This Restaurant Will Let You Have an Authentic Taste of Cavite Heritage

This Restaurant Will Let You Have an Authentic Taste of Cavite Heritage

They now deliver!
by Danielle Faye Conda Dimas | July 31, 2020

Cavite is a province with a heroic history. One of its famed cities, Trece Martires, is not only home to rich Filipino history and culture, but also to an illustrious restaurant that promises a taste of authentic Filipino cuisine. Cavite Republic will not only fill your bellies with good food but will also feed your eyes with their warm and cozy interior, which brings homey traditional feels.

“Cavite Republic started in 2000, due to my dad’s intense desire of putting up a historic landmark in the heart of Cavite,” says Chef Matt Pacumio, owner of Cavite Republic. After playing around with various concepts such as grill and buffet-style, Chef Matt and his team eventually found success in casual fine dining. With their demographic’s age ranging from 25 to 34, it is a constant challenge to produce an enticing menu for their target market. “It’s really about how we cope with the market, and how we make food appealing to the millennial.”

One of their bestsellers that Chef Matt’s very proud to share with us is Paella.

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Savory and festive, that’s how we start the week. Grab your Paella Valenciana now 🍴

A post shared by Cavite Republic Restaurant (@caviterepublic) on Mar 8, 2020 at 11:28pm PDT

“Forte ko talaga ‘yung Paella,” he shared. Having been exposed to the culinary scene in Spain, Chef Matt embraces the similarities of Spanish cuisine with Filipino. He introduced his take on Paella to their market and was surprised to see how well it was received by their patrons. Chef and his team found their Paella perfect for what millennials are looking for – different colors, textures, and flavors in just one dish. Cavite Republic’s Paella selections are tasty and rich in flavor because of how it is cooked. They cook the rice with seafood broth so that all flavors are absorbed from within.

Cavite Republic takes into account how diversified the tastes of their patrons are, and how challenging it is for their survival. “Kase from the data na nakuha namin, 1,500 restos open every year and 500 of them close. Ang laking percentage,” he said. From here, they knew the only way to survive is to be unique. Despite being known for their creative menu, Cavite Republic is proud that they never go astray. “What I mean is when I say Filipino cuisine kami, I stay to the roots of Filipino. ‘Di ba, I try to augment Spanish, seafood flavors in it, but still, within the context of Filipino cuisine,” he added. They seek to serve something new that’s going to be enjoyable, different, and experiential, without sacrificing the essence of Filipino cuisine.

The same goes for their unique heritage dishes, Pansit Estacion Negra and Cavite Express.

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Our Pancit Estacion Negra’s anatomy! It’s all about fresh homemade ingredients and lots of love. Drop by and experience what Cavite Republic has to offer!

A post shared by Cavite Republic Restaurant (@caviterepublic) on Mar 7, 2018 at 9:01pm PST

Pansit Estacion Negra tops other Filipino pansit because of its varying flavors. Cavite Republic serves their original version of this Pinoy delicacy that other restaurants cannot rival. One unique ingredient to their version is squid ink.

Meanwhile, Cavite Express is a dish consisting of braised jackfruit in coconut oil. With its use of authentic Cavite ingredients such as tinapa, it’s the perfect example of a reimagined yet truly Pinoy dish.

But more than the food they serve, Cavite Republic offers a satisfying overall experience—complete with the Cavite ambiance and hospitality. “Most important factor is about all the five senses working together as one,” Chef Matt said. The smell and taste, the warmth and homey vibe… from the service, down to the ambience, from how the dish looks, to how it tastes, Cavite Republic holds a promising dining experience that celebrates our culinary heritage.