NOSTALGIA OF CULINARY HERITAGE – One of the goals of HERITAGE 179 RESTAURANT is to be a culinary destination and experiential dining of regional heritage dishes in Bulacan. The restaurant is one of the newest outlets of the sprawling Hacienda Angelita Farm Nature and Resort as shared by their VP of Sales and Marketing, Ms. Lea Rosales-Wong – a respected and celebrated hotelier by experience and profession. Located at the famed San Rafael town of Bulacan which holds many river resorts and other tourism destinations, you can get to hold off its strategic location, being at the crossroads of two industrialized regions – The National Capital Region and the Central Luzon Region.

Food as a tourism product and service is one of the most challenging and dynamic businesses in the hospitality industry. Food, noting the heritage recipes, will always be under eternal scrutiny by heritage experts and regional supremacists. While faced with these unspoken and silent juries, it is with strong guts that they put up a heritage restaurant that serves traditional and heritage recipes from different regions, and I truly laud their vision. Modern restaurants sprouting these days serve either foreign-inspired or fusion-style menus. There is no absolute problem with that, but, a heritage restaurant that upholds the very essence of our regional cuisines is a moving cause.

Food has undergone much change affected by the various industrial revolutions, climate change, commercialization, urbanization, globalization, and many more aspects. With these many factors revolving in our society on how we appreciate such, with so much noise and various fusions, came the Heritage 179 Restaurant. By maintaining most of the original ingredients and cooking process to revive the heritage dishes from unprecedented demise, Heritage 179 is your one-stop shop to experience historic dining and traditional cuisine that are unspoken essential elements of our country’s history.

KEY PHYSICAL RESTAURANT FEATURES

Right at the heart of the Hacienda Angelita surrounded by dense green landscapes and striking architecture, the Heritage 179 Restaurant is a captivating fusion of traditional and modern industrial sophistication. The dominant rattan-tone colors envelop the space in warm, rustic elegance. Its defining feature is the floor-to-ceiling glass walls that seamlessly merge the indoor and outdoor environments, inviting nature to become an integral part of the dining experience.

The arabesque-weave detail adds an element of timeless artistry, evoking a sense of cultural heritage corroborating the menu. A portion of the skylight roof bathes the dining hall in natural light, casting a soft, inviting glow over the high-ceilinged interior. The space is adorned with weave-inspired lighting fixtures that resemble organic forms.

The seating and table furnishings with wicker-like woven design details mirror the arabesque patterns on the walls. The glass tabletops add a touch of modernity, allowing diners to appreciate both the artistry of their surroundings and the culinary delights before them.

The soon-to-be-opened balcony at the restaurant promises to be a delightful addition, offering guests an expanded and elevated dining experience. This alfresco space will provide a fresh perspective on the restaurant’s surroundings, allowing patrons to savor their meals while enjoying the open air and scenic views.

This restaurant masterfully marries tradition with contemporary design, that mimics historical ambiance and offers an unforgettable dining experience that engages all the senses.

CULINARY FEAST OF FILIPINO HERITAGE

I am so honored to take part in the program of Heritage 179 Restaurant to experience their well-thought-curated menu. I was with celebrated quality content creators like Happy and Busy Travels, Hungry Byaheros, Pinoy Travelogue Blog, Travel ni Bes, Shescapades, Hungry Herl, Lakwatserong Technician, Always the Funny Girl, Pau the Explorer, Call Me Lhynzie and Arwin Vlogs. Here are the dishes we are able to try:

Pinakbet Fritters With Bagoong-Mayo Sauce

Their In-House Chef aims to come up with something exciting about the vegetables that make up the famous Pinakbet dish of the far northern regions. The exciting dish is outworldly in the realm of Pinakbet, yet the splendid fusion of the salty umami bagoong and creamy mayonnaise offers a delightful twist of balancing the crispy textures and smooth sauce. It’s a creative and delicious take on traditional flavors that’s worth savoring.

