From my previous post, I wrote
about my visits in nine out of the ten oldest restaurants in
Metro Manila from January to March.
Since that was five months ago, instead of updating my previous
post, I just thought of writing a new one about Aristocrat Restaurant , the last among the ten oldest restaurants in Metro Manila that I have been to.
August 31, 2012 - Aristocrat Restaurant, San Andres St. corner
Roxas Blvd., Malate ,Manila
Established in 1936 by Dona Engracia Cruz Reyes, it is perhaps a common knowledge that Aristocrat Restaurant is
an institution in the country. It claims to
be the most popular restaurant in the Philippines, maybe rightfully so. A
detailed history can be read in their website. Although a very popular
restaurant, unlike its contemporary Max's Restaurant which have sprouted all-over the country, I read it has only four branches in Manila, one in Makati, one
in Quezon City as well as three branches in Northern Luzon.
It used to have old branches in
Cubao and in Greenhills, San Juan which
I have been to several times. My favorites are the usuals: chicken barbecue (of course! ), pork
barbecue and pancit canton. Few years back, it made a comeback in Cubao by
opening a small branch in Shopwise Arcade, Araneta Center. I remember a time when we took our kids to avail of Shopwise’s free gift certificates. Each certificate is good for a single
Aristocrat pork barbecue with java rice. Well, instead of eating for
free, we ended up ordering for more. Sadly, this branch folded-up as well.
This is only my second time in
this original branch located in Roxas Boulevard. My first time was way back
when I was a kid, so my recollection is
spotty. We got there at a little over 11
a.m. Located just beside Malate Church and a stone's throw away from Manila Bay, this spacious restaurant’s atmosphere is very enticing. There weren’t that
many people dining at that time but slowly customers were trickling in. We
ordered pork barbecue, half of its highly recommended Chicken Honey and had
Halo-halo for desert. What can I say? Everything was great. The fried chicken's glistening skin was perfectly crisp and delicious. The savory meat was tender and moist. I enjoyed the halo-halo here more than those I’ve tried in
their defunct Cubao branch. By the time we got out, close to 12
noon, there were already many people dining and coming in. The weather was fine.
We walked towards Roxas Boulevard to view the serene-looking Manila Bay. Afterwards I took photos of the Malate
Church... I promised my kids that a one day I’ll bring them here for dinner
after watching Manila Bay's famous sunset.
Top 10 Aristocrat favorites
Chicken Honey- surely one of the best fried chicken in its class
Pork Barbecue -Excellent
Halo-halo
Malate Church
Conclusion:
Overall, completing my “mission” to dine at Metro Manila’s ten oldest restaurants was an exhilarating experienced for me. Of the ten, I was only familiar with four ( Max’s, Aristocrat, Savory and Ma Mon Luk ) and heard the other six only for the first time. Most of the time, the exciting part for me is not the dining per se but in the planning which involves studying maps for directions and reading pioneering blogs for more information, the actual travel (the walks), and in retrospect, the anxieties when you are lost along the way. Many of these old restaurants in Manila are intertwined with history, historical anecdotes, and historical places. The past eight months I have been to Intramuros twice and toured the historic spots such as, Calle Muralla, Manila Cathedral , San Agustin Church, and Fort Santiago among others. I have also been to Binondo Church, Sta. Cruz Church, and Quiapo Church and come to appreciate more the significance of these in our history and culture. I had my own Binondo food experience and had actually walk from Recto, Avenida to Tutuban and back. This adventure as it turned out not only satisfied my gastronomic curiosity but it was also a highly enjoyable and educational lesson in history.
No comments:
Post a Comment