“If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself” was the driving principle behind Danica Harder’s new restaurant. Mita’s, which expanded this January to a stall near Rizal Avenue, addressed two of her needs—to honor her mother and to finally bring the taste of authentic Iloilo batchoy to Palawan.
“Miss ko talaga yung totoong taste ng batchoy. So nung nandito ako, pag nagki-crave ako wala akong mapuntahan, na-try ko na yung mga batchoyan dito pero walang close sa authentic taste,” she said.
Iloilo-born and raised, Danica grew up on the intense flavors of the local dishes that her mother, Mita, prepared at home. She recalled her mother moving to Palawan in the ’90s to take care of their seafood supply business, and shortly after, Danica followed her onto the shores.
While she took over the business and raised her children, she found that there was still something missing. She had gone out to enjoy batchoy only to find it lacking that specific flavor she was used to.
Palawan’s supply of herbs and spices was different, and while they had their specialty, she acknowledged that only homegrown ingredients were the best.
“Yung miki namin tsaka puto galing talaga sa Iloilo. Tsaka may ingredient kami sa batchoy at kansi na doon lang namin kinukuha. At sa bago naming menu, yung KBL—yung kajos—doon namin kinukuha,” she added.
Batchoy and kansi were Mita’s specialties, cooked with a recipe she brought and developed from Iloilo. However, their seafood dishes were supplied fresh from their stock in Palawan, as she stated that they were already of high quality and needed no substitution.
Danica set up the first iteration of Mita’s right outside their home, which soon became a hotspot for foodies in the city who sniffed out authentic batchoy. These loyal customers soon followed Mita’s move to ADM Bazaar by Kaia Isabelle Hotel at Junction Rizal, bringing along their friends to enjoy the open space.
“Kasi yung mga customers nagsasabi na medyo liblib yung lugar namin… Yung iba nahihirapan maghanap kung saan kami, so nag-ask sila kung pwede sa bayan. Nakita ko na affordable ito,” she said, gesturing to her hole-in-the-wall stall at ADM Bazaar near Kaia Isabelle Hotel.
She stated that her most intimidating customers were fellow Ilonggos, who grew up with the same flavor profile that Danica was used to.
“May challenging statement pa minsan na ‘Oh, talaga ba? Authentic ba talaga?’ Kaya nga minsan nape-pressure ako kapag customer Ilonggo kasi may comparison sila,” she said.
Mita’s was a curated experience of simplicity. Danica stated that she did not seek out other spots with higher traffic, such as malls, because the hot soup would get cloudy, and the marrow would coagulate on the surface. However, she said that customers found what they sought in her stall—a hot and tasty meal.
Mita’s was a manifestation of Danica’s principles in life—eat when hungry, honor your parents and ancestry, feed your people, and enjoy what life has to offer on the table. She insisted that people eat their batchoy while it’s still hot.
She said that in the future, she intended to pass this on to her children. Danica, as a dialysis patient, has control over what she consumes. And, as much as possible, she wanted to leave a legacy for her children to inherit and cultivate on their own.
“I’m a living testimony that life is short… Mga classmates ko… they’re wondering why highly functional ako. (…) I want to let others know that dialysis is not the end of the world. (…) The business is me. Providing jobs, marking my existence. Living my purpose. Enjoying life, because twice I’ve cheated death,” she stated.
Those wanting to taste Mita’s Iloilo batchoy can visit ADM Bazaar by Kaia Isabelle Hotel, near Rizal Avenue Junction, or download the HappyApp delivery, Backride app, and Keifers and order from there.