Kinilaw na Bangus with Kesong Puti

This local version of fish ceviche dish that seems to be ubiquitous to every Philippine region, features a well balanced freshness of deboned raw milkfish meat, the tangy flavor of the vinegar marinade, the creamy tones of their homemade kesong puti, and the zesty kick of the pickled onions. Served over charred bed salt, it creates a unique presentation and adds depth of flavor. I love how the ceviche turned out to be refreshing and devoid of fishy aftertaste. We have Katrina Tiong of Happy and Busy Travels who is not fond of ceviche but was able to have more than one helping of this.

Mexican Quesadilla

The Mexican favorite dish and the creative touch of the in house chef produce the creamy and savory core of filling made of kesong puti and kangkong bits that trigger a nostalgic 90s feel because of the kesong puti creaminess. A bite with the Cilantro sauce and pickled onions gave a balance and refreshing aromatic flavors on my palate.

Pulilan Longganisa Nachos

The balanced flavors of garlicky and salty Pulilan sausage were the incredible dominating tastes but a heavenly marriage of the pickled onions and the mozarella sauce kicked up notches higher from my expected nacho flavor base. The Mediterranean-influenced Zhoug Sauce, which is made up of cilantro complemented well with the dairy and meaty essence. The versatility of their In House Chef truly cemented a satisfying nachos dish that exemplifies the use of locally sourced ingredients like the Pulilan longganisa.

Grilled Ensaladang Talong

A Magical mix of umami and zesty flavors with the smoky grilled aftertaste of the eggplant base without the icky feel in every bite. The dressing made with bagoong splattered the dish with nostalgic umami goodness that reminded me of my grandmother’s own version of the dish. The textures and colors presented in a charming way added a dimension of interest to this salad recipe.

Sisig

Kapampangan approved – complete and utter absence of blasphemous additions of mayonnaise and egg!I personally invite Kapampangans to try their Sisig here in Bulacan which exudes the original flavors of the grilled Sisig version that originated in Angeles City. The onions are not overcooked and no burnt-tarty aftertaste which means the dish is sizzled to perfection.

Goto Batangas

This could be the immaculate soup of the moment after they have finally revealed the dish. My immediate surroundings became filled with that familiar papaitan-like scent that triggered me to really drool. This beef innards base soup would be glorious, especially to our uncles and grandfathers who love this tarty-flavored soup as they devour each sip with their favorite beer or brandy. It was certainly sentimental as the flavors brought me back to my school summer break spent in Bicol with an afternoon bowl of papaitan soup. The beef innards pieces are tender to the bite as well.

Shrimp Sinigang

Nobody can defy the holy grail status of the Sinigang in our archipelago. Keeping the heritage-style preparation of using fresh tamarind fruit rind sourced in San Rafael as a souring agent produced that well-loved sour soup taste that each and every family will crave. The fresh aftertaste speaks of the fresh ingredients used, without the commercial ready-made soup powder taste. Additionally, the locally sourced shrimps came in tender and plump which speaks of its absolute freshness. All elements of the Shrimp Sinigang aced the test for culinary nostalgia.

Crispy Kare Kare

It is essential for every Filipino restaurant to produce a quality Kare Kare for it to really stand out and win the heart of the Filipino market, especially the picky Kapampangan palate. With inspiration from the consistency of the Satay Sauce, the In-House chef served their Crispy Kare Kare ala semi-deconstructed style, where the thick and grainy peanut sauce is served on a separate platter from the Crispy Pork Meat and Vegetable elements. The peanut base sauce and the balanced flavored bagoong paste solidified its heavenly and divine status and are among my top favorites from their curated menu.

Puto with Dinuguan

Many Filipinos delve into Dinuguan as their go-to comfort dish or soul food. These familiar flavors are made superior with the addition of the Chicharon Bulaklak, crispy fried intestinal mesentery, which is a genius idea of their In-House Chef. The rich umami flavor of the mesentery truly created a diverse savory, sour, and meaty flavor fused into one divine goodness on every bite of the Puto dipped in the Dinuguan sauce. Additionally, the crispy fried vermicelli noodles added a new dimension of textures that played well inside my mouth.

