This beautiful 1930s heritage home in Davao is transformed into a traditional Filipino restaurant that serves regional cuisine
Walking into Tola, a traditional Filipino restaurant set in an ancestral Davao home, transports one to an idle time in the history of the province. The imposing 90-year-old wooden structure known as Balay Oboza is a familiar sight to locals, and the low-key VIP that comes to town. Built in the 1930s by Alfonso Oboza, the first municipal mayor of Davao, its framed windows peer out to a polished garden that evokes simpler afternoons spent with family and friends, the porch (now enclosed in an air-conditioned room) giving prime view of the comings and goings along Rizal Street below.
Tola perfectly exudes a blend of comfort and refinement. Of course, its intricate ipil arches and fine yakal staircase lend enduring warmth to the ambiance, but there’s a touch of sophistication in its interiors, too, that yet stand out in the laidback southern aesthetic.
Owner Chris Pamintuan reveals that it is none other than design curator Isabel Lozano’s style that comes through in this modern arrangement. In the lush indoor foliage and luxurious velvet pillows on hard wood throughout the restaurant, Isabel has exacted an organic feel that makes the ancestral home come alive. Chris and his partners have stolen the Director of Hospitality of the Antonio’s Group for almost a month now, leading up to the soft opening of Tola on September 19. Aside from interiors, Isabel has been working with the kitchen and staff to ensure excellent guest service.
