FEELS LIKE HOME
Set in the charming backdrop of Poblacion’s quieter front, Anita Celdran’s Spanish-Italian bistro LA COLLINA serves warm, hearty meals from family-made recipes, encouraging a sustainable food system and supporting the local jazz scene while they’re at it
So much has been said about Anita Celdran’s corner bistro on the less rowdy side of Poblacion. Whether it’s her Cochinillo Black Pig or her famous Fabada Asturiana, the place has gained a sophisticated following thanks to word of mouth from its morethan-satisfied patrons and customers. “La Collina means ‘the hill’—as originally, we were [planning to set up] in Tagaytay,” says Anita, “It is one of the few words in Italian and Spanish that has the same meaning, but in Italian, it’s spelled with two L’s. We chose the double L because graphically it looks like a hill.”
With a menu composed of both Italian and Spanish fare, the curated list of dishes is not just something Anita came up with to appease the average customer’s personal favorites. It was a passion project which she had in mind since her days working overseas. “I lived in Washington, DC for 16 years, when I used to work in International Development. When I finally retired from my work, I wanted to do something I've always wanted—and cooking is my passion. I really wanted to put up a restaurant in Washington, but it was hard.” Fortunately, with a bit of encouragement, she finally went for it with the help of some friends who provided financial backing.
A HIDDEN GEM
It took a while for Anita to find the right location. The Tagaytay property she was eyeing was taking too long to acquire. It had been eight months of waiting already. And so she looked for other more viable prospects. “Someone we know offered up this property in Manila. This used to be a boarding house—old dark, and dingy. When she started tearing down the walls, we saw an opportunity. So we rented for a five-year lease. We completely renovated. We only kept the old floors, because it’s beautiful.” Large open windows, a balcony right beside the canopy of a huge mango tree, and the comfortable atmosphere of the neighborhood outside were quite refreshing—considering Poblacion’s reputation of wild, crazy nights filled with young millennials drinking till dawn. “There’s a mystique around Poblacion now, right?” Anita says. “We’re like the hidden gem, at the quiet side of Poblacion.”
I sip my coffee, which she notes is Arabica from Sagada, roasted in Baguio. It is perfect. We are currently on the second floor, preparing to sample her dishes. On the ground floor, La Collina can sit around 16 people. Here, 80. A function room at the end of the floor can accommodate up to 20 people which according to Anita is often used for lunch meetings and presentations. A band set up can be found at the corner, as music is an integral part of her concept. “I used to sing when I was in college—jazz,” she shares. “I think we started the trend in Poblacion to put jazz. There was no jazz back then. In the beginning, we weren’t always full. Now, we’re getting really good bands, and we pack the place. It’s like a New York bar. We dim the lights and put bistro tables out.”
During last year’s Fête de la Musique, La Collina hosted jazz and blues music. It was packed. Anita shares the Bleu Rascals and other often-featured artists such as Paul Marney draw large crowds in. She finds the music rather therapeutic. “That’s my treat on a Friday night. I’m working, but the music’s really good. And Filipinos
are really good musicians. And you have people who are coming who really have an ear.” Drawing guests with a sophisticated palate is quite difficult, especially in the area but her approach is simple and effective. While the place attracts a much older crowd, the young frequent goers of Poblacion are starting to notice. Aside from the fête, other music-centric themes have done pretty well. Their Woodstock anniversary celebration was quite a learning experience for the team, with the unexpected size of the crowd that evening. But the music is just the icing on top of the cake—the main act is the food.
KILOMETRO ZERO
“It’s really about the ingredients. My cooking is so simple, they’re classic recipes and all, but if your ingredients are good, for me, that’s what makes the difference,” Anita explains. Using only firstclass ingredients and not scrimping on the requirements of each recipe, her dedication to the dish has put a premium on every plate that comes out of the kitchen. More importantly, her stance on sustainability pushes her to procure only the best ingredients locally.
“We’re into the environment,” Anita points out. “I’m in the slow food movement—the one from Italy. That’s why I got inspired more to put up a restaurant because of that slow food movement. I was attending some of their conferences. That's why you will see in our card it says kilometro zero.”
Kilometro zero, a food revolution originating from the Veneto region of Italy, promotes the idea of food being produced, sold, and eaten locally. The ecological aspects not only support local brands and suppliers but also limits environmental pollution in the transport of such goods.
“I'm very connected in the environment movement. Ching and Philip Camara provide my vegetables, they have a farm in Zambales called Sambali Beach Farm. So they have this thing called Biochar which is used for rehabilitating mines. I helped Gina Lopez in that project. That Biochar is fed to the pigs and it cleanses their system. So the pigs are really healthy. That’s why when you go to their farm, there’s no smell and there’s hardly any flies in their piggery,” Anita tells us. “You really support people who are going out on the limb to make sure their production process is environmental all the way. Even their vegetables, they live on the beach but they were able to plant on the sand. It took them 15 years.”