CAFE KAPITAN, Marikina, Rizal

CAFE KAPITAN RESTAURANT
Kap Moy Bldg., J.P. Rizal St.
Sta. Elena, Marikina City
Tel. 646-4303; 0918-933-7896

     Yes, this gorgeous 220+-year-old ancestral home of Don Laureano (Kap Moy) Guevara is where the Cafe Kapitan Restaurant is located, on the ground floor (the rest of the house is a cultural center for Marikina City). [He could be a relative, because my Grandma's maiden name is Guevara, and the family is from Marikina.] 
     Kap Moy is the "Father of the Shoe Industry," and this house (where he was born and raised, and is so full of history) was where the first shoe was made and the first shoe factory started. The house was commandeered by the Americans and the Japanese for use as headquarters during their respective occupations of the country. After the war, the building was used as a public elementary school (in fact, my Grandma on my Mom's side actually went there). Then, in 1994, the school was moved elsewhere, and the building was completely restored and renovated by then Mayor Bayani Fernando, for use as a cultural center for Marikina City. At the same time, restaurateurs John Lim and Aurora Lim were contracted to convert the left side of the ground floor into a top-of-the-line restaurant, to serve as a venue for government functions as well as be open to the public as a full-service restaurant. 

     The Lims owned the now-shuttered Panciteria Lim in Marikina, which was very popular at the time and, as it turns out, my Mom's family frequented the Panciteria a lot when she was young because their signature pancits (noodle dishes) were so good.

Mama and I had our photo taken with Aurora Lim who, with her husband John, owns and runs Cafe Kapitan. Mrs. Lim very graciously shared with us the above historical background of the house.

The main lobby as you enter the house -- Cafe Kapitan is on the left.

     In addition to the restaurant, Cafe Kapitan caters parties and banquets in their three rooms: the Dining Room (photos above) is the main restaurant and holds 50 people for parties; the Gallery holds up to 100 people; and the Piano Room holds 25, where a pianist will entertain dining guests on request. They have extensive party menus to choose from at very reasonable prices, with the dishes a nice mix of Filipino and Spanish choices. The Lims have done a superb job in renovating the interior of the restaurant, and in remaining faithful to the ancestral-home feel of the place. The paellera lamps overhead were a nice touch, a tribute to the restaurant's signature dish, the Paella. I have Cafe Kapitan on my list now for future group parties.

     A wishing well right inside the restaurant -- who would've thought? Mrs. Lim said her husband John remembered seeing a "balon" (well) inside the house when he was a kid, since this part of the house was also a laundry room and a stable in its many incarnations, but it had been filled with cement. They had the well dug and restored (note the beautiful, specially designed cast-iron arch) . The coins and bills in the well are of different currencies, attesting to the diversity of dining patrons.
     To my disappointment, we had discovered Cafe Kapitan toward the end of our food trip in Marikina (see my separate blog on this), after having had lunch already at a previous stop -- how I wished this had been our first stop because I really wanted to sample their Paella. Oh well . . . I ordered their Sotanghon Guisado (Sauteed Cellophane Noodles) just to be able to taste their cooking, and it did not disappoint -- it was moist and flavorful and didn't need any additional seasoning, neither patis (fish sauce) nor calamansi (local lime). My Mom ordered a dessert, the Blueberry Cheesecake, and it was delicious. I definitely will be back for the Paella!

     This was a very happy visit to Cafe Kapitan, and I'd like to end on an even happier note. We were admiring the artwork on the walls of the restaurant, and were thrilled to discover that three of the paintings (see below) were by an artist first cousin of mine!! [Congrats, Cherry!]

I would like to thank The Pinoy Foodie for featuring Marikina in their recent postings on youtube, and thanks much as well to Brod Philip, who shared the link to the videos -- I would not have discovered Cafe Kapitan otherwise!