A private dining space that celebrates the food and heritage of Malabon
Everything started with a bottle of bagoong. In 2017, to continue the tradition of gifting close and special friends with their family’s bagoong, Jaison Yang asked his older brother Jairuz to cook a big batch of their Lola Cordia’s original recipe, which leaned more on the salty side. It was such a hit among those who received it that they requested more. Word of mouth got around that soon enough, even people from far-flung places like the US and the United Kingdom placed orders.
This led to the birth of Mommy Dolor’s Kitchen, a home-based food line that included cheese pimiento; adobong pusit en su tinta and tortang alimasag, two dishes the family would eat on Fridays and during Holy Week; tapang kabayo, which is a Sunday breakfast staple in their household; and the hamonado, done exactly the way they would during town fiestas.
Eight years later, the brand (a loving tribute to their mother Dolor Perez-Yang who died in 2009) is taken to the next level by opening Balai Jai, a venue where guests can sit, dine, and enjoy their family’s specialties comfortably.
“I see the need for a place with a character to highlight different Malabon dishes, not only the food made by Mommy Dolor’s Kitchen (which was once only available for delivery) but also the rest of our town’s delicacies,” says Jaison, who, aside from handling the brand marketing, (brother Janus does the packaging, while Jairuz is on kitchen duty) owns and runs travel agency Travel Warehouse, Inc.
It would be easy to just provide a simple dining space and let the food be the star, but for someone who specializes in providing customized travel experiences, he wanted something more special and meaningful, something that adds value. And since his heart holds a special place and appreciation for time-preserved heritage houses, that’s exactly what he built on his 187-sq.m. Malabon lot.
Jai, as many fondly call him, collected salvaged wood from a number of demolished old houses in Laguna as well as panels from the old men’s dorm in UP Los Baños to build a two-story house—his bedroom equipped with its own bathroom suite is on top, and an air-conditioned dining room with a toilet and bath on the ground. Just before stepping foot in the house, there’s a colorfully decorated daybed where guests can hang out and have their appetizers of mangoes with bagoong, melba toast with cheese pimiento, and chicharon with dampalit atchara.
The private dining space can cater to up to a party of 10. With regard to the menu, there’s no standard one, says Jaison. “You can request all the dishes you want from Malabon. Though we have a suggested set, this can be adjusted to the guest’s liking. We can even have a whole Malabon-style lechon prepared. Or a spread of Malabon dishes traditionally served during Christmas or Holy Week.”
There’s rellenong bangus, something the Yangs often gave as presents to balikbayan; lumpiang pabasa, a vegetable number composed of tofu, carrots, and cauliflower; kilawing labanos, which their mom usually put a lot of pork and liver into; and pinangat na sapsap, another breakfast item in their home. One of their bestsellers, tortang alimasag has no extenders and preservatives, while their pork menudo uses real native tomatoes, not the canned sauce kind. All their dishes are faithful to the family’s original recipes.
Malabon simply has a lot to offer—and discover—food-wise, and they acknowledge that by also serving some of what their neighbors are known for, like the indulgent mechado from Aling Mely’s Carinderia, the famous Hazel’s Puto Pao and Betsy’s soft broas, and Aling Tessie Punzalan’s turon called Trianggulo Valencia.
To add to an even greater dining experience, Balai Jai can also invite the entertaining Carlo Agustin to do a live demo of his family’s version of Pancit Malabon. Along with the presentation, he can regale diners with his stories as well as serve them the noodle dish right after. Guests can also include his tochong bangus and sumpia, a sweet potato spring roll, in their curated menu.
The Yang family has always eaten well. “I remember when we were children, our house would get flooded. We didn’t have the money to fix our roof, but still we feasted on that day’s freshest catch—the best mud crabs, sugpo, and lapu-lapu—for an ordinary lunch. Why bother with the house renovation when you can have great seafood?!” Jaison says. And they continue to do so long after their mom has gone, even extending their household to accommodate others who are curious and hungry to join the feast.
Balai Jai is located in Tinajeros, Malabon. To reserve, send them a message at @balaijai_malabon on Instagram and/or BalaJai on Facebook.