Yello Fin Tuna Belly Inasal

Reminding me of my Eastern Samar sojourn where I tasted my best-ever version of Tuna Inasal, their version of Grilled Tuna came as a surprise. The heavenly fish meat slab appeared like a porkchop, but every slice oozed with flavorful juice that speaks of its freshness. There is a bit of a fishy aftertaste though, however, the Chicken Oil and soy sauce-based dip masked those flavors.

Ginataang Gulay with Crispy Kangkong

I personally love Gata-based dishes. Their version of this recipe was created with diverse colors and textures from different vegetable elements and the Crispy Kangkong produced an interesting explosion of flavors complemented by the creaminess of the gata. Save the best for last – this dish truly reminds me of the Bicol region – my second home. The soup is added with Kangkong puree for that added color and leafy flavors. This is my second personal favorite among the dishes presented.

BREAKFAST SETS

Savor the traditional and modern breakfast sets they serve at Heritage 179 restaurant. They currently serve Tapsilog, Longsilog, Tosilog, Bangsilog, Omelette, Grilled Cheese, American Breakfast, and Belgian Waffle.

I personally tried their American Breakfast which consists of toasted thick sliced bread, omelette, Salad, bacon, sausage with salted egg butter spread, and spiced honey dip. It also comes with servings of watermelon and melon cubes. The salted egg butter is an exciting addition of Filipino flavor to a Western breakfast set.

CAFFEINE KICK

Their coffee beans are sourced from the highlands of Dona Remedios Trinidad in Bulacan which they called Talbak. Their ratio of bean type is a mix of Robusta and Arabica. It is believed that highland-sourced coffee beans are less acidic.

It was a great gastronomic and culinary experience as Heritage 179 Restaurant sent me on a roller coaster of adventure around the country through their curated heritage dishes. Each and every experience of individual presented recipes speaks the stories of their origins. The manner it was prepared that emanates those nostalgic flavors is truly a work of art while honoring the tradition perfected through time. Multi-generational clients would love to dine here as well and each bite would tell different stories about home.

THE SLOW FOOD PRINCIPLE

Serving regional heritage dishes is not for the faint-hearted culinary team. It requires factual and deep research to truly honor its tradition and culture. The Management team of Heritage 179 Restaurant’s methods and advocacies corroborate with the Slow Food Principle – a global movement advocating for the preservation of local culinary traditions, sustainable agriculture, and responsible consumption. It emphasizes the importance of enjoying food at a leisurely pace, supporting small-scale local community producers, and valuing the cultural and environmental significance of what we eat. Moreover, Slow Food aims to counteract fast-paced, mass-produced food culture for a more mindful, ethical approach yet enjoyable eating experience.

ABOUT HERITAGE 179 RESTAURANT

• Location: Hacienda Angelita Nature Farm and Resort
• Address: 268 Balubaran Street, Capihan, San Rafael, Bulacan
• Operating Hours: Tuesdays-Sundays, 7:00AM – 2:00PM, 4:00PM – 9:00PM (Mondays if with advanced reservation)
• Official Facebook Page: facebook.com/Heritage179

WINTER’s PAWLAND

The numerical 179 in the restaurant’s name came from the number of characters of the phrase: (1) A (7) Samoyed (9) Homestead. This phrase speaks of their other business venture, the Winter’s Pawland – A haven for dog lovers.

Winter is one of the main Samoyed attractions you can encounter with. Samoyed breeds are known for their timid and playful personality which makes them ideal family dogs. Apart from their friendly personality, their white fluffy coat and cute stares truly draw the attention of the crowd. Engage with many Samoyed you can see, that both puppies and adults will definitely play with you. Be ready with their energetic antics and fun training stances.

Winter’s Pawland is located right across from the Heritage 179 Restaurant.