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May 30, 2010
We went all the way to the hills of Antipolo to dine at Laya with photographer and longboarding champ Carina Altomonte
By Denise J. Mallabo | Photos by Wiji Lacsamana
It’s tough to dine out with friends, if most of you are fans of meat and some of your mates are vegetarians—especially if you encounter restaurants that have pseudo-vegetarian dishes on their menu, and yet you can still see ground pork and chicken scattered all over your order.
And then there are restaurants like Laya (which means “freedom” in Tagalog), a place where you can stuff yourself with Thai/Filipino fusion food, a great supporter of everything that is good about meat but that still takes the time to ask the three most important questions for every vegetarian: What kind of vegetarian are you? Do you eat dairy? Do you still eat eggs? That was how this establishment won over veggie lover Carina Altomonte.
A few Saturdays ago, UNO treated part-time lens woman, part-time daredevil (and full-time restaurateur) Carina to an entire five-course meal in the charming restaurant owned by musicians and husband and wife team Irene and Ricci Gurango. Aside from being busy with her restaurant Nomnomnom Happy Food, which she co-owns with two equally talented friends, Carina regularly shoots for a section in this magazine (kindly turn your magazine to page 76, that’s her superb work right there). This UP Fine Arts graduate was recently bestowed the title of “queen of the hill” for her longboarding skills—she triumphed on the downhill course in the women’s division in the recently-concluded Gravity Games Asia held in Subic. Now let’s see how Laya scored with Carina’s persnickety palette.
How long have you been a vegetarian?
I’ve been vegetarian for 20 years. I’m 29 years old and I started when I was 9 years old and parang more and more I noticed that there are a lot more choices now sa dishes when I eat out. When I was younger, wala talaga masyado. It’s quite wonderful to have a five-course meal that’s all vegetarian friendly.
What were you thinking?! You were 9!
I was thinking, “Why won’t my mom prepare me baon na may karne?” Just kidding, my mom started it. She got into Raja Yoga so all the dishes that she cooked were vegetarian, yun na din yung pinapabaon sa amin. When we were younger we didn’t have a lot of options, we only eat the food that’s in the house tapos when we got older she was the one who told us, “bahala na kayo.” I decided to stick to it since I’ve gotten used to it and I’ve come up with my own beliefs as to why I want to stay vegetarian also.
Having tasted meat before you turned 10, don’t you miss it? Don’t you have those days where you want to say “F it! I WANT LECHON!”?
No, not at all. When I was a kid I missed it a lot of course like any other kid would, I loved my fried chicken. But now I don’t really mind, there’s so much food to choose from! I love my gulay… and cheese… and wine… and chocolates… and cakes…
What do you eat to prepare for a long day of work and skating?
I try my best to keep a balanced diet. I make sure I get enough protein (beans, legumes, soya), carbo, fiber (salads, fruits, leafy veggies) and water in me. I get to do more stuff when I fuel myself well.
How do you find the overall look of Laya?
The place is very very relaxing, it reminds me of Thai restaurants—but more resort-like because of the pool and the location.
How did you find that good-looking appetizer and soup that was in front of you earlier?
The Nori Vegetable Roll with Mango Papaya Aioli was really good, very light. I didn’t find anything lacking, especially the dressing, sarap! The Pumpkin and Cashew Nut Soup reminds me of Indian food.
That salad looks interesting, how did you like it?
It’s simple, refreshing and the best part was the hint of ginger.
How was the Thai Vegetable Curry with Saffron Cashew Rice Pilaf as your main dish?
The main dish was alright. The eggplant was a little hilaw but of course I was able to eat all the veggies I could get my hands on. I found the salad, the soup and the appetizer more interesting.
How was your dessert?
Turon siya with Choc-Nut so everything was familiar, but it’s nice to have them together for a change; they made it a bit more fascinating.
Who would you bring here to Laya?
I would take my special someone. It would also be nice to take my family here kasi ang ganda ganda ng location. From start to end you don’t feel so “blah” [makes 'overstuffed' motions], tama lang yung amount of food na binibigay para ma-appreciate mo until dessert. It’s really a fusion, the food that they serve is not so far off from each other, the vegetarian and I think the non-vegetarian options.
What can you say about restaurants like Laya that cater to both meat lovers and vegetarians?
Very considerate of them, and I’m very thankful.
Laya
Sierra Madre Road, Grand Height Subdivision, Antipolo City
6pm-10pm Friday and Saturday
11am-2pm Saturday and Sunday
Open on weekdays but only for private dining with advance reservation (minimum of 15 guests)
Tel. Nos. for reservations: (02) 994-7978 and (0917) 8464322
UNO caught up with owners Irene and Ricci Gurango and asked them how Laya came about and how they can still make music with food on their minds.
Why did you name your restaurant Laya?
The word Laya means freedom in Tagalog, and that’s what we want to give our guests when they come here, the freedom to make their dining experience at Laya.
What made you come up with the idea of it to be a personal dining type of restaurant?
I guess because we want to elevate the whole experience of dining out. We wanted a place where each guest will experience something different from what another guest will experience since almost everything is very personalized.
Can you explain the concept behind the Thai/Fil fusion food in Laya?
We have a theme for each weekend actually (Taste of Siam wherein we feature traditional Thai dishes, Asian Hawker Food Fest, Light & Healthy Asia, etc.) and the one that’s becoming really popular is the one you guys were able to try, the Pinoy Kulinarya menu. We didn’t want a static menu kasi so we change our menu every weekend but it always revolves around Southeast Asian flavors.
Irene, do you and Ricci still have the time to play in your individual bands since both of you are extremely hands-on with Laya? How do you juggle your time?
I just got home from a gig with my band Chubibo in Saguijo that I left for halfway through tonight’s dinner service. Since we’re only open on weekends, we can still gig on weekdays. And when gigs do fall on weekends, most of the time the gigs are scheduled late so we just make sure they’re scheduled after a dinner service. It’s really tough but we’re slowly getting used to sleepless weekends!
Ricci, what was your training before you became chef in your own restaurant? Did you go to any cooking classes/schools?
I took up Culinary Arts at Global Academy in Pasig then spent a couple of weeks in Bangkok, Thailand to study Thai cuisine after that. I took a course at the Blue Elephant Cooking School under Chef Nooror Somany Steppe. My wife and I really love Thai cuisine so naturally, that’s what I wanted to specialize in.
Any big plans for Laya?
We’re working on plans for the bed and breakfast but we don’t know yet when that’s going to materialize. Soon, we hope! But for now, we just want to concentrate on improving our food and thinking of ways to make the dining experience at Laya even more special.
First published October 2009
