Cover Epicura and Curio with chef Bettina Arguelles
Epicura and Curio with chef Bettina Arguelles
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Inside Curio and Epicura’s innovative deli and catering concept
Starting a business—despite all the preparation, research and gathered experience one might have—is always a leap of faith. One can play it as safe as possible, but on the path to success, no road has more loose gravel than the food and beverage industry. Chef Bettina Arguelles has seen it all after many years as a decorated chef and hotelier with extensive international experience. She recently launched not one, but two businesses: Curio, a modern turo-turo eatery that serves comfort food and grab-and-go meals, and Epicura, a commissary that balances B2C catering and B2B production. On the surface, it seems quite daunting to be juggling so many things at once, but Arguelles, with all her learnings and penchant for high-stress scenarios, proves that she designed both to be the safety net for the other.
Arguelles and her business partner, Pia Villavicencio-Lago, who also comes from a family of pioneering restaurateurs, made sure that Epicura was created to complement Curio, and vice versa. Developing a system in which both support one another was essential during a time when the local F&B scene had become so competitive and highly reliant on the whims of a market with a quickly dissipating attention span. “Food and beverage is a very fickle industry,” Arguelles points out. “Especially due to the ubiquity of social media, food trends come and go so fast. I can barely keep up these days.”
See also: Harry’s Bistro picks up where Elbert’s Collective left off
Above The team of Curio and Epicura
The team of Curio and Epicura
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When asked why she wanted to pivot towards a casual deli-esque establishment with ready-made grab-and-go meals, she shared: “I’ve also had my share of working in fine dining kitchens, and I think it was then when I decided fine dining is not what makes my heart skip a beat. I want my diners to come often, not only on birthdays or anniversaries.”
Curio does exactly that with its no-frills, casual vibe, encouraging diners to point (“turo-turo” directly translates to “point-point” in English) at what they want to eat among the dishes available that day. “Curio leans towards nostalgic comfort food, not bound by cuisine, upbringing, or a published menu,” she explains. “The food changes daily based on what is seasonal and abundant, or inspired by travels or a memory.”
Epicura supplies the goods to Curio to optimise efficiency and consistency. Meanwhile, Curio serves as the platform through which Epicura showcases the depth and breadth of its capabilities. Finding a home for the commissary is pretty much what decided the location of both concepts: Maginhawa Street, Quezon City.
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Above Epicura catering services
Epicura catering services
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The area has become a popular food destination where famous chefs have opened establishments alongside trendy cafes and affordable eateries. While the central business districts ensure proximity to a spending foodie market, the rent has become unreasonable for many. “Makati and BGC, due to their premium locations, are saturated with all the top restaurants, both local and international—competing would be so tough,” Arguelles admits. “Maginhawa real estate rates also ensure that our customers are paying for their food, and not our rent. We are able to offer more affordable prices vis-à-vis the quality we provide. Building relationships with our clientele and neighbourhood lets us have one foot in the door to longevity.”
The eclectic menu at Curio is an amalgamation of Arguelles’ childhood memories, her past life as a housewife overseas and her travels with family. A homey Japanese dish, nikujaga, was taught to her by the wife of her husband’s boss when they were living in Tokyo; her takes on ginger chicken and bak kut teh were picked up from her 16 years in Singapore; and her baked penne Bolognese is an update on a Filipino childhood favourite, baked macaroni. It’s this kind of nostalgic menu that has truly struck a chord with Curio regulars. Make sure to try her grandmother’s cabbage rolls, chicken Alexander (a dish Arguelles swears helped her snag a husband) and her truffled beef pares inspired by her favourite street food.
Above Epicura catering services
Epicura catering services
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With Curio and Epicura supporting each other, Arguelles sees their potential for growth as inevitable. She foresees Curio’s expansion into other neighbourhoods and residential areas in Metro Manila, eventually developing a beverage programme for it to transition into evening service. She wants to keep growing Epicura’s B2B operations and sees the launch of Epicura Atelier Dining as its second phase to watch for. At the moment, Epicura can efficiently (and elegantly) take care of bespoke catering needs, supplying tableware and custom menus for buffet spreads, pass-arounds and full formal dinner service complete with staff.
While “stable” and “resilient” may not be the sexiest adjectives to describe an establishment, for an industry veteran such as Arguelles, these are the words she loves to hear. When asked for her advice to those wanting to get into the food business, she generously shares: “Anyone wanting to get into the F&B industry should be passionate about it because it is a 12-hour, on-your-feet, working-on-holidays-and-weekends, forget-your-family-and-friends kind of job. It entails a lot of sacrifice, physical, mental and emotional fortitude. Don’t be too quick to hop onto trends, and quality will be your best business card.”
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Jaclyn Clemente Koppe is a food and lifestyle writer, as well as a consultant to some of the country’s beloved food and beverage brands. Her passion for food and drink is only surpassed by her devotion to her family, most especially to her soulmate, Pepa the poodle.
