Walking up to Irenia restaurant – named after the chef’s grandmother – in downtown Santa Ana, I was struck by the hand-written chalkboard signage just outside the door “modern filipino cuisine” a curious concept given this sunny but chilly Southern California afternoon. What I was looking for was heat to counteract the outdoor chill, and that’s exactly what I received in the form of the hot mani (peanut) appetizers – spicy and sweet – unlike I’d ever tasted, and the Baguio cocktail ripe with the subtle taste of lemon and the lingering heat from the Tanduay rum. Yum Yum.
The Philippines is not the first place one would think of, when they think of rum, but the origins of Tanduay Rum, can be traced back to a 19th century Philippine distillery in the province of Bulacan (Tanduay Distillers). I clearly tasted that centuries-old process refinement in the cocktail. Smooth and balanced with just enough grittiness for a punch. Yum rum.
Their lunch menu did speak to the notion that yes these were typical Philippine dishes, but with crazy bold flavors that were, at least to me, unexpected and pleasantly surprising. Take for instance the pork adobo bowl, which I received with a semi-runny fried egg on top. Gratifying. This was delicious pork adobo, fatty and crunchy in just the right places; but the unexpected surprise came in the form of the collard greens which were so vinegary, they challenged my taste buds of what typically goes with pork adobo.
That in-your-face type of taste profile has been indicative of the newer chefs coming out of So Cal, and so for this reason, Irenia lives up to every word: “modern Filipino cuisine” with a bit of soul.
400 N. Broadway, Santa Ana; (657) 245-3466; ireniarestaurant.com
Bess Emano Walden 
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