LET ME TAKE you down memory lane.
It was the 1960s and Sampaguita Pictures of the Vera-Perezes was at the height of its supremacy in the local celluloid world.
Yes, the Sampaguita Pictures of the legendary star maker, Dr. Jose R. Perez, or simply Doc Perez, its honcho, and his scions, among them, the late Manay (a Bicolano term of endearment to an older woman—or sister—by blood or affinity) Ichu Vera-Perez Maceda—besides, the Veras are from Pandan, Cantanduanes—and former lawmaker Gina de Venecia whose wealth of cultural heritage is being passed on to their descendant Congressman Christopher de Venecia of Pangasinan but that’s another story.
The film kingdom at the time was heralded by Philippine Movie Kings Eddie Gutierrez and Romeo Vasquez and Queens Susan Roces and Amalia Fuentes, and princes Pepito Rodriguez, Dindo Fernando, Bert Leroy, Jr., Ramil Rodriguez and Edgar Salcedo and princesses Rosemarie Sonora, Loretta Marquez, Gina Pareno, Shirley Moreno and Blanca Gomez, damselsand lads, second fiddles all, collectively known as Stars ’66.
At the time, they were all prized possessions of the studio in Gilmore in Quezon City.
‘Standing across the wooden cinema was a restaurant where most moviegoers also bought their provisions … to be nibbled inside the theater while watching (movies) … to escape from harsh realities at that moment like looming hostilities in the social order echoing from imperial Manila. I recalled my kababayans calling the place Sampaguita Restaurant.’
THE RESTAURANT
Most of their movies were hits in the regional towns and provinces not excluding Lopez, Quezon.
At the center of Lopez town, along Real Street,was the Vilar Theater where most of Sampaguita Pictures’ releases were screened.
Standing across the wooden cinema was a restaurant where most moviegoers also bought their provisions (if my memory serves me right), like siopao or hopia or sinanday (local pretzels) to be nibbled inside the theater while watching “Mga Reyna Engkantada” of sisters Susan and Rosemarie or “Mga Batang Bakasyunista” of Stars ’66, to name just a few titles of fantasy and adventure genres enough to swoon over ideals of these demi-gods and goddesses or to escape from harsh realities at that moment like looming hostilities in the social order echoing from imperial Manila.
I recalled my kababayans calling the placeSampaguita Restaurant.
THE MOVIE OUTFIT
It might have been influenced as well by the popularity not only of the manufacturer of local movies but the fame and honor being attributed to the National Flower when grade schoolers like us at the time was required to memorize all the national symbols decorating the country when Order of National Artist was not yet enacted as a law—Narra as National Tree, Anahaw as National Leaf, Bangus as National Fish, Tinikling as National Dance and so on and so forth.
But I vividly remembered the colloquial name of the resto—Lim Tong—its tables and backrests tall and wide, one could hide off with secret dates.
Yes, it’s more popularly known as Lim Tong than Sampaguita.
Oh! Lim Tong was a picturesque gourmet shop of the olden days like romantic images of lovers sipping soft drinks from one straw or a heroine defying conventions etc. oozing from the silver platter, err, screen.
The Chinese moniker was most probably derived from the Chinese ancestry of the owners of the place, the Lees whose progeny include Elsa Lee Pangaruy, Helen Lee Dinglasan and Carlito Lee.
Lim Tong was the go-to resto if one wanted to order and savor their specialty—Chinese noodles or pancit (miki or bihon or mixed), a dish very authentically Lim Tong especially hotly served or taken home, its sauce mouth-watering.
It was and still is a masterpiece like no other with a little culinary tweak here and there.
BUSINESS AWARD
At the time, there were other eateries that catered to the taste buds of Lopenzes or Lopensenos (depends on what you want to call a native of Lopez because they’re both appropriate although there are disagreements or debates on the correct and official reference to a Lopez resident).
Anyway, there was Cozy Nook by the Mascardos, Zurbano’s Halu-Halo which was to die for, Celebrity by the Tardecillas, to name only a few.
Most of them were patronized by the whole town.
When they faded into oblivion and there’s amushrooming of countryside food hubs, Sampaguita Restaurant, despite its successive location transfers, has prevailed.
No wonder it was recently awarded the Longest Running Business (restaurant) in Quezon by theQuezon Business Awards in Lucena City.