ONE of the oldest members in our zumba family, Nanay Trinidad “Trining” Unabia celebrated her 74th birthday last June 21 at her family’s newly opened restaurant Uptown called SUTU.
She invited the whole class the traditional way, by means of face-to-face conversation. It was a nice feeling to receive such a warm personal invitation, which is vastly different from today’s millennial way of a mass text blast. Contrary to popular belief, old school can still be amazing!
And of course, what can be more awesome than a septugenarian who hardly misses a zumba class?! She may be a senior citizen, but she can still groove to the latest jam’s like Momoland’s Boom-Boom.
Nanay Trining said she looks forward to dancing zumba each day because it makes her feel young and happy. For all of us dance-mates, seeing her smiling dolled-up face (complete with red lipstick and curls) is enough motivation to keep us all moving. If Nanay Trining can do it with pizzaz, we certainly can too!
Nanay’s celebration of life at SUTU was prepared by her sister-in-law, Marilyn Unabia, who I had the pleasure of chatting with. Marilyn noted that SUTU is a shortened version of the popular concept “sutukil”—which stands for sugba (inihaw), tula (tinola), and kilaw. Of course, all three types of viands are available in their restaurant, which is a partnership amongst the three Unabia siblings.
Marilyn noted that they actually opened 3 establishments in this new Cahulogan Square building con-currently last June 15. She explained: “We wanted to offer something for all market segments. SUTU restaurant is for the more high-end clients.
Senior Pedro dine-in and take-out has a more masa appeal. And finally, Romana Cafe has more of a young vibe that offers coffee, milktea, smoothies, shakes, and desserts. There’s just something fun about doing this kind of venture. It is always satisfying to see clients enjoy the food and drinks.”
According to Mommy Marilyn, the best sellers in SUTU are their pinoy favorites like the kare-kare, crispy pata, seafood in a basket, and the like, served family style. They also have what they call the Sutu Special and the Paluto choices; all of which can be weighed by grams and cooked on the spot to guarantee freshness. They have a pretty extensive menu that is worth checking out. To name a few, they have: sinigang na pritong baboy (P250), pinaputok na pusit (P220), seafood curry (P235), sizzling burger steak (P125), white seafood pasta (P140), etc.
From Nanay’s gastronomic treat for us in SUTU, our mommy gang made our way to Romana Cafe where we had coffee, dessert, and shakes. The cafe’s ambience is homely and laid back, encouraging guests to just chill-out. Milk tea is very affordable with the largest being P75, juices are P55, smoothies are P100, and frappes also at P100. They have several sweets available like blueberry cheesecake, red velvet, crepe cake, and muffins. The prices won’t break the bank either!
Marilyn shared: “For Nanay Trining, I concocted a healthy option which is a turmeric ginger tea shake. We are really excited to offer Cagay-anons our newest products. We know people work hard, so we really aim to offer value for money with quality food and beverage. Our family invites all of you to try out any of our three new restaurants. There is something here for everyone.”
SUTU, Romana Cafe, and Senor Pedro are all located at the groud floor of Cahulogan Square, Mastersons Ave. There’s plenty of parking up front and in the back. Again, happy birthday to our zumba mommy, Nanay Trining. May your family’s newest business ventures make many tummies full and hearts happy because good food is best shared in the company of good people.
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