Portia Dee Baluyut
Everyone has a dream.
For me, it was to run my own restaurant. I started my professional career in the mighty corporate world of advertising. For a few years, I invested my time and energy into it – even putting up and running my own ad agencies with the help of some partners. The business thrived but I realized the calling for my other passion was too strong to ignore. In fact, it runs in my blood – so surely I could not escape it.
I grew up watching my grandma Felicitas Dee, or Lola Chit to her fondest friends and family, cook up a great menu for everyone to enjoy. Lola Chit had a passion for good food. She certainly loved entertaining guests, whipping up her own signature recipes, making sure all are part of the celebration. She became known in Marikina for her warm hospitality and mouth-watering cuisine.
To this day, Lola Chit remains to be an inspiration to me and the rest of the Dees – leaving the legacy of love for cooking and entertaining, whether it be for family, friends or guests who come to our home.Just a few months back, my mom and business partner Stephanie Dee-Baluyut made this family legacy live on while helping me make my dream come true.Being an artist, my mom was inspired by the idea of putting up an artsy, rustic-style restaurant within our family compound – just like the way Lola Chit welcomed guests in our home. It was perfect. The Dee compound had the makings of a beautiful “one-with-nature” outdoor café, with its decades-old trees standing proudly on the ancestral grounds, the sprawling vines and the cool breeze naturally setting the rustic mood of the place.
And so it happened.
From just accepting personal orders (for specialty dishes), this dream became known today as ISABELO. Named after the street at which it is located, ISABELO, whose direct translation means “My God is Bountiful”, has become a cozy, “feels-like-home” garden restaurant where everyone and anyone can bask in the artistic warm ambience while enjoying abundant good food. My mom, Ever-ingenious and creative that she is, even added a few personal touches for the ultimate ISABELO look and feel. She stylized the place using mementos and antiques from the Dee family collection, putting a little piece of the family’s history in every nook and cranny of the place.
ISABELO was built on faith and love, and these very things are what my mom and I would like everyone to experience and share every time they dine with us.From simple gatherings to grand celebrations, ISABELO sets the mood for everyone to find joy in good food and great company among friends and family.
Come and have a wonderful ISABELO moment with us!
Welcome to our lola's home.
