Cover Digámo in Marikina is fashioned after what chef Francis Lacson describes as the heart of Filipino cooking: the dirty kitchen
Digámo in Marikina is fashioned after what chef Francis Lacson describes as the heart of Filipino cooking: the dirty kitchen
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Chef Francis Lacson’s inaugural tasting menu at Digámo is all the encouragement you need to make the trip to Marikina
While delicious food is all it takes to make a good meal, a profoundly memorable one entails a bit of storytelling. However, this calls for a touch of finesse and discernment since one can easily compile a lifetime of memories, experiences and course-altering dishes. Chef Francis Lacson of the newly launched restaurant Digámo (the Hiligaynon word for “preparing a meal”) in Marikina City is a natural storyteller. Aside from being a seasoned chef cooking in his native Visayas, travelling around the world when he worked in shipping vessels and finally making his way to Metro Manila, he carries with him not only his sizable arsenal of culinary know-how but also his passion for Filipino heritage cooking.
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Chef Francis Lagson and his wife, Diana, Digámo’s general manager
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Lacson hails from a community of competent cooks rooted in Mambusao, Capiz. As a boy, he was the designated “alalay” (assistant) of his grandfathers and uncles every time they were hired to cook for town fiestas and milestone events. “My earliest food memory is my grandfather’s linagpang—he would quick-fix our dinner by turning grilled fish fillets into a comforting soup with just a few drops of calamansi,” Lacson recalls. The same dish inspired him to write an essay that garnered him the Doreen Fernandez Food Writing Award (one of three he has received from the award-giving body) and is part of his inaugural tasting menu at his stylishly modern 14-seater tucked away in a commercial centre in Marikina City.
The location is very much a part of the concept’s charm, but at the same time, when asked, “Why Marikina?” Lacson tends to reply: Why not? “For Digámo to work as a concept, it requires a setting with immense character, soul and a true sense of place. That is why we are here. While some might view the location as a logistical disadvantage, one has to experience the slow, deliberate Marikina way of life to truly understand its magic,” he explains. Lacson recommends making a visit to Digámo a stop in a series of events: book a visit with a shoemaker for some custom footwear, explore the area to learn more about their interesting local cuisine, sit down to some good coffee and be immersed in a slower life just minutes from the metro.
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Above The anise gin and tonic at Digámo
Above Nilupak, one of the snacks that opens the meal at Digámo
The anise gin and tonic at Digámo
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Still, Lacson is rightfully unapologetic about his restaurant’s location because his food—beyond the rich narrative behind his tasting menu accompanied by a strong beverage programme by Proudly Promdi’s Ken Alonso—is well-conceptualised and flavorful. Drawing inspiration from our varied geography and rich colonial history, he reinterprets dishes with a liberal hand guided by the belief that our food, like history, is “a living, evolving” experience. But to put it simply in his own words, Lacson’s food is “unapologetically Filipino.” He explains: “It anchors on three pillars: the food must be masarap (delicious), makabuluhan (purposeful and context-driven) and maganda (beautiful). I never dilute or lighten our traditional flavours—if it demands a rich sarsa, that is exactly what you get. Our portion sizes are also nakakabusog (satiating), reminiscent of a true Filipino handaan (feast). The flavours remain respectful of tradition and the beautiful stories behind each dish.”
See also: ‘Never let other people define what you can or cannot do,’ says chef Charles Montañez
Above Chef Francis Lacson traces the evolution of Filipino cuisine at Digámo with playful tweaks
Chef Francis Lacson traces the evolution of Filipino cuisine at Digámo with playful tweaks
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Among the dishes in the opening menu are imaginative interpretations of deeply rooted flavours and forms. The first course of tenga tenga, at tenga honours pre-colonial wood-fire grilling featuring three different kinds of “ears”: pig’s ears, tenga ng daga (mushroom) and abalone or sea ears. Grilled in varying timings and temperatures to maximise flavours and textures of the different ingredients, the skewers are dipped in bloodless “dinuguan” made out of a savoury fungus called corn smut, indigenous to Quezon province. Also from southern Tagalog is kulawo, which is a grilled eggplant and coconut dish, this time elegantly presented as a smooth, lacquer-like dip. The brûléed top is cracked, and the contents scooped up with puto galapong.
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Above Kulawo: burnt eggplant and coconut served with puto
Above The C3 is an homage to the nostalgic restaurant of the same name, known for its pairing of fried chicken and spaghetti
Kulawo: burnt eggplant and coconut served with puto
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The much-talked-about linagpang is another pre-colonial cooking technique that calls for the grilling of meats, which are then cooked into a soup. Using native chicken for its gamier flavour and libas leaves as a souring agent, the brightness of the broth complements the richness of the “chicken” taho at the bottom of the cup. These are the highlights, but each course draws from research, regional traditions and lived memory, transforming familiar references into refined expressions while keeping their emotional centre intact.
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Above The basi Negroni, created by Ken Alonso of Proudly Promdi
Above The linagpang is based off a recipe from Lacson’s grandfather
The basi Negroni, created by Ken Alonso of Proudly Promdi
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Storytelling is truly a powerful tool in creatively expressing one’s culinary perspective, and Lacson has waited long enough to present his. Digámo is not only a creative space, but it is Lacson captured in brick-and-mortar and everything he has learned, loved and experienced. But, more than the cerebral aspect of his process is the food that is masterfully executed, and while rooted in research and narrative, it is simply food that can speak for itself. Still, it is merely a stepping stone towards a more ambitious dream, allowing Lacson to spread his gospel of embracing our local culinary heritage. “We have new concepts and a series of culinary workshops and collaborations in the pipeline that will explore long-lost regional recipes, celebrate indigenous spirits and champion heritage crafts like kayas (wood whittling) and pabalat-making (pastillas wrapper art). Digámo is not the end; it’s just the means. My ultimate dream is to see the establishment of a dedicated Filipino Gastronomy culinary school—a legacy that ensures our culinary heritage is preserved and studied for generations to come.”
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Credits
Photography: courtesy of Digámo
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.
