Manila’s newest heritage restaurant celebrates heirloom dishes
Cabel, a culinary gem nestled right next to the Philippines’ seat of power, officially opened its doors on October 28 to food enthusiasts seeking their fill of classic Filipino cuisine.
Located beside the Malacañang Palace in San Miguel Manila, Cabel serves iconic Filipino dishes within the halls of the Roces mansion built in the 1930s. The restaurant’s menu celebrates Philippine gastronomic heritage with its diverse collection of meals served at Filipino tables across the archipelago.
Cabel draws its inspiration from heirloom recipes from the founding family’s matriarch Oswalda Alcantara-Cabel, who regularly hosted local and international dignitaries in her hometown Jolo, Sulu Province during her years of public service with her Ilocos Norte- native husband Dr. Heracleo Lopez-Cabel from the 1950s – 1980s.
Among the specialties frequently served by the Cabels to their guests that are now offered in the family’s restaurant are the classic Tausug dishes Kolma, Tiyula, Piyanggang, and Pompano Sambal. Cabel has likewise incorporated other popular Filipino dishes into their fare, including sumptuous servings of Adobo, Lumpiang Shanghai, Pancit, Pinakbet, Tinolang Manok, Humba, Bistek, Kare-Kare, and Kansi, among many others.
Complementing Cabel’s heritage cuisine are the interiors of the Roces mansion, a 600- square-meter ancestral house in a 1,000-square-meter lot. Built during the Commonwealth era, the Roces mansion was home to the national artist for literature Alejandro Roces and esteemed publisher and journalist Don Joaquin “Chino” Roces.
With a capacity of 200 people, Cabel is an ideal venue for dining, be it for business or pleasure. The restaurant’s banquet halls on the ground and second floors offer privacy for intimate gatherings, while its main dining hall is perfect for casual meals.
The restaurant’s walls on the mezzanine area feature printouts of the Roces family’s newspapers La Vanguardia and The Manila Times that relive a bygone era. The hardwood floors on the second floor and machuca tiles on the ground floor, and high ceilings elicit the mansion’s illustrious history and grandeur.
At the helm of Cabel is Juan Carlos Cabel Moreno, who has ventured into restaurant management after 12 years in the airline industry. Prior to Cabel, King, as he is fondly called, helped manage a Mindanao-inspired restaurant, Palm Grill, in Quezon City established by his brother Jose Miguel. Working behind the scenes is King’s mother Melissa Cabel Moreno, the youngest of seven children of Heracleo and Oswalda Cabel, who has been in the restaurant business for over 20 years.
Cabel evokes nostalgia both in its food and interiors, bringing back the comfort of home- cooked meals well-loved by Filipinos and a welcoming treat for those in pursuit of experiencing authentic and delicious Filipino dishes. Dining at Cabel relives the founding family’s passion for good food and hospitality.
Experience Cabel at 1147 Jose Laurel Street, San Miguel, Manila. Walk-ins and reservations are welcome between 9 AM and 10 PM. For reservations, call +63967-209-4768 / +63915-214-8565, or email at Bycabel.ph@gmail.com. Reservations can likewise be made via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ bycabel.ph) and Instagram @bycabel.ph (https://tinyurl.com/4zy59pnv).