Reminder from Doreen and Wili

By Noel Galon de Leon

As an Ilonggo, I often find myself reflecting on what it truly means that Iloilo has been recognized as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. We proudly celebrate our culinary heritage. We promote our batchoy, pancit molo, kansi, fresh seafood, and countless local delicacies. We invite tourists to experience our food culture and proudly claim that food is part of our identity.

But sometimes I wonder: are we listening enough to the lessons of those who came before us?

According to Doreen and Wili Fernandez in their article, “The Ideal and Its Parts,” published in The Manila Chronicle on November 7, 1968, the ideal restaurant is not simply one that serves good food. It is a place where excellent food, warm service, and pleasant ambiance come together to create a memorable experience. Yet their most powerful insight was perhaps the simplest one: diners will often forgive many shortcomings if the food is truly exceptional.

More than half a century later, their words still challenge us.

Today, many restaurants invest heavily in aesthetics. Social media has changed the way people dine. We see establishments spending fortunes on interior design, elaborate lighting, themed decorations, and carefully curated Instagram corners. Menus become photo props. Plates become canvases. Dining rooms become studios for content creation.

There is nothing inherently wrong with that.

However, according to Doreen and Wili, the heart of a restaurant remains the food itself. They wrote that the food must be “outstanding, something that you can’t get elsewhere; something that makes the trip, the time, and effort worthwhile.”

That statement should resonate deeply with us Ilonggos.

Because if we are honest, UNESCO recognition alone does not guarantee culinary greatness. Awards do not season the food. Titles do not improve recipes. International recognition does not automatically create memorable dining experiences.

The real question is this: Are we giving people a reason to return?

According to Doreen and Wili, a restaurant’s success is measured not by publicity but by loyalty. In their article, they described See Kee, a modest restaurant in Chinatown. It lacked elegance. It had little atmosphere. Parking was difficult. Service was ordinary. Yet customers returned night after night because the food was remarkable.

That observation feels almost provocative today.

Many modern businesses focus intensely on attracting first-time customers. Marketing campaigns, influencers, grand openings, and social media advertisements create excitement. But how many establishments are equally committed to earning a second visit? A third? A tenth?

As an Ilonggo, I believe this is the challenge we must confront.

We often speak about preserving our culinary heritage, but preservation requires more than nostalgia. It requires discipline. It requires consistency. It requires cooks, chefs, restaurant owners, and food entrepreneurs to maintain standards every single day.

According to Doreen and Wili, there is no formula for the ideal restaurant. Success comes from the right combination of many elements. Service matters. Ambiance matters. Presentation matters. Comfort matters. Yet they remind us that food remains the foundation upon which everything else stands.

Without exceptional food, all the decorations in the world become meaningless.

This is a difficult truth that many food businesses need to hear.

A beautiful dining room cannot compensate for bland flavors. An attractive logo cannot replace authenticity. Viral social media posts cannot substitute for culinary excellence. Customers may visit because of curiosity, but they return because of satisfaction.

As residents of a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, we should be especially careful not to confuse recognition with achievement. The UNESCO title is not a trophy to display. It is a responsibility to uphold.

It challenges us to continuously ask whether we are honoring the traditions that earned us that distinction in the first place.

Are we serving food with integrity?

Are we respecting local ingredients?

Are we preserving authentic flavors?

Are we prioritizing substance over appearance?

These questions may be uncomfortable, but they are necessary.

The wisdom of Doreen and Wili remains surprisingly relevant because they understood something timeless about human nature. People remember how food made them feel. They remember flavors that transported them. They remember dishes that justified the journey, the wait, and the expense.

Long after the decorations are changed and the trends have faded, what remains is memory.

A bowl of soup that comforts.

A seafood dish that captures the freshness of the sea.

A family recipe that tells a story.

A meal that becomes part of someone’s life.

That is what great restaurants create.

And perhaps that is the most important reminder Doreen and Wili offer us today.

According to Doreen and Wili, perfection may be impossible. No restaurant can excel in every aspect. Yet the establishments that endure are those that understand what truly matters.

For us Ilonggos, and for every food owner who proudly operates in a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, their message should serve as both inspiration and warning.

Inspiration, because excellence is still within reach.

Warning, because recognition alone is never enough.

If we want Iloilo’s culinary reputation to thrive for generations, we must focus not merely on being seen, but on being remembered.

And people remember great food.

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Noel Galon de Leon is a writer and professor at the University of the Philippines Visayas, where he teaches in the Division of Professional Education and at UP High School in Iloilo. He is also the Secretary of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts-National Committee on Literary Arts.