“When people hear about Puerto Rico, they immediately think Jennifer Lopez or Ricky Martin,” Millie Gutierrez says, laughing. The owner and cook of Sofrito, a small dining spot in Salcedo Village, relates how, when she and her Filipino husband Jay moved to the Philippines, less was known about Puerto Rican cuisine and there were no restaurants here that offered the Latin country’s signature dishes. She realized that it could be a good chance to introduce her family’s age-old recipes and build a small, unpretentious restaurant reminiscent of a warm cantina.
Named after a mixture of garlic, cilantro, onions, ajicitos, cubanelle peppers, and other spices used as bases for Puerto Rican dishes, Sofrito is as small and intimate as it gets. A white tarpaulin bearing its name hangs outside the glass window, and wooden chairs and tables are neatly arranged in the limited space. Nothing fancy, no clichéd emblems or colors of Puerto Rico, save for the upbeat Spanish music playing in the background. But the menu is undoubtedly Puerto Rican, serving food that is both rich in flavors and history. “It’s similar to Cuban cuisine except that Cuban’s has more garlic and lemons. We’re more on the spicy side but nowhere near Mexico—that’s totally different. Ours is more flavorful. Here when you say ‘spicy’ it means ‘hot,’ but for Puerto Rican food, it’s a blending of different spices,” she explains.
Plantains play a big part in most of the dishes in Sofrito, with green saba being the localized ingredient. The Pastelon is their own version of lasagna, with ground beef, green beans, and cheese placed in between layers of saba instead of pasta. It’s an interesting mix of flavors: the sweetness of the saba, the saltiness of the cheese, the garlicky taste of the beans, plus the guava hot sauce on the side. The Mofongo, a mashed plantain ball with crushed chicharron and garlic sauce, goes well with the carnitas (fried pork). The Boricua- style lechon asado is a filling choice of marinated pork served with rice and beans. The homemade empanadas are remarkable, with unique variants such as guava or mango and cream cheese.
It’s easy to feel right at home in Sofrito, as the friendly couple is always up for a good conversation. They don’t just engage in trite, obligatory exchanges but also tell stories about Gutierrez’s first-time experiences in the Philippines, the things she misses back home, her husband Jay’s witty 90-year-old mother, or his memories of the simple life in Manila. Gutierrez says, “The kitchen is the focal point of family gatherings—we want Sofrito to be just like that. We just want to keep it small so we can talk to customers, get to know people.”
Sofrito. Ground Floor LPL Mansions, San Agustin Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City. 0917-8009570.
Photos by Jilson Seckler Tiu
