Remembering Christmas feasts
Chef Laudico prepares Filipino favorites this Christmas season
That was the same feeling we had while gazing at the heirloom dishes of our youth recreated by the Laudicos in their restaurant, which is a well-preserved house evoking remembrances of gentler times.
Sweet memories of Christmas meals past came rushing back last weekend when we stepped into an old residential area of San Juan. There, the sprawling yard surrounding a low 1920s wood-andconcrete structure was decked in very traditional red and green holiday cheer. We were at Chef Laudico Guevarra’s to welcome the yuletide season, and the mood extended to the buffet table groaning with dishes especially whipped up for the holidays.
The scene transported me back to the 1950s, when Christmas for our family meant plenty of food of all kinds from friends, business associates, neighbors, and relatives. Lolo and lola kept the traditions of their humble upbringing by serving suman, tamales,
antala, and puto, while their children and grandchildren introduced modern and foreign influences such as ham, sliced bread, cheese, and fruit salad.
With guests coming and going, our wood-fired earthen stove was kept burning and our home welcomed everyone at all hours. That was the same feeling we had while gazing at the heirloom dishes of our youth recreated by the Laudicos in their restaurant, which is a well-preserved house evoking remembrances of gentler times.
Presenting the Classics
Dishes from the past included in Chef Laudico Guevarra’s memorable buffet menu include orange chicken galantina (chicken stuffed with seasoned pork meat in orange sauce), pata hamonado (pineapple-cured fresh pork ham), roasted turkey with castañas and chorizo, and baked macaroni kaldereta (baked mac with beef kaldereta).
“We prepared items that are always popular during Christmas,” said Chef Rolando “Lau” Laudico. Combining menudo and pastel, the restaurant serves menudo pastel pie baked in a buttery crust. “We are also serving embutido because that’s a Christmas staple in our home,” he shared. His version is artistically molded in an oval loaf pan—different, but just as tasty as my grandma’s free-form log wrapped in panyo or sinsal (leaf lard). There was also paella, cooked with lechon and squid ink. A large steamed lapu-lapu was covered with homemade mayonnaise, chopped eggs, and TIMPLA'T TIKIM SOL VANZI pickles. A lot of queso de bola and ham went into the queso de bola croquettes (Edam cheese croquettes with surprise filling) and ham and cheese ensaymada sandwich. “In addition, there are traditional items that people expect during Christmas,” explained Chef Jacqueline “Jac” Juarez-Laudico. So the dessert section features bibingka and
puto bumbong. “I included the crema de fruta (cake with fruits, cream, and gelatin) because that’s something that I was making and selling when I was in high school,” she remembered.
More than 30 Christmas dishes are rotated on different days and made part of their regular buffet of 80 Filipino favorites. “No matter how often you come over, you will always find something new,” chef Lau guarantees. And with the extensive selection, Chef Laudico Guevarra’s is ideal for big group celebrations.
Adding to the mood of the event, the choir from Children’s Joy Foundation (CJF) serenaded the crowd. CJF houses disadvantaged children and has been a beneficiary of Chef Laudicos Guevarra’s for several years.