Bale Matua: A taste of history

MANILA, Philippines - We stood before a weathered wooden portal on Santo Rosario Street in Angeles, Pampanga, flanked by brick upon brick miraculously held together through the years. It initially looked like a fortress. But a cross on top of an engraved Madonna high above the structure signaled it could be a church. And yet, never ending bushes of colorful bougainvillea flowers made it appear like the entrance to a house.

We noticed street numbers, 290 and 770, not sure which one was currently active. But what really caught our attention was a black National Historical Institute marker, which shared an interesting story on the residence and a historic anecdote on the revolutionary force’s brief stronghold during the Philippine-American War. However, that is not our tale to tell.

The official inscription finally confirmed our suspicions – it was a home, the Bale Matua, meaning Founder’s Residence, and our destination for the day.

Past the gateway, we found ourselves in the midst of lush green ferns which signaled further vegetation, another wall comprised of aged stones – similar to what Spanish-era cathedrals are made of – wooden doors, iron grills, capiz windows and erstwhile dependable bangas which stored water in the olden days from deep wells and the rain – most likely the only sources of water back then.

By la gran escalera, Rosalie Henson Naguiat, a direct descendant of Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda who built the house in 1824 and founded Angeles City, greeted us. She has taken up the mantle to preserve, take care of and manage the house for future generations to experience.

She traced the family tree as we walked into the spacious sala. “The Fundador had three children. As his two sons were childless, the only daughter Juana, who was married to Mariano Vicente, inherited the founder’s house. She had two children, and her son, Jose P. Henson, succeeded as the next owner. Jose’s ninth child Vicente then inherited the house and bequeathed it to me, his eldest daughter,” she related.

We were visibly amazed by the overwhelming amount of artifacts. A grand piano dominated one side of the room, filled with ancient framed photographs of ancestors, possibly some ilustrados, including an image of a nun. What caught our eye were group shots of what seemed to be revolucionarios of Emilio Aguinaldo, most likely taken during their temporary stay.

Old books were stacked on various antique tables, along with a foregone rotary dial telephone, a grandfather clock and even a Madonna enclosed in a glass case.

Several aparadores and a timeworn altar were among the curiosities from days of yore, while china jars, silver candlesticks and crystal chandeliers all seemed to be functioning relics of the past.

We then got a glimpse of one of the bedrooms, which had two poster beds complete with canopies, as well as rocking chairs – as is customary – and a sturdy base of wooden planks for flooring.

And although the three-story, time-honored domicile – complete with entresuelo, living room, dining room, three main bedrooms, one maids’ quarters, a central kitchen, a kitchenette, two offices, library, storage, basement and even an attic – has remained almost the same for nearly 200 years, certain upgrades had to be done.

We were soon joined and entertained by Salie’s youngest son Lorenzo, a product of the Ateneo (Economics) and the University of the Philippines (Masters in Finance).

“The roof was previously thatched so my grandparents decided to install galvanized steel to reduce the risk of fires,” Enzo explained as he led us through the property.

“The entresuelo has been enlarged to host a working office, while the silong has been converted into a library. The azotea and the kitchen floors were made of wooden slats but because of deterioration, they were replaced with concrete slabs of Vigan tiles.”

We then caught a fragrant whiff from the busy kitchen, so we decided to settle in the dining room, at a long table covered with an embroidered mantel, lined with silver cutlery and solid crystal goblets and glasses, flanked by gentile carved seats.

We sat down for a hearty lunch of Bale Matua Heritage Dining, a reservations-only private get-together, where the Naguiats serve authentic Kapampangan food from treasured family recipes passed down through generations.

“My mother Salie organizes charity Pampanga tours, and lunch would always be held here. Due to its increasing popularity, we decided to make it a recurring occasion,” Enzo continued.

Today, he and his eldest brother Zig – the middle brother Gabe is an artist by profession – handle the non-kitchen and kitchen operations of the whole business, respectively, aided by their parents and household staff.

To start off our meal, we were served chicharon bulaklak, pork mesentery seasoned, boiled then deep fried to a crisp, topped with copious amounts of vinegar.

“It’s our most treasured dish and consequently, our most requested as well. We used to serve this when we had a small restobar called Ziggy’s, and it was the only appetizer customers talked about,” the two brothers shared.

Pako salad, made out of crisp, edible ferns, fresh tomatoes, onions and salted egg, drizzled with vinaigrette, followed by Sabo Suam, pureed local white corn and sili soup, demanded the full attention of our taste buds.

For the main course – a smorgasbord of treats – kindly bear with me. Deep fried hito with balobalo, extra crunchy catfish served with fermented rice and shrimps, best enjoyed with mustard leaves, or steamed eggplant and okra; lagat paro, peeled fresh shrimps sautéed in preserved crab fat and roe and sour kamias; asadong pugo at babi, an old family pride of dressed quail and pork belly simmered in garlic, tomato and soy sauce, garnished with olives; and the host’s favorite kilayin, chopped pork meat and innards slow-simmered with garlic and onion in a soy-vinegar mix.

And dessert did not disappoint. A choice of fresh fruits and tibok-tibok, a creamy carabao milk pudding, served with caramelized curds of coconut milk provided the flourish to our gastronomical exploration.

I asked Enzo about his earliest childhood memory of the home. “I was running around the kitchen as a child when the staff were preparing for a fiesta. I distinctly remember asking our late cook, Ate Medy, what the reddish-brown jello was. I found out it was clotted blood and was so grossed out!” he exclaimed.

“But since then, I have learned to love dinuguan,” he laughed.

Enzo likewise shared one of his fondest recollections. “As a kid, my Sundays were always booked as we had to drive from Manila so we could spend time with my lolo and lola, have fun with our relatives, all from six other families, while we appreciated excellent Kapampangan food.”

The day was absolutely an authentic trip back through time, which stimulated all five of my senses – and even perhaps touched my soul.

Looking forward, the brothers admit the biggest task at hand is to standardize all their recipes and their food preparation, as they plan to offer Bale Matua to a bigger public as a destination, both as a historical and a gastronomical center.

For more information, contact Bale Matua at 0939-873-3110, visit their website balematua.com, or their Facebook page facebook.com/BaleMatuaAngelesCity.