The legacy of empanada kaliskis

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CASA DAZA EMPANADA A petite, crispy empanada filled with various sweet or savory stuffings

It was the late ’50s in UP Diliman. My mom was a teacher at the home economics department. Because she was an employee of the university, we were given a house to stay in on campus, in Area 14. She worked at the Vinzons Hall, where there was a cafeteria serving students of the university. One of the employees then was a gentleman named Santos Buena. He came from Bulacan and taught the kitchen staff what today is the famous empanadang kaliskis. It was a tiny, crispy, oily but super delicious empanada with a stuffing of ground pork and beef with some cheese and raisins. It was a merienda best-seller at the cafeteria. This is where our family was first exposed to what my mom felt was a winning product.

Fast forward to 1975. My mom, Nora, was requested to spearhead a restaurant in New York City. The restaurant, called Maharlika, was put up not necessarily to make money but to promote the Philippines through our food and culture (it was martial law then). At night, we had the Bayanihan show for the foreign diners. It was a most colorful and amazing show with good-looking men and dancers who were also models. From Manila, my mom brought good-looking college graduates as waiters and waitresses. That restaurant became such a success that it was named one of the top 50 restaurants of New York. She also brought our best kitchen staff from our French restaurant Au Bon Vivant and our Philippine restaurant Galing Galing. One of those she brought to this bustling city was Santos Buena with his now-famous empanada kaliskis. My mom had foresight and knew this item would click. Many of our cooks learned how to make the empanada. But during those days, the size was still tiny. That empanada became the talk of the town for a while. It then disappeared for decades.

When we opened Casa Daza restaurant in UP Town Center, one of our cooks, Bernard, who had learned to make it from us, made it, and when I tried it, something clicked in my mind. I knew we had a winner here. The recipe was standardized, I created various flavors, and I made sure the quality was consistent. My son Franco, who was then working for us, was assigned to set up empanada stalls all over the metropolis. At that time, the empanada didn’t seem like it would show promise. I thought otherwise. From trial and error on location, we realized what market we had to focus on. Franco started the empanada stalls in malls all over. From the response, we learned where and what market would accept our empanadas. When it clicked, all attention turned to our empanada. When COVID closed the restaurant, we zeroed in on a product that we felt could go places. And it has.

Today, we have over 20 branches all over Metro Manila, and all are doing very well. Some families have claimed the empanada recipe came from them. I disagree, for I know the origin of this empanada. Santos Buena from Bulacan started it all. We just changed the size, the filling, and made sure it was not as oily as the original one. Our best seller is still the original flavor of pork and beef. The empanada kaliskis is still made in Bulacan. You may still find it there. Our empanada has become so famous and such a hit that my sister Stella sells dozens of it every day in her store, Tindahan, in Richmond, British Columbia in Canada. The maker is Bernard’s brother, Arnulfo “Jun Jun” Clutario, whom she brought from Manila. Jun has become her treasure for this empanada and other dishes. My sister’s store of Pinoy food is thriving. One of her best sellers is her empanadas.

What Santos Buena started in the late ’50s has become a popular Pinoy snack with various fillings like chicken, tuna, corned beef, humba, vegetarian, etc. All these flavors are creations of Casa Daza.

I would also like to give credit to my eldest, Franco, who started setting up stalls in many malls all over. When we started, the empanada was not given too much attention, until it became a hit. Then all focus shifted to our empanada that Franco first promoted.

If you’ve never tried these, I suggest you experience them. Today, we have delicious siopao, cuapao and flying saucer adobo too. On the way is an authentic Vietnamese banh mi. This is a must-try. If you’ve tried the real banh mi in Saigon, taste mine with the empanada when it comes out!

Happy eating!

Join the Korea food tour from June 2 to 7, or the Hokkaido, Japan food tour from July 6 to 12. For inquiries, contact Melody at 0917-624-2819 or email [email protected].
Follow Sandy Daza’s blog at sandydaza.blogspot.com and on Twitter at @sandydaza.