ILOILO -- A meal at Camiña Balay Nga Bato is like stepping into a time machine at a dinner table. Not only does one get a serving of authentic heirloom Iloilo cuisine, one is also given a peek into Iloilo’s storied past.

One must try to visit the beautiful stone house when Luth Camiña, the 4th generation owner, is in residence. She is a treasure trove of information and anecdotes about the grand house made of stone.

The 150-year-old house was designed by the first parish priest of Molo, Anselmo Avancena, for Don Fernando Avanceño, who died a holy man healing the sick. It was then passed on from one family to another until it came under the Camiñas family.

Camiña persuaded the clan to open the house to the public. Since then the house has been awarded by the city of Iloilo for best adaptive reuse and it has been designated by the National Museum and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as an Important Cultural Property.

Camiña Balay Nga Bato is an underrated tourist attraction. I have never even heard of this restaurant before this visit, which was arranged by AirAsia. I’m glad I was able to soak in some culture and history in a place like this old stone house, which is a great place to visit for food, fhistory, and Camiña’s stories of Iloilo.

“Iloilo is a place where the past is always present. The Camiña Balay Nga Bato is a testament to conserving and preserving our heritage. All of this is for culture and the arts, and maybe redemption of Iloilo City as another tourist site,” she said.

The first floor of the house is home to a store selling gfood products and cooking accessories used in this unique restaurant. Tablea, suka, homemade sinamak, batirol for making tsokolate-eh, as well as native woven fabrics can be bought here. The rest of the floor has mementos such as the first grand piano in Iloilo and other antiques on display.

The second floor houses the living room and the dining room connected by a central landing. The sala mayor (living room) is typical of the architecture of that age. The room is airy with ventanas (big panoramic windows) allowing the circulation of cool air from the ventanilla (lower vents) up to the ventilacion (upper vents).

Camiña proudly gestured to points of interest around the room including European furniture probably shipped by sea via the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade, huge picture frames from the Paris World Expo around the turn of the century, muwebles from Vienna, and flotsam from typhoons painted by local artists.

It was definitely a major undertaking to restore the hourse and turn it into a place that welcomes the public. It is not only a restaurant, but also part of the current Camiña residence, giving it that warm lived-in feel instead of a foreboding sterile museum vibe.

As Camiña led diners to the dining room, she explained that the meal is patterned by the abre salon, Spanish custom events where houses are opened in the afternoons for food, dance and poetry.

The food served at the Camiña Balay Nga Bato reflects the cuisine of the Ilonggo as river people and Iloilo as one of the Philippines' great ports. The kitchen practices farm to table principles as the Camiñas get ingredients from their farm in Guimaras and nearby Jaro. They also consider themselves to be part of the slow food movement as some dishes take 12-hours to prepare.

Here's what you can expect here:

In my opinion, Camiña Balay Nga Bato is the definitive place to eat pancit Molo around Molo. The soup is rich and thick. The Molo dumpling is meaty and does not taste of the floury wrapper. Photo by author

Several dishes on the menu are healthy and vegetarian-friendly. Malabar Nightshade and Kulitis (baby spinach), traditionally harvested from the riverbank, are given simple preparations with just some onions and tomatoes to impart flavor. Photo by author

Ratotoy consists fried slices of eggplant with tomatoes and onions sprinkled with tinapa flakes. Photo by author

The Russian Waldorf Salad uses camote instead of apples. Photo by author

Hinanggop Salad can be mixed in with dilis for that a salty-vinegary appetizer. Photo by author

Fried shrimp with green onions -- just because an Ilonggo spread wouldn’t be complete without seafood. Photo by author

Grilled bangus sourced within Panay is very tasty because the fish is sourced from farmers who don’t use artificial growth enhancers. Photo by author

Bino-ug is the Karaya word for inihaw. Salt and pepper are used to season meat, which is skewered and then grilled on charcoal. Photo by author

Embutido de Arevalo is Camiña’s take on meatloaf. Tasty enough not to need ketchup or any sauce. Photo by author

Camiña’s Empanada Giring, scalloped empanada with Camiña’s own mix of savory fillings, harkens back to a time when these were served as a sign of the host’s wealth. Photo by author

If you like Pancit Canton, you’ll like Camiña’s Pancit Na Walang Sahog Photo by author

Camiña gives a couple of interesting options for rice. Red rice harvested from the Camiña farm in nearby Jaro is used in Kalkal Kalkal (Ilonggo for sinangag) Kalkaag (small shrimp) or KKK. Photo by author

Blue Ternate Rice, which is fluffier and an anti-oxidant, is also sourced from farms in Panay. Photo by author

Camiña Balay Nga Bato’s sinamak, or Ilonggo spiced vinegar, is sold at the store on the first floor. The vinegar is notable as this recipe and preparation does not emit strong odors. This is liberally spread around tables to accompany the emapanada and the Bino-ug. Photo by author

End the meal with a cup or two for Camiña’s Tsokolate-eh. Their version is thicker and a tad more bitter due to the high percentage of cacao in the homemade tablea. These are also available as part of a batirol set at the ground floor shop.Photo by author

The Camiña Balay Nga Bato is located at 20 Osmena St., Arevalo, Iloilo City. Buffet is available for a minimum of 10 people. Reservations must be made 3 days before. For more inquiries pls call 033-3363858.