishes you've never tried or heard of before. Adarna offers vegan options, and they don't use MSG or anything artificial in their recipes. Ingredients are organic and locally-sourced when possible.
