Rico’s Cafe is worth the drive
“Growing up with my parents, the most sacred time was at the dinner table. That was really our quality time. We have dinner, we have lunch, it’s like two hours long, and that’s really where we get to know each other, and that’s how it’s been our whole life,” said Christian Tantoco, son of Donnie and Crickette Tantoco.
It’s their hope that people would have the same experience at their restaurant Rico’s Cafe. “We wanted to build a restaurant where we could replicate that. Rico’s is about savoring soulful moments. It isn’t just about appreciating the food, but also appreciating the relationships you create while eating.”
Rico’s Cafe is part of Nena’s Sanctuary, located in the family’s beautiful Sta. Elena Golf and Country Estate in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
Christian said, “Sta. Elena was cultivated intentionally with a lot of heart and soul by my grandparents for 30 years. For most of Sta. Elena’s existence, it hasn’t been open to the public. My grandparents are really the stewards of this place and it’s very meaningful to us, and we’re so happy to share that with others.”
Donnie and Crickette founded Nena’s Sanctuary as a homage to Rico and Nena Tantoco. “We started with Lakehall, allowing people to have events here, and now, this restaurant is another way of letting people experience it. We really wanted to create a destination here in Laguna,” said Christian.
Rico’s serves Filipino food. “There are so many ways to translate Filipino cuisine. We wanted to create our own perspective.”
The result is what they call Finopino—their refined take on local dishes, anchored on four elements: interweaving, regions, landscape, and heritage. “The Philippines is a melting pot of many, many different cultures and techniques,” said Christian. At Rico’s Cafe, the team embraces those influences, playfully weaving Filipino cuisine with European culinary methods. “You’d see it in our Tiramisuman and our own version of panna cotta with Filipino flavors.”
The menu celebrates the country’s different regions and landscapes. “We didn’t want to go deep into just one region of the Philippines. Our executive chef is from Mindanao. He’s brought a lot of that flavor into the cuisine and into the dishes. Our family comes from Bacolod, from Negros, so we have a lot of Visayan dishes as well.”
Heritage
And then there’s heritage, something very important to the Tantocos. “It’s one of our core values as a family and as a family business. That’s why every business that my parents create is an ode to someone from the family—Rico’s being Lolo Rico, Nena’s Sanctuary being Lola Nena. It’s about really respecting our roots, and that means respecting traditional Filipino recipes and honoring the culinary heritage of the Philippines.”
Rico’s Cafe’s menu offers a mix of familiarity and excitement—classic favorites served in a contemporary way. Even the bread basket showcases culinary innovation, with braided and mini croissant-shaped pandesal, pan de coco, and Spanish bread served with dried fish and squid butter and Sariaya longganiza paté.
There are several kinds of kinilaw on the menu. We tried the pugita and loved it—octopus soaked in vinegar, special spices, coconut milk, and tabon-tabon. The pako salad was both refreshing and rich with the addition of the salted egg mousse.
The Marina Coco Vino Medley is a seafood lover’s dream. The Signature Fried Chicken in Sinigang Gravy is our favorite. “The sinigang gravy just gives you a little surprise. It’s nice to go back and forth with putting it and not putting it because it’s a very strong flavor,” said Christian.
The Bringhe Kare-Kare is also easy to fall in love with, with its bagoong foam and basmati rice. “I love the kare-kare, it’s so good. It’s a play on the Filipino version of a paella, the bringhe.”
Another dish Christian is proud of is Rico’s Beef Pochero. “Pochero is such a comfort food for me,” he said, adding that the two sides of his family serve different types of pochero. Rico’s take is another—it’s inspired by Cebuano pochero and is served in dramatic fashion.
The pochero is under the Celebrations/Fiesta section of the menu, along with another dish that’s bound to be a hit: the Cochinillo 3 Ways. “You have to preorder it,” said Christian. “It’s sisig cochinillo, then roasted slab Iligan-style cochinillo, and then confit crispy pata. It’s really, really good.”
There’s plenty to try at Rico’s Cafe, and one visit won’t be enough. They have okoy, tinapa quiche, lumpiang sariwa, prawn ensalada, their version of pinakbet, laing, inasal, sinampalukan, sinigang, adobo, bulanglang, chicken curry, and more.
“The rib-eye steak is really, really good. The lapu-lapu in herb sauce. There’s something in here for everybody. Lots of flavor in the dishes and a lot of diversity as well,” said Christian.
Dessert
And here’s something to remember when you go: Leave room for dessert.
The Tiramisuman is, yes, a surprising combination of tiramisu and suman that works. The Binignit Panna Cotta gives the Italian favorite a dose of ube, camote, saba, and langka. Also served: Halo-Halo Cassata and Baked Brazo De Mercedes.
Not to be missed is the artisanal ice cream that the cafe makes using goat’s milk and local ingredients. We love all the flavors, especially the pili brittle and the sikwate.
“The desserts are really incredible. And you have to get coffee because we have really good coffee.”
Make sure to take in the scenery, too. “It’s a really beautiful place,” said Christian. “It’s different at night and during the day, and both are really great experiences. I suggest that you step outside and take a little moment. It’s very rare to get this much green space so close to the city.”
Families have been making the trip, along with people on dates, and groups of friends in search of a culinary adventure. People have been booking Rico’s Cafe for private events, too, including small weddings.
It has a rooftop area that’s perfect for the dry months, said Christian. “It offers a really nice view of the canopy and the lake.”
Getting to Rico’s Cafe is surprisingly easy. We braced ourselves for a long drive but got there in around 50 minutes—and we had left Makati at rush hour on a Thursday.
Christian said, “I frequently drive here, two to three times a week, and it’s a really pleasant drive. Get a coffee, play some music in your car, and you’ll be here in no time.”
Rico’s Cafe is at Nena’s Sanctuary Txokolate Road, Sta. Elena Golf and Country Estate, Sta. Rosa Laguna. It’s open from Tuesdays to Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Fridays to Sundays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s closed on Mondays. For reservations, contact tel. no. (0920) 906-7572 or e-mail ricoscafe@nenasanctuary.com.
