Row5Bulalo: Something New & Reinvigorating at Feliciana

"One of Naga City's well kept secret is not secret anymore. Feliciana is simply the favorite of many discerning diners in the Heart of Bicol." 

Sometime in November of 2023, I wrote a comment in Facebook about my favorite restaurant in Naga City.  It felt good and it felt true. 

Location of Feliciana.  A stone throw away from Naga City Hall. 

With its newly renovated premises along Dover Street, which is just a stone's throw away from Naga City Hall, more and more diners are able to enjoy the good food of Feliciana and more and more jaded reviewers are taking notice (even before the renovation).  Here are a sample of the comments from reviewers:

Indeed, Feliciana has gone a long way from when it was started by owner Bella. The establishment,  constructed in Nov 2015, began as an alfresco dining spot adjacent to a garden in front of a house within Naga City's residential area.  Named after the owner's grandmother, Feliciana saw it's inception under Bella's leadership, with assistance from sisters Richie and Eden in developing the menu, managing the kitchen operations, and overseeing dining services. Support from Dave and Mama Agnes, the owner's mother-in-law, was instrumental in realizing the concept.  Subsequent renovations occurred in 2018, followed by major renovations in 2022 to accommodate more patrons.            

The common narrative of what makes Feliciana a go-to restaurant in Naga City is becoming clear:  great ambiance;  accommodating waiters & chef; and, of course, delicious food selection. Feliciana is developing a brand for itself. That brand is fusion. The people behind Feliciana articulated about it:

"Like its dishes, the restaurant is a fusion of different cultures from around the world, being held together by its roots of Bicolano culture. The restaurant values family culture, as it is an establishment managed closely by a family. Feliciana also values the food's aesthetic, making sure that each dish is being served with a delectable taste and ravishing appearance."    

Speaking of food selection, my favorite in Feliciana starts with the appetizers  which include the crowd-favorite Crab Mango Wrap and   Gambas (cooked in garlic-infused olive oil),  and the main entrees which  include succulent signature Baby Back Ribs,  tastiest grilled Norwegian Salmon,   crackling Crispy Pata Kare-kare, flavorful beef Pot Roast, and meaty Pinakbet with Bagnet.  For desserts, highly recommended is the cassava pudding with ice cream, mango and pili flakes.    

Delectable Taste & Ravishing Appearance:  Bicolano Penguin's Top 8 meals (before Row5Bulalo) in Feliciana 

Now, as we approach Valentine's Day this year 2024, there is something new coming out of Feliciana.  It is a new dish and Bicolano Penguin (BP) learned about it via a text message last week from Bella, who is a running friend with  row5running.   

Text from Bella to the BP a week ago.  

Finally, my favorite restaurant in Bicol will be adding Bulalo to their great collection of dishes.  I felt ecstatic.  Why?  First, bulalo is a favorite staple of us runners. Second, having a meal named after our running club is such an honor.  How many running clubs or running groups out there in the world can say that a meal is named  after them?

Members of Row5Running on a practice run on the hills of Baao (circa 2015). 

Let me repeat.  Bulalo is a favorite staple of us runners. Particularly by the marathoners and ultra marathoners.  Running long distances (42 kms or more), and the training for it, needs a lot of essential nutrients and vitamins for recovery.  This Filipino dish is named after its main ingredient: the Bulalo, which is the Filipino word for beef shank.  This part of the beef is collagen-rich. According to the Australian blog Nourish Me Organics , the benefits of beef collagen include improving muscle strength and helping with joint pains. Bulalo is a good source of Zinc, Vitamin B12, Selenium, Vitamin K and Phosphorus.  Plus, it is a good source of proteins (26% of DV/100g).  No doubt, Bulalo is one of the more reinvigorating meals out there.      

The front of Feliciana 

So it is with much excitement that I passed by Feliciana in Naga City yesterday on my way back to Manila to taste this new offering of Feliciana.  At past 8pm Sunday, the restaurant was still full of dining customers when I entered.  All the tables in the main dining area were taken; a clear sign that Feliciana has a growing loyal customer base.  A waitress approached me and inquired if I had a reservation. I had none but after telling her of my purpose, one of the side rooms was made available for my Row5Bulalo tasting. 

Chef Bella with her newest creative expressions:  Row5Bulalo 

A smiling diner is a happy customer.  BP with Eden and Bella.  

Verdict on the Row5Bulalo:  it did not disappoint. The Row5Bulalo is now part of my Top 9 meals in Feliciana.  It was tasty as I expected and then some.  

First I love the smell of bulalo. The smell is a signal of the delectable gastronomic experience to come.  The Row5Bulalo has that alluring smell. True to its Feliciana DNA,  the Row5Bulalo has that ravishing look, ready to be devoured. 

And devoured the Row5Bulalo I did.  At the start, I was looking for a knife but there was none included with the spoon and fork. Did not anymore bothered to bother the waitresses for a knife as they were all busy attending to the other guests in the main dining area.  I figured the Bulalo meat  was not hard and that it did not need a knife. And it was not hard, but instead was tender and soft (not overly soft). It was good to the bite: the laman part and the litid part. One of the tastiest bulalo I have partaken, and I have had the good fortune of tasting bulalo from a wide range of places like Taal, Tagaytay, Manila, Angeles, Lucena, San Pablo, Daet, Daraga, Baao, Polangui, and Sorsogon City, even the Pochero  version  in Cebu and the Cansi version in Bacolod & Iloilo.  The Row5Bulalo is  tasty to the max that I even had to use my hands (kinamay) to hold the beef shank so that I am able to get at all the meat and ligaments it contained.   

I had to ask Bella, who aside from being the owner is also the lead chef of Feliciana, what is the secret to Row5Bulalo's delicious  provenance. She shared that a key to the tastiness of Row5Bulalo is where they source the beef.  Feliciana sources its beef from a local supplier from a neighboring place near Naga City. Also, the attention to detail in the boiling and simmering of the broth. 

The Bicolano Penguin is one happy customer of Feliciana and its Row5Bulalo. And it all boils down, no pun intended, to Bella and her team's stated purpose of fulfilling the cravings of Feliciana's guests with care and creativity.  This sense of purpose cuts deep with Bella, as deep as her love for jazz which is the featured music background in Feliciana.

More power and more customers for Feliciana and all that celebration of  creativity.