It’s Happy Ongpauco-Tiu’s 20th year in the food industry this March. To celebrate this milestone, she has come up with her grandest project to date.

The chef-restaurateur will launch The Dining Room, a potential game-changer in the metro’s flourishing private dining scene.

With more chefs and home-based cooks trying to get a piece of this finicky market, Ongpauco-Tiu wanted to offer something new that would separate her from the pack.

“When I got into this business, I had a selection of plates, silverware and table accessories my client and I could choose from,” she said. “I think I was the first in Manila to do that.”

She added: “Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of people do this as well. But always wanting to be different, I came up with a dining room menu. At least, I have one extra something I can offer that no one else has. Well, for now.”

She has dining rooms guests can pick from in San Juan, Roxas Boulevard and Makati.

“Before, I would always do it in people’s homes,” she recalled. “But then, I would get inquiries from friends and customers who lived in condominiums and didn’t have enough space for entertaining. Now they can just choose from my roster of rooms.”

Family-owned spaces

Having grown up with parents who loved to throw parties, she had access to family-owned spaces that haven’t been used lately, since her folks have become more laid back. She renovated some parts of the rooms and is renting them for private dining.

The Manila property has a piano bar and dining room that can accommodate a maximum of 20 persons.

In San Juan, there are three to choose from—a dining room for up to 50 seats, a plate room and a piano bar.

In the Salcedo place, which is available only at night—at daytime it’s her food hall, carrying all her brands—a solitary room can comfortably fit 40.

These dining rooms are great party venues. For intimate occasions such as wedding proposals, as few as two guests are allowed.

The Dining Room also has a farm house in Tagaytay—but without walls—offering scenic views of the lake and volcano.

Upon selecting the space and location, the client selects the menu. She has set menus— Filipino, Spanish, Indian, Moroccan, Chinese and French— but Ongpauco-Tiu can customize it to the client’s choices. Recently, she prepared a Russian dinner for a book club that was reviewing a story set in Russia.

Another time, she cooked a Turkish brunch for an intimate corporate event.

List of pianists, singers

Upon selection of the venue and menu, she and her team draw a short list of items that would suit the client’s theme—from cutlery, candleholders, vases and placemats to the uniforms of servers. She also has a list of pianists and singers  for  the piano bar.

What she’s offering is a choose-your-own dining experience, including a floralscape.

Her plate collection includes Hermès, Seletti, Bernardaud, Spode and Fornasetti, BenCab, Amorsolo, Aleth Ocampo and Aranaz.

All this isn’t really an expensive affair, said Ongpauco-Tiu: “The cost depends mainly on the menu. You can eat on fine porcelain and have the cheapest menu. Bonus na lang yung experience. What I’m promoting in this business is tapping all the senses. We’re flexible and can work within a budget.”

Though busy with her businesses (she’s opening a restaurant in Palawan) and raising a family, Ongpauco-Tiu finds time to be involved in each of her clients’ events.

“It is my passion,” she said, “something I enjoy. It’s different from running a restaurant, which is structured. In private dining, every occasion is different. But it’s very exciting. It makes my creativity run and inspires me to study and learn more.” –CONTRIBUTED

www.happyconceptgroup.com; tel. 0917-8990461