Casa Marcos has been serving Spanish-Filipino dishes since the 1940s.
“The restaurant was opened in 1945 by a pelotarian [jai alai player] named Marcos de Guisasola. He was good friends with my grandfather and ended up selling the business to him when he decided to go back to Spain,” says third-generation owner Jigger Galvez.
The original venue was located on what was then Dewey Boulevard, located near government offices, and so a lot of VIP clients would descend on the restaurant for lunch and private functions.
One of those loyal guests was former Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos P Romulo, who ended up sharing a recipe for lengue (ox tongue) and that is still being served up to this day. “It’s the kind that melts in your mouth,” says Galvez. “The ox tongue is cut very thin and is also very tender. The gravy we use is cooked on the side with ham, mushrooms and butter. We basically pour that over the lengua.”
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE RECIPE FOR CARLOS P. ROMULO’S LENGUA
Casa Marcos closed for a short while in the 1990s and when it reopened with two locations in Ortigas Center and BGC, the new management was able to track down Joe Hisoler, 65, an old-school employee who started working at Casa Marcos in 1965 and is familiar with all the recipes. He is now the cook at BGC. “Most of the items at Casa Marcos is from the original menu,” assures Galvez.
Apart from mainstays like lengua, spicy gambas and steak a la pobre, Casa Marcos also added new dishes given a Spanish twist, like the Spanish-style sisig which uses chorizo sausages with the rest of the ingredients. “The sauce of the chorizo mixed with the other ingredients makes it very good.”
Video won’t load? Watch it on Coconuts TV via YouTube
Casa Marcos, G/F Unit 21 Forbeswood Heights, Rizal Drive, BGC, Taguig; +63 2 5523781. Sun-Thu 11am-10pm. Fri & Sat 11am-2am. Unit 20A Ortigas Home Depot, 1 Doña Julia Vargas Ave, Bgy Ugong, Pasig City; +63 2 4703637. Daily 11am-10pm.
RECIPE FOR CARLOS P ROMULO’S LENGUA, CASA MARCOS STYLE
INGREDIENTS
Gravy (serves 10)
Mushroom (optional to add or before serving)
1 spoon garlic
1 cup margarine
1/4 pack ham
1 1/2 spoons soy sauce
3 cups beef stock
Lengua (serves 6)
1000g ox tongue
20g onion
10g black whole pepper
20g celery
TO MAKE GRAVY:
1. Put margarine in heated pan with garlic and flour.
2. Mix until thick.
3. When margarine mixes with flour, add beef stock.
4. Put soy sauce.
5. Add ham and mushroom.
TO MAKE LENGUA:
1. Boil ox tongue for 45 minutes with celery, whole black pepper, and onions.
2. After boiling, simmer n low fire for 3.5 hours or until tender.
3. Remove skin then slice.
4. Boil ox tongue until warm and soft then add gravy.
