With three generations of the Urbina family lending a hand, the Café Laguna story continues with its rich food heritage, as it celebrates 31 years being the city’s most revered Filipino restaurant. Its stamp on the dining scene is indisputable, as it expands with more outlets all over Cebu, and beyond.

by JANINE TAYLOR

photography PABLO QUIZA

PUTTING UP A RESTAURANT is daunting and opening one in Cebu is even a bigger challenge. To know why is to understand the mindset of the finicky locals. Cebuanos are generally proud and rally behind their own; value for money plays a huge role among Cebuano clientele. Which is why the staying power of Café Laguna, now a byword in the dining scene, makes an interesting story. Café Laguna’s founder and chairwoman is Julita Urbina whose roots are from Luzon. 

Café Laguna rose from humble beginnings. Lita and her husband, Dr. Ricardo Urbina, a military doctor, relocated to Cebu in the mid 70’s when he was assigned to Camp Lapu-Lapu in Lahug. Lita found herself a job at the Montebello Villa Hotel but eventually quit. She ventured into opening a carenderia to help augment her husband’s salary as they had six growing children to support. Mother’s Best was the name of the little eatery she set up in a rented apartment right outside the gates of the camp. Initially offering only three recipes she learned in her mother’s kitchen, her simple menu of ginamay – also known as menudo, bam-i and beef stew soon became instant favorites of the military personnel and their visitors. Lita’s kitchen crew was composed of her laundrywoman and her driver, both whom she trained. Word quickly spread and company executives and other business people discovered the place and became regular diners; and the unassuming carenderia that served home-cooked food transformed into a full-blown, air-conditioned restaurant. At her husband’s suggestion, the restaurant was named Café Laguna, as they both hailed from the same province, Laguna.

The first Café Laguna offered Tagalog dishes and some popular merienda fare such as palabok, fresh lumpia, dinuguan with puto, to name a few. With their increasing client base, customers wanted more hearty dishes so kare-kare and sinigang were then introduced to the menu.

Their big break came when Lita was approached to open a Café Laguna branch at the Ayala Center in 1994. With the shopping mall’s convenient accessibility and high foot traffic, Cebuano tastebuds soon learned to love the Tagalog specialties that they had consistently dished out. Five years later, the two-storey Laguna Garden Café was established, opening its doors at The Terraces of the Ayala Center. The dining area on the ground floor offered comfortable restaurant seating while a spacious function hall on its 2nd level could be divided into smaller rooms for weddings, birthdays, corporate launches and other milestone events. As the restaurant grew in popularity, their banquet menu also widened to serve a diverse selections of dishes. More branches subsequently opened in SM City Cebu and SM Seaside City.

Playing a key role in the company’s expansion was her son, Raki, who attended the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley.

After completing his Advanced Culinary Arts Program at the CIA in 2005, the mother and son tandem collaborated to work on new restaurant concepts and launched its catering service. Brands under the Laguna Group of Companies include Lemon Grass which features Thai-Vietnamese cuisine, Parilya pays tribute to Cebuano favorites, and Ulli’s Streets of Asia brings the flavorful bestsellers from our regional neighbors.

(Taken from the name Julita, “Ulli” is how the grandchildren fondly call their Lola). Encouraged by the popularity of their family-run restaurants, the Laguna Group branched out to other cities in Visayas and Mindanao including Bacolod, Dumaguete, Ormoc and General Santos.

Chef Raki helped professionalize the business by establishing food costing, standardizing recipes and work organization as well as setting up their commissary. His mother Lita candidly shared that her business started with no project study nor vision or mission — it was born out of survival, the need to help support her family. She knew she could cook well and if her love for cooking could help her earn, she was willing to take the risk. That’s all that mattered; it was as simple as that.

Lita’s food philosophy is to maintain authenticity in her restaurants by paying respect to traditional flavors and not delve into fusion cuisine. Perhaps the old-fashioned preparation of familiar recipes, without shortcuts, coupled with the focus on food quality is what sets them apart. Café Laguna showcases the rich heritage of Filipino food and is always the caterer of choice for visiting dignitaries and VIP events.  A proven culinary prowess, the Café Laguna founder has 31 years of experience in operating a successful family business and a string of restaurants under her wing, but remains ever humble. Saying God has blessed her with His plans, Lita’s love for good food and cooking is shared by her family. Her children are very much involved in the Laguna Group and head its different divisions. Now a third generation is wearing the chef’s jacket. Two of her grandkids, Katrina (Kay) Joy Viado and her brother Juno both undertook Professional Culinary Arts & Kitchen Management at the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management (ISCHAM) in Cebu. 

Chef Kay spent a year working in Colorado before returning home. Now the management associate for branch operations, she oversees the restaurant side while Chef Juno is the Junior corporate chef for the Laguna Group and is in charge of their catering arm. Passionate about their roles in the organization, the Viado siblings are inspired by the legacy and leadership of their grandmother and count themselves lucky to have been mentored by their late Uncle Raki.

Business continues to flourish and evolve with the younger Urbinas on board adding their own touch but never forgetting their roots. Dedicated staff like Lisa has worked with the family for decades while Besing has been with Mrs. Urbina for the last 30 years. As entrepreneurs and business owners they value good relationships with their employees.

The Cebuano penchant for embracing their own still holds true these days. Lita, while originally from Luzon, is an adopted Cebuano who has endeared not only herself, but her homegrown restaurant as well, to the countless people who have visited any of their branches. She considers buwad (dried fish) and eggs as comfort food when she’s at home, contrary to the assumption that every meal at the Urbina household is a fiesta! Someday, she hopes to publish a cookbook of her well-loved classic recipes for others to try out in their own kitchens. 

While food sits at the center of their operations, the strong bond they share among themselves is what truly keeps the family and business together. Starting with Lita Urbina, the family continues to uphold the standards and traditions set by their loving matriarch whose culinary passion is legendary. This legacy is carried on by the second and third generation of Urbinas and will surely move down the line to those who follow.