What's On & Expat - Philippines

Ilustrado at Serendra

By Agnes M. Abrau

Bonnie and Rose Pimentel at the new outlet of Ilustrado at Serendra.

goes to the Pimentels who devote time to train their crew towards service excellence. “We give training for two months, from the way they serve food to how to entertain clients,” Rose adds.

     Good food, great service, nice ambiance and lots of laughs, it was great trying the Ilustrado menu again. Blandness is definitely not on their menu nor is it in every dining experience.

     An extension of Ilustrada Restaurant, Café Ilustrado sells homemade breads, pastries, cakes and delis like duck and chicken liver pate, spicy cheese ball and cheese pimiento. An experimental pastry outlet at a small kiosk in Alabang Town Center gave the Pimentels the idea to open a pasteleria. And because of the demand, they now have branches at the Festival Mall, Gateway Araneta Center, Mall of Asia, Libis, SM Makati and SM North Edsa’s The Block.

Its red, white and black motif struck me just as my gaze landed on Ilustrado’s cosmopolitan “ala New York” look at its new branch in Serendra. Ilustrado aficionados may think the menu of the restaurant has evolved along with its new sleek ambiance. True, but the bestsellers from its main restaurant in Intramuros are retained the way diners love them.

     Old time favorites feature house specialties such as Paella Ilustrado, Callos Madrilena and Lengua con Setas and favorite Filipino dishes like Kare-Kare oxtail and stripes, Rellenong Bangus Bonoan, Kalderetang Baka ng Batangas, Paksiw na Bangus Belly. Ilustrado’s food is always a revelation. With varied Continental, Spanish and French cuisines, diners always have options to choose from.

     So many versions of sisig, the famous Filipino appetizer, have sprung up over the years but the Ilustrado version is still a winner. And as for the main course, besides Paella, there’s the Bagnet (crispy deep fried pork belly, its home-made fish sauce makes the dish even tastier). Their Roast Duck Ilustrado is a very lean U.S. duckling unlike its Peking counterpart, and roasted with herbs and spices accompanied with honey, ginger and lime sauce with fresh mango instead of the usual oranges. To finish off, taste the legendary Sampaguita ice cream and you’ll go home satisfied.

Ilustrado Serendra sports a new look

     The 32-seater restaurant has come a long way since its mother restaurant opened 17 years ago. It was the preference of royalties who visited the country. Ilustrado Intramuros played host to King Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain and Prince Andrea of Monaco who all enjoyed Ilustrado’s house specialties. So naturally, the six-month old Ilustrado Serendra wouldn’t be outdone in its royal guest list. Local and international personalities such as performer Sir Cliff Richard, watch magnate Philippe Charriol and Schwarzwalder’s Ralph Peter Jentes recently dined there.

     Bonifacio and Rose Pimentel are the couple who behind Ilustrado. Boni is the kitchen person while the bubbly Rose takes care of the marketing aspect. The duo’s expertise in the industry proved their mettle

in managing the restaurant business. Since they opened their own L’Orangerie in Bel-Air in Makati 25 years ago—which has since closed to give way to the construction of flyovers on Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue—their passion for good food and insistent public clamor inspired them to open Ilustrado in Intramuros.

     “We are introducing healthy dishes on the menu. And we are also offering family-style servings,” says Rose on Ilustrado Serendra’s different take compared to theoriginal restaurant. The branch usually gets family diners so they serve generous portions which makes one dish good for two people.

     Apart from food, service is also thumbs-up at Ilustrado Serendra. Credit