Good vibes with a good pig

WE'VE had quite a few good times dining in rather sleepy Marikina, but aside from the odd lugawan, two of our standout experiences were in private dining rooms: at 61 Orange for a birthday party, and, on a professional basis, Mr. Cochinillo.

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Former photographer Tinee de Guzman originally invited just a team from another publication for dinner on Nov. 16. When the pair found out that they had to finish off one of Mr. De Guzman’s cochinillos by themselves — a whole suckling pig which is good for between six to eight diners — the invitation list just grew longer and longer (part of the draw for us was an outlet that sold traditional Tlokano fabric, inabel, next to Mr. Cochinillo; a story for another day). While cochinillo is often best enjoyed at home, Mr. De Guzman opened his own tasting room in Marikina, just in case.

It’s this element of surprise that shapes Mr. De Guzman’s approach. While he grew up around people who liked food, as a photographer he would also learn from chefs while he shot pictures of their food, on commission from magazines in the city. In his own photography studio, he built a brick oven to amuse and feed guests (saying he “threw anything” in there). When someone wanted to rent the studio for a party, wanting to get the account, Mr. De Guzman bluffed his way into catering it with recipes picked up from work. One of these was cochinillo — which, quite frankly, he had not made yet when this happened back in 2012.