Second generation...

for them to offer the menu for the whole month. Diners can choose to order dishes from the menu or enjoy the whole experience.

Another exciting development is the new a la carte menu that Ilustrado is launching this month. Just like the degustation menu, the offerings will “reflect a more modern Filipino aspect while also using more Filipino ingredients,” says Bea.

Some of her favorites to look out for are parmesan sigarillas (a twist on a dish that would normally use French beans), sinigang risotto and Angus beef bistek.

Bernice also hopes to delve into garden-totable food in the near future.

Of course, the sisters dare not touch the beloved mainstays on Ilustrado’s menu. The tapas –

gambas, salpicao, tokwa’t baboy, sisig kapampangan – will remain on the list. “I do not touch the house specialties,” says Bernice.

The sisters laugh as they recall when a chef friend from Barcelona visited a few years ago and taught them the traditional way of making paella. Keen on giving their patrons a taste of authentic Barcelona paella, they decided to adapt the traditional procedure in their restaurant kitchen – much to the dismay of their loyal clients! “I had to change back to our old paella after only three days,” Bernice shares.

The Ilustrado’s bagnet is another mainstay. “We innovate on it,” says Bea. “Dad makes a mean adobong bagnet with crabfat.” The combination is so deadly that the menu item comes with a disclaimer: “Please be careful with my heart.” No one remembers who put that on the menu, the sisters share – it’s just been there from the start.

“Our vision has always been to educate. Ilustrado means the ‘enlightened class’ so we took it upon ourselves to be Ilustrados, to be ambassadors of knowledge,” says Bea.

This happy balance between innovation and preservation is what the sisters hold dear as they lead the restaurant on its 29th year.

Family is also very important in running the company. The family still gathers on weekends to enjoy their father’s cooking. Bernice considers her father and youngest brother as her toughest