Cover Photo: @georgeandonnies/Instagram
Photo: @georgeandonnies/Instagram
1 / 1
The restaurant showcases the group’s unique interpretations on traditional Filipino dishes inspired by its namesakes
Cooking is a love language, and opening a restaurant serving food in honour of a loved one is perhaps one of the most beautiful—and delicious—expressions of love. Siblings and business partners Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo and award-winning chef Margarita Manzke started the Wildflour Group as a passion project 11 years ago and has proven to be a worthwhile endeavour. Their passion for food is what led them to this lucrative enterprise, and they decided to give tribute to the people who have sparked this passion to begin with, offering their own spin on the homegrown dishes they grew up eating and loving.
George and Onnie’s, their new concept, is named after de Ocampo and chef Manzke’s parents. After successfully nurturing the local love for brunch with Wildflour and serving exceptional pizzas and pastas at their Wildflour Italian, doing Filipino food might seem like an unexpected next step. Not so, says de Ocampo. “There's just something unique about Filipino food that never fails to warm both the heart and the soul. We decided to venture deeper into Filipino cuisine because it is our chance to share dishes and experiences that are inspired by the people closest to our hearts with everyone,” she explains. “We're proud to be a homegrown Filipino company and it's only fitting that we pay tribute to our local heritage. George and Onnie!s is a concept that is very dear and close to our hearts, and that we hope is able to bring a dining experience which not only promises indulgence and the excellence of Filipino cuisine with every bite but also a feeling of comfort and warmth that only a great home-cooked meal can offer.”
The spaces that used to be occupied by their Little Flour concept now carry George and Onnie’s logo. While the former already had a smattering of Filipino dishes before, George and Onnie’s now offers the total experience. “The vision of sharing this experience with you has been months in the making, which is why we went from gradually adding a few Filipino dishes to Little Flour, to shifting the menu to an exclusively Filipino offering, and now a full-scale revamp to signify our all-in commitment to locally-inspired comfort food,” de Ocampo articulates. While the rice bowls of Little Flour are still available to the delight of those who have grown to love them, the menu has expanded to include their takes on the classics such as Kurobuta sinigang, “Pinoy” ribs, and beef cheeks kare-kare. There are also regional dishes such as their version of “papaitan,” a dish that their parents (who both hail from Northern Luzon) introduced to them. De Ocampo points out: “ The new menu at George and Onnie's is all about delicious, heartwarming, homemade Filipino food inspired by our intimate moments with and generational recipes from loved ones and families.”
See also: Flavours of My Youth: chef Chele González on the dish that ignited his love for food
Opening a Filipino restaurant seems to be a full-circle moment for the sisters, as de Ocampo admits they owe all their success in the food and beverage industry to the influence and support of their parents. From having learned first-hand from them how to run a business, to taking them on trips abroad to experience the great cuisines and restaurants of the world—George and Onnie have truly made an indelible mark. “While choosing the restaurateur path was not easy in the beginning, one important thing my father taught me is to not be afraid to make mistakes,” de Ocampo ruminates. “I have nothing but gratitude to my dad for teaching us to approach mistakes as experiences and opportunities to learn and grow from. Both he and my mum played a significant role in shaping me into the person and entrepreneur I’ve become today, and I will forever be grateful to them both.”
NOW READ
Sakagura sake bar and izakaya, a new concept by the Nikkei Group, is now open in BGC
Forgotten fruit: paying homage to the delicious Philippine fruits ripe with nostalgia
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.
