Heritage of flavors at Pamana, Tomas Morato

Pamana in Tagalog means “heritage.” It is a legacy passed down from generation to generation taking with it the hopes and dreams of forebears for their descendants. For many Filipinos, this heritage takes the form of family traditions and stories that provide them with roots and backgrounds.

For third-generation restaurateur Happy Ilagan Ongoauco – Tiu, her heritage rich with heirloom and secret recipes of Filipino dishes is a point of pride. It signifies a hundred years of delicious and authentic Filipino food arising from her family’s passion for cooking and love for family.

She brings this heritage to life with her restaurant Pamana, a Filipino restaurant located in foodie-friendly Tomas Morato area in Quezon City.

On my first day back to work from my overseas vacation, I headed to Pamana’s homey restaurant together with three coworkers for a spot of good ole’ Filipino comfort food for lunch.

Our repast of Pinoy fare included:

My Adobo Rice (Php220). Nearly two decades ago when I started working in the Tomas Morato area, I enjoyed some yummy rice toppings at World Topps then located along Timog Avenue. Well, guess what! World Topps was Happy’s first restaurant and this dish is what made it famous. This rice meal of adobo pork bits, scrambled eggs and freshly cut tomatoes on top of steaming hot rice doused in adobo sauce is already good for three so we just supplemented it with a cup of garlic rice.

Pampanga’s Sizzling Sisig at Aligue (Php320). It seems that any Filipino reataurant meal won’t be complete without sisig. This version had the indulgent addition of aligue (crab fat). Treated during this meal as a viand, it went well with the Adobo Rice.

Crispy Adobong Pusit Calamares (Php325). My coworkers discovered this menu item while I was on vacay. And what a discovery indeed! It combines the sour-savory flavors of adobong pusit and the crispy and chewy texture of calamares. Similar to the sisig, this tasted so good paired with the adobo rice.

This was a lovely lunch that welcomed my tummy and my heart back home, and got me ready for the rest of the workday.

This Pamana branch is located along Mother Ignacia Avenue, Barangay South Triangle, Quezon City, open daily from 10am to 10pm. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 3743798.

Another branch is located at 1315 Aguinaldo-Highway, Silang Crossing East, Tagaytay City, open daily from 10am to 10pm. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 46 4132461 or +63 922 8592703.

Check out my reviews of other Filipino restaurants:

• Locavore, BGC
• Lobo Filipino Modern Reataurant, Poblacion
• Joliant, Tomas Morato
• The Lechon Shop, Tomas Morato
• Angus Tapa Centrale, Tomas Morato
• Gerry’s Grill, Tomas Morato
• Luna J Filipino Gastropub, Tomas Morato
• Gerry’s Grill, SM Marikina
• Bacolod Chicken Parilla, Tomas Morato
• Classic Savory, SM East Ortigas
• Jaytee’s Tagaytay
• Buddy’s, Cubao
• Cabalen, Ayala Malls Feliz
• Limbaga 77, Tomas Morato
• Victorino’s, Tomas Morato
• Locavore, Kapitolyo
• Recipes, Tomas Morato
• Mozu at Ming’s, Tagaytay
• Siglo Modern Filipino, Tagaytay
• Conti’s, Greenbelt
• 13 Ubay Street, Banawe
• Ilustrado Restaurant, Intramuros
• Rico’s Lechon, Tiendesitas
• Fika, Capitol Hills, QC
• Sartin, Tagaytay
• Lazat, Tomas Morato
• Romulo Cafe, Tomas Morato
• Ombu Kusina, Tomas Morato