WHAT EATING AT ROSE CAFE WILL TEACH YOU

March 15, 2025 Opinion

FOR locals, the lure of Rose Cafe will haunt you when pangs of hunger attack and visions of a steaming plate of their infamous guisado
torments. If you do not know what I am talking about then you must live on the wrong side of town, confined to the walls of fast-food restos and lazy meals peppered with MSG which makes you think what you are eating is actually tasty. The cramped space does not give much elbow room for diners but no one seems to care, the floor is dirtied with tissues and cannot be swept as a steady stream of hungry customers come in throngs… yes, I am being literal.

As you eat, customers in waiting will ogle at you as they stand in anticipation of our last bite, taking your chair as soon as you stand up, not caring if your dirty dishes are still at the table. Rose Cafe does not discriminate by gender, religion and social class, in their establishment everyone is equal, the good, the bad, the beautiful and yes, even the ugly, que and wait for their turn. You will not feel odd, standing there
waiting for your turn to eat and sit down because it is the way of life there. You will fit in.

There is only a handful of staff who will give out food, take orders and clean tables but, it is okay, you will gladly help them, just to assure that you can have your food at the earliest possible time. Only at Rose Cafe will you realize that what is important is not the number of people in your life but the quality of their presence. Yes, someone to ask you what you want, bring it to you and then you pay for it. Simple.
The menu is not complicated; there are less than 7 items of choice and they go with free soup which is not as astounding as you would
imagine but it tastes like heaven when you have it paired with whatever you order.

They give you a small sauce bin for crushed chilies and calamansi while on the table bottles of soy, patis and pepper is free for the taking, you can drink it if you are weird enough, for all they care, but be sure not to waste it. Again, at this hole in the wall resto, which begs of paint and a re- grouting of tiles, you will find all that you want and need on their menu, you will not get confused with choices, making you stand by your decision and be eternally happy with it. The kitchen is in plain view, with pots, pans and dishes everywhere, but again no one cares if all is in disarray.

All people want to do is eat. At Rose Cafe, What is essential is not invisible to the naked eye, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s quotes will not
matter in this place, as what you see is what you get. And for the top three rules to live by at Rose Cafe and in life…

1. Patience – Orders will take 15 to 30 minutes as the pentel penned sign states, its plastered on the wall, so it’s official. You know what you
have gotten yourself into once you arrive.

2. Keep it Clean – There is a hoard of people waiting to be seated, politely waiting for you to finish, it is but proper to stack your plates in order, to make the job of the staff easier… and you will notice, this is the common practice of most everyone who dines there.

3. Don’t complain – No one is seen angry at Rose, all who come are prepared to wait for their turn to be seated and then after, wait again for the table to be cleaned, then wait again for the food to arrive. No one is seen to be impatient. Soup will be given to you when your spot
at the table is cleaned, signaling you are next in the queue of food orders. You may have refills of the hot soup as you await the food of your choice. Three simple rules to live by if and when you are at Rose Cafe, where life is uncomplicated, unpretentious and fulfilling. What more can you want … really.