From fresh produce at the market to nostalgia-inducing dishes near and dear to her heart, restaurateur Malu Gamboa shares her foodie’s guide to Baguio
As the restaurateur behind Milky Way Cafe, Azuthai, Cirkulo, and Tsukiji, Malu Gamboa certainly does her family proud by honouring the legacy of her late mother, Julie. Now a legendary dining institution, Milky Way first opened the doors of its original outlet in 1962. Today, many of the comforting Filipino dishes the brand is known for follow the same treasured family recipes, this time dished up by the group’s executive chef J Gamboa, the matriarch’s youngest.
The venerable family-run restaurant group then expanded with the celebrated Japanese destination Tsukiji in the late 80s, tapas bar Cirkulo in the decade that followed, and finally, home-style Thai outlet Azuthai thirteen years after. Naturally, the Gamboas were raised as foodies through and through, introduced to gastronomic delights from a young age.
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“If I were to introduce foreigners to Filipino food, I would begin with the simplest of Pinoy breakfast fare: the ubiquitous sweet beef tapa, glistening red tender tocino bites, or crispy fried dilis,” shares Malu Gamboa. “As a child, I remember admiring a glistening piece of red meat with a sunny side up egg in my mum’s original Milky Way on Aguado Street in old San Miguel.”
Here, we speak with the respected restaurateur about her love for Baguio, a regular out-of-town holiday destination for the family.
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