Gimikan
SAVORY (1950)
Main Branch: 201 Escolta Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila
Tel. no. 243-0336
Open from 9 a.m. to 12 midnight daily
Savory was established in the 1950s by Tony Ting, together with his brothers, Mariano, José and Vicente. They originated from Fujian, China. Before the war, they opened Tops Café in Binondo which later became Savory in post-Liberation. Their best seller is the star anise-scented, mildly garlicky chicken, based on a Chinese recipe.
The original Savory’s first branch, located at the foot of Jones Bridge, is still around but other branches have also popped up all over the metro.
LITTLE QUIAPO (1949)
90 Malakas St. Brgy. Piñahan, Quezon City
Tel. no. 922-4131
Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
This quaint little restaurant along España Avenue used to be the digs of halo-halo enthusiasts. Now in a new location, Little Quiapo in Malakas St., Quezon City still delivers the best halo-halo in town. They serve the sweet concoction in a tall parfait glass with long-handled spoons, not in a bowl as some fastfood eateries do. Also worth a try is their delectable Pancit Palabok at only P83 per serving. There’s another branch in Parañaque City.
MAX’S (1945)
Main Branch: Roxas Boulevard, Baclaran, Parañaque, Manila with various branches
Tel. no. 832-1991
Open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Touted as "The House That Fried Chicken Built," Max's was founded by Max Gimenez, a teacher educated in Stanford University, in 1945. It started in Gimenez' home which he opened to serve drinks and home-cooked meals to American GIs who are in the country to help clear up war-devastated Manila. Ruby, Max’s niece, would whip up some food from the kitchen - mainly steaks and chicken. Ruby's fried chicken was so good that it became famous through word-of-mouth. Ruby later on opened Max’s on Roxas Boulevard, Baclaran in Parañaque City and has expanded its menu to include Filipino dishes. But Max’s Fried Chicken has always been the restaurant’s best seller.
ONGPIN MANOSA RESTAURANT CO. (1940)
926 Ongpin Street, Binondo, Manila
Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Saturday
This Chinese restaurant has become an institution in Chinatown. Aside from dimsums and other Chinese fares, they serve the best Maki - a weird-looking gooey brown soup with chunks of tender pork topped with a sprinkling of onion leeks. Their meatball-sized Siomai is also quite a treat. There’s also a branch on Banawe Street in Quezon City called the Mañosa Noodles, Seafoods, and Chops.
BOY CHING WOO (1939)
103 BCW Building, J. Rodriguez Street, Caloocan City
Tel. no. 287-1430 Open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
If you are in Caloocan, don't forget to drop buy this restaurant to try some of their popular specialties like the Buttered Chicken and Lechon con Tokwa. In case you are interested to know, the owners insist on calling their famous specialty "Battered Chicken" even if it is actually breaded chicken cooked in butter. One thing is for sure, this chicken dish is delectable!
ARISTOCRAT (1936)
432 San Andres St. cor. Roxas Blvd., Malate
Tel nos. 524-7671 to 80 loc. 225 or 230
Open 24 hours daily
It is not called "The Philippines’ Most Popular Restaurant" for nothing. Its chicken barbecue, kare-kare, chicken honey, crispy pata, pancit canton, dinuguan, and lumpia are to die for.
Aristocrat started as a small snack mobile operation similar to the food kiosks in malls today. It has since grown into the popular restaurant chain, thanks to the culinary and business acumen of its founder Doña Engracia "Aling Asiang" Cruz-Reyes. What made Aristocrat different from other restaurants is its ability to make everyday fares into a special feast.
RAMON LEE’S PANCITERIA (1929)
540 Ronquillo Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila
Tel. no. 733-0642
Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Saturday
9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday
Our grandparents didn't mind the going all the way to Sta. Cruz just to get a taste of Ramon Lee's famous Pancit Canton in downtown Manila. This panciteria passed the test of time and continues to serve pancit and other Filipino dishes.
MA MON LUK (1920)
Quezon Boulevard, Manila
Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Named after its Cantonese founder, Ma Mun Luk, this age-old hole-in-the-wall eatery has become synonimous with mami and sipao. Ma Mun Luk started out as a street vendor peddling his delectable goodies on the sidewalk. He later established an eatery in Quiapo that was frequented by church-goers, lovers, businessmen and people of different walks of life. During that time, Quiapo is the center of the universe.
At present, there are two Ma Mun Luk branches in the metro, one on Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo, Manila, and another located on Quezon Avenue in Quezon City. Both branches still serve the ever popular Special Mami and Special Siopao.
NEW TOHO FOOD CENTER (1888)
422 Tomas Pinpin Street, Binondo, Manila
Open 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Saturday and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday
This is one of the oldest restaurants in the Binondo having been established in188. It was originally called Toho Antigua Panciteria but was renamed Ne Toho Foo Center when the original building where it was located was razed by a fire in 1984. Chinese man Tai Tang, and eventually his seven children, managed the business after Tai’s four partners decided to go back to China.
New Toho is famous for its Pancit Canton as well as with treats like the huge Kikiam that’s about the size of a jumbo hotdog! What’s good about this place is you can “customize” and decide what goes into your pancit. If you are allergic to seafood, just ask the waiter to not put any on your order.
