LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA, Philippines?A woman?s culinary legacy to her daughter led to the establishment of a classy diner in this small town dominated by fastfood outlets and carinderia (eateries).

Precious Jewel Lamico-Aquino, 29, together with her mother and her sister, came up with the idea of putting up a diner that would cater to the middle-class.

Precious took stock of her mother?s recipes, dating back to the latter?s food catering business in the 1970s and, with husband Jeff, set out to establish something of a fine dining experience ?Los Baños style.?

Precious and Jeff manage the diner called Arla?culled from the name of Precious? mother, Arlene Lamigo.

But all family members help out in running the diner, pitching in ideas to make the dining experience worth everyone?s while.

Cooking history

?We couldn?t find a really good diner in town and have to go as far as Tagaytay when the family wants to eat out on special occasions,? mother Arlene explains.

Arlene was an undergraduate when she got married in 1971. She started her cooking business soon after to help feed her family.

?We had one round table that could seat four to five people,? she says, describing her family?s boarding house in 1973. ?Students who used to eat at our place would urge us to put up a restaurant.?

In 1978, Arlene registered her business under the name Lutong Bahay, and became a concessionaire for a big research institution, all the while maintaining their small place for students.

She and her family earned from the concession well enough to allow them to buy the lot where the future diner would stand.

Arlene and her husband later sold the business because they had to leave the country to hold mission work for their church.

When they returned in 1991, Arlene continued her catering business, noting that many of her friends would ask if they could eat at Arlene?s new home.

?We had a small gazebo in our yard where some of our friends would hold romantic dinners,? she said, adding that there were times when marriage proposals were made on their property.

The gazebo also served as an extension of their living room before it was turned into a diner, which was soft launched in 2005.

Hearty meals

Arla?s catchphrase is ?a hearty place to dine in Los Baños.? There they serve ?hearty and healthy meals? fit for families.

?That is why we serve hearty servings; two to three persons can share one plate. Sometimes families buy one serving and share it. Foreigners who are used to large servings are also satisfied when they eat here,? Precious said.

The chicken legs they serve, for example, weigh about 300 grams apiece.

The diner caters to families and professionals, which explains the steep prices. But Jeff says this is because they do not want to compromise quality. For example, the diner offers either jasmine rice or brown rice, instead of the usual varieties.

Specialties

Their recipes are all original, says Precious, citing her mother?s concoctions such as the house specialty soy grilled chicken.

She adds that they only serve food that are hard to cook at home and not commonly served in other places. And even though the diner only offers a few dishes, they make sure that the customers would have a pleasant dining experience.

Arla serves seven specialty plates, five starters and salad, and four pasta dishes.

The house favorites include lime baked fish fillet, beef lengua, and seafood fettucine, with prices ranging up to P295 a plate.

Precious, however, says they are continuously creating new dishes to put on their menu.

Customer first

The diner started out serving customers who have made reservations because the family members did all the work themselves. At that time, they did not see it fit to hire help.

Precious did the marketing and cooking while Jeff was the waiter and dishwasher. When more customers came in, other family members came in to helped.

Their first customers were friends. But word-of-mouth later spread and soon their clientele expanded.

Arla formally opened to the public in January 2006.

On ordinary days, Arla would have around 35 customers. The number would peak during Valentine?s Day, graduation season and the holidays.

In just a few years, and with the economic crunch in full swing, Arla was able to generate an average net income of P50,000 a month.

The couple?s secret? Jeff says they are consistent with the quality of food they serve.