SO MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT LA COCINA DE TITA MONING, BUT THE STORY OF HOW THIS RESTAURANT CAME TO BE AND HOW IT CONTINUES TO HOLD ITS OWN AMIDST THE RESTAURANT BOOM IN METRO MANILA JUST NEVER GETS OLD. It is the kind of tale that gets better as it is re-told; and even if one has already had a meal or two at La Cocina, the experience only gets richer and more enjoyable.
La Cocina is a restaurant that was born out of a family’s desire to preserve their old ancestral home in San Rafael St., Manila. “Don’t sell the house,” were the last few words of the patriarch, Dr. Alejandro Roces Legarda, to his wife Ramona and their four children before he passed away in 1993.
The grand dame of the house, Doña Moning, lived for six more years, constantly telling anyone who cared to listen, that she wanted to follow her beloved husband. When she passed on, her loyal staff remained with the family to care for the mansion, but were left with very little to do except clean and care for the grounds.
Granddaughter Suzette Legarda Montinola, a graduate of Les Roches in Switzerland and whose background was in hotel front office operations, had an idea to sell the family’s food specialties in order to give the cook and other household help something to do. They began by accepting orders for Legarda family favorites such as paella, roasted pork and baked lapu-lapu. Eventually, Suzette started entertaining some friends over for dinner and after several months, they began operating as a restaurant that was open to the public, strictly by reservation only.
La Cocina is located right beside the Malacañang palace and Suzette reveals that their office is required to fax to the presidential security guards a list of guests on their reservation list. Nobody is allowed to enter the premises unless they are visitors of the Legarda home and this of course adds to the whole mystique and exclusivity of dining there.
