REAL LIFE
Gaita
She got the idea from Manny Pacquiao. Well, sort of.
Margarita “Gaita” Araneta Fores, a Manila-based Ilongga restaurateur who traces her roots from the Araneta Clan of Bago City in Negros Occidental, and a granddaughter of the Araneta Coliseum’s creator, Amado Araneta “cooked up” an idea of offering Weekend Brunch for Cibo’s regulars. Every time Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao had a match, such as last weekend when it was televised in Manila late morning on a Sunday, Cibo’s loyal customers would come early, expecting breakfast before heading out to the Cinemas where they watch the boxing game in real time.
When you’re craving for affordable Italian food, come to Cibo- that is, a “ready-cooked” food. The restaurant was born out of her passion for Italian cuisine. She went to Florence, Italy in 1980 and had two married women teach her about Italian ways. Gaita studied their culture, language, toured the markets, restaurants, homes and embrace their way of life.
Together with her siblings, Veanna, Joe, Oye and Bledes, she borrowed one million pesos from their mom, Maria Lourdes Araneta Fores, as initial capital to open the first Cibo on August 22, 1997. Cibo owes its success to Margarita’s stubbornness to conform to the norms. She recalled a lot of her friends and even family members warned her about opening it in a ghost month—August. But she did it anyway. She was advised to simplify the menu or translate it in English or maybe Tagalog for better indulgent of customers; she refused. Cibo’s menu is entirely in Italian. She was told to change the ingredients for local market; she did not.
Yes, of course, the food has something to do with its success. Before she opened the restaurant, Gaita had to persuade her culinary demanding family that people would come to dine foremost for their menu. Thus, she dished them up with Spinach Gorgonzola, Rigatoni Alfonso, Tenderloin Tagliata, and Tiramisu Croccante, and therefore convinced them she was all set to go. Mentioned above are the keystone of the Cibo menu, making them popular among the regulars who patronized Cibo for the past 13 years.
Weekend Brunch is the 13th anniversary offering. Brunch means eggs, relates Gaita. Many existing Cibo items are perfectly blended with them. Popular flatbread called Carta di Musica is best with pomodoro and two fried eggs on top. Another one that goes well with fried eggs are Bruschetta Prosciutto. Meanwhile, Pizza Patate, a pizza with thin slices of potato and pancetta is done with… yes, two fried eggs on it! Italians believe “everything is better with eggs”, revealed Gaita.
Added to your brunch is a choice between Prosecco, the sparkling Italian wine or Cibo’s Prosecco cocktails that spells a mixture of Mimosa or orange, Plum Bellini, Mango Bellini, Rossini or strawberry and Tiziano, the grape…or the Bloody Maria. Dessert loving patrons gorge themselves with Bruschetta Dolce, a grilled bread with sliced bananas, chocolate and cinnamon. That one, or you order your favorite sweets with eggs on them.
Gaita beamed with a smile when talking about loyalty. Most of her staff from the first branch is still with her. Others, she said left for work on European cruise ships then they come back after their contracts expire. The benefit of rehiring her staff is their exposure to international standards which they bring it with them. Her managers get to experience Italy every so often as she takes them with her for exposure trips and training to better understand the culture and the psyche behind the Italian cuisine. Gaita is especially thankful to her tight management team and proud of them for making Cibo’s branches up and running after all these years.
Cibo’s original small restaurant was located between the hallway of Landmark and Glorietta 2 in Makati with a staff of eight. After a year, they were able to pay the money lent by their mom and transferred to a bigger place in Glorietta. There are now 12 Cibo branches in 10 locations in Metro Manila. Two are in Power Plant Rockwell mall and two in TriNoma mall in Quezon City: one regular café and a Bimbi or a kid-friendly Cibo. The 13th outlet opened in Eastwood in October this year.
In July 2007, Margarita Araneta Fores was featured as one of the 12 most beautiful Filipinas. Beautiful indeed, for she epitomizes a modern woman with substance: headstrong, hard-working and passionate of what she’s doing. Yet as much as Gaita fits the typical profile of a successful chef — driven, exacting and immersed in her work — she’s different in two fundamental ways: one, because she’s a woman; and two, she’s an Ilongga at that.
To date, Cibo helms as one source of modern Italian cuisine in the Philippines. Congratulations, Gaita!
Sources: Jessica Zafra of The Philippine Star and WikiPilipinas hip ‘n free. Photos provided by Google images.
