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GALLERY 
ROUND, even slices of Boneless Crispy Pata. PHOTO BY RYAN LIM
BANANA Langka Float. PHOTO BY RYAN LIM
LAING Pizza with a generous spread of cheese. PHOTO BY RYAN LIM
ALIGUE Pasta photo courtesy of finio restaurant.
CRAB & Mango Salad. PHOTO BY RYAN LIM
PRITSON Maki Roll. PHOTO BY RYAN LIM
TILAPIA Strips with soy vinaigrette photo courtesy of finio restaurant.
OWNER Jerald Ong Choa and chef Marcelino Magno Jr. PHOTO BY RYAN LIM
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Well worth the long wait
By Fran Katigbak
Inquirer
Last updated 10:47pm (Mla time) 10/10/2007
MANILA, Philippines—There is good reason some inspired Pinoy cooking simmers every day at Finio restaurant on Tomas Morato.
After all, the place was a big childhood dream that took so long to fulfill.
“I grew up with Pinoy food as my favorite,” says proprietor Jerald Ong Choa, who has Chinese-Filipino roots. “Ever since I was young, I told myself I would one day open a restaurant where local cuisine would be served.”
But Choa had to set aside his culinary fantasies when his mom insisted that he took up Commerce in college. After graduation, he even spent eight years working in the family’s textile business.
The aspiring restaurateur, however, would not give up his dream and, with the help of four of his siblings, opened a café in Makati.
The food venture was eventually managed by Choa’s wife because the textile business still took up much of his time.
Tribute to a great cook
It was in November 2004 that Choa fully committed himself to what he had long wanted to do and opened his dream restaurant, Finio. The name was a tribute to his late grandfather Epifanio Ong, who was a great cook.
Choa says Finio, unlike most restaurants that stick to authentic recipes and preparation of local dishes, was designed to reflect “modern Pinoy” sensibilities in taste and style.
The dynamics between the owner and chef Marcelino Magno Jr. have produced creative ways of presenting favorite Pinoy dishes, as well as some very unique food ideas.
Consider the following bestsellers:
Pritson Maki Roll, appetizer of flour tortilla stuffed with crispy pork belly (liempo) then served with lechon sauce;
Crab & Mango Salad, a mix of organically grown lettuce, thick chunks of crabstick and ripe mangoes drizzled with homemade sauces spiked with chili oil;
Boneless Crispy Pata, crisp-fried whole front pork leg sliced into round, even portions and served with soy vinaigrette;
Tilapia Strips, deep-fried tilapia fingers that also come with soy vinaigrette;
Classic Kare-Kare of homemade thick peanut sauce, steamed vegetables, ox tail and tripe served with Finio’s own bagoong.
Guests can feast on pizza, noodles or pasta such as Quesong-Queso pizza of mozzarella, quesong puti, queso de bola, parmesan, cheddar; Shrimp and Garlic pizza made with sautéed shrimps and garlic topped with mozzarella; Pancit Finio, a signature dish of canton, sotanghon, plus special sweet sauce topped with lechon kawali; and Aligue Pasta of shrimps and squid sautéed in rich aligue sauce.
Set to debut this month is Laing Pizza, thin-crust dough topped with a generous spread of cheese and moderately spicy laing.
Indulge in sweet cravings like Banana Langka Float, Finio Halo-Halo with ube ice cream, Leche Flan, and Finio’s Mango, Cream & Jelly.
Choa is proud of the lengths the restaurant is willing to go to ensure food is served fresh and its flavors naturally enhanced. No MSG (monosodium glutamate or vetsin) is used in any of the dishes. Soups and sauces are strictly homemade.
Finio’s interiors, which Choa designed, also follow the modern Pinoy theme. The contemporary layout and color scheme are easy on the eye and complement a modest set of artworks directly painted on the wall and inspired by the traditional capiz sliding windows of Spanish-era homes.
With the restaurant, which will soon have a vegan menu, almost on its third year now, it only seems fair to say Choa’s long wait toward realizing his childhood dream has been worth it.
Finio Modern Pinoy Restaurant is at the corner of Tomas Morato Avenue and Dr. Lazcano St., Quezon City. Operating hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Tel. 4151278
E-mail the author at fkatigbak@inquirer.com.ph
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