Photograph by Robert Scheer
Rene and Rose Nepomuceno opened their Sunnyvale restaurant in 1992.
By LESTER CHANG
Rene and Rose Nepomuceno say the freshness of their food is what prompts diners to return to their Filipino restaurant day after day.
The Nepomucenos cook all their dishes from scratch daily, using chicken, pork, fish, vegetables and fruits.
"If we go any other way, they will go to Filipino restaurants in San Francisco or San Jose," said Rose, who has cooked for 30 years, mostly for her husband and relatives.
When the couple opened the Rene and Rose Philippine Cuisine restaurant in June 1992, five other Filipino restaurants operated in Sunnyvale. Theirs is the last one, a situation they attribute to their business philosophy that "freshness is always best."
Rene and Rose offer up to 50 entrées throughout the month. But they make it a point to put four dishes on their daily menu that sell well in California and in the Philippines: adobo, menudo, pakbent and letchon.
The adobo dish is made with chicken or pork cubes covered with a special sauce, vinegar, garlic and whole black peppers.
Menudo is made with pork and potatoes cut into cubes, fresh tomatoes, garlic and onion. Bay leaves are added to bring out the dish's aroma.
The owners change the entrées every day to entice diners to return. "We keep them guessing; that is the trick," Rose said.
Other dishes include dinuguan, which is pork sautéed with onions, garlic, vinegar and pepper.
Another favorite is tinola, which is chicken sautéed with garlic, ginger, papayas, vinegar and green leaf chili to give the dish a kick for those who like spicy foods, Rose said.
Most lunches cost about $3.99 and include an entrée, soup and rice. An additional entrée costs $1 extra. The most expensive single entrée is inihaw baboy, which sells for $2.50. It consists of broiled pork and chopped fish marinated in vinegar, ground black pepper, onion and a special sauce. Because of the time it takes to prepare, this dish is sold only on Fridays.
The Nepomucenos immigrated to the United States from the province of Nueva Ecija, which is about 75 miles north of Manila.
Rose previously worked as a cosmetologist, and Rene worked in the parts inventory division at Hewlett-Packard for nine years before they opened the restaurant. Most of their customers are Filipino, but 30 percent of their clientele is now "international," Rene said.
The family-owned restaurant seats 38 people and offers catering.
Rene and Rose Philippine Cuisine, 905 A.E. Duane Ave. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. 735-1721.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, April 16, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.