Top 10 Oldest Restaurants in Manila
Alexander T. Magno | Published: Jun 16, 2013 - 8:00am
Original Article
Some of the fondest memories of Pinoys are set in restaurants, where they celebrate key events in their lives.
Baptisms, birthdays, graduations, or even just weekend family get-togethers--these are celebrated at the family's favorite restaurant. In fact, certain restaurants have become so revered that they have survived and served at least three generations of Filipinos. Some of them have changed their names, some have revamped their interiors, but their flavors have pretty much stayed the same. For this list, we picked the ones that were at least 50 years old and are still solely owned or managed by the descendants of those who established it.
SPOT.ph lists 10 restaurants that have so much history behind them.
10. SAVORY (1950)
201 Escolta Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila with various branches
Tel. no. 243-0336
Open from 9 a.m. to 12 midnight daily
In her article, "Classic chicken reinvented," Marge C. Enriquez, Lifestyle writer of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, discusses Savory's history: "It was established by Tony Ting, an emigré from Fujian, and his brothers, Mariano, José, and Vicente, who was the cook. Before the war, they opened Tops Café in Binondo which later became Savory in post-Liberation. The main attraction was the star anise-scented, mildly garlicky chicken, based on a Chinese recipe. They came in three sizes: spring, medium and regular at the price range of P4 to P6."
Today, the descendants of the Ting brothers continue to run Savory, which now has various branches all over Metro Manila. The original Savory's first branch, which is located at the foot of Jones Bridge, is still around. And yes, people still pronounce the name as "Sah-boh-ree." The Savory Chicken (P170 for half and P320 for whole) is still its bestseller.
9. LITTLE QUIAPO (1949)
90 Malakas St. Brgy. Piñahan, Quezon City
Tel. no. 922-4131
Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
In the old days, when somebody got a craving for ice cream he would think of the old Selecta restaurant on Dewey Boulevard. But for halo-halo, Little Quiapo on España Avenue, the place now occupied by a Shakey's branch, topped the list of places to visit.
Up to now, people rave about the Special Halo-Halo (P110) here, served in a tall parfait glass with long-handled spoons, not in a bowl as some newer places do. And more likely than not, customers couldn't resist ordering the other popular item here--the Pancit Palabok (P83).
Having built a reputation as a cool soda fountain, where courting couples dated, Little Quiapo has expanded its menu to include Filipino and Chinese dishes. The Quezon City branch has moved from Matino Street, near the Sulo Hotel, to a new location a few blocks away on Malakas Street, behind the SSS Building in Barangay Piñahan. There's another branch in Parañaque City.
8. MAX'S (1945)
Roxas Boulevard, Baclaran, Parañaque, Manila with various branches
Tel. no. 832-1991
Open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Yes, there was a guy named Max, surnamed Gimenez, a teacher educated in Stanford University, who started the "The House That Fried Chicken Built."
It was probably all a matter of good-timing: It was 1945, with Manila newly liberated from the Japanese and much of it in ruins. As a break from mopping up duties, a lot of American GIs were around looking for a place to have a drink and some real home-cooked meal.
Max befriended some GIs who regularly visited him for drinks at his home in Quezon City, where he set up the first branch in Scout Tuazon Street. (The said Max's branch is currently under renovation.) Soon enough they insisted on paying for the drinks. Meantime, Max's niece, Ruby, would whip up some food from the kitchen--mainly steaks and chicken. The chicken was so good that it became famous through word-of-mouth.
It was Ruby who opened Max's on Roxas Boulevard, Baclaran in Parañaque City. The menu has expanded through the years, but Max's Fried Chicken (P161.70 to P476.30) has always been the restaurant's centerpiece.
7. ONGPIN MANOSA RESTAURANT CO. (1940)
926 Ongpin Street, Binondo, Manila
Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Saturday, closes earlier on Sundays
This Chinatown institution's most popular offering is not the usual siopao, mami, lumpia, pancit, or chicken dish. Their specialty is the Maki (P100 for a large bowl)--not the Japanese sushi dish--but a weird-looking gooey brown soup with chunks of tender pork topped with a sprinkling of onion leeks. (It's deliberately bland so that you can season the dish to your taste.)Their meatball-sized Siomai (P80 for four pieces) is also quite a treat.
If Chinatown seems too crowded for you, there's a branch on Banawe Street in Quezon City called the Mañosa Noodles, Seafoods, and Chops.
