Food is the glue that holds families together. From daily meals to dinner parties during birthdays and Christenings, food connects human souls in all celebrations. Warm smiles, warm laughter, and warm and full tummies.
These parties, although some are celebrated in the comfort of our homes, are sometimes held outside in our favorite spots. May it be breakfast after mass in your favorite carinderia, or your favorite childhood restaurant to eat in after a long flight from your out-of-town vacation, restaurants have given a new sense of nostalgia which reminds us of the fondest of memories.
These establishments with humble beginnings have brought themselves up from family-owned eateries to expanded franchises both locally and abroad. The key to their long-breathed success is owed to several factors, mostly rooted on the people who patronize their establishments.
“The customers, as well as the restaurants, stay true to their traditions. They continue to eat there and patronize the business, passed from one generation to the other,” Chef Myke Tatung told Manila Standard Cravings in an interview.
The restauranteurs, like those who patronize them, have preserved the traditions of their establishments by keeping the next generation in the loop.
1. Toho Panciteria Antigua (1888); Binondo, Manila
The infamous restaurant at the heart of the city opened its door in 1888 and is known as the oldest restaurant in the county. Catering to heroes such as Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio, it has born its mark in the histories – even earning a mention in one of the former’s novels. They have since then maintained serving flavorful Chinese dishes.
Alvin Wong, the current owner of the establishment, inherited the restaurant from his grandfather who bought the place from a group of Chinese who decided to move back to China. Ever since, they have remained fateful to serving a taste of China.
“We always come back here for the fried rice and the Asado,” Forty-year-old Lancel Cruz said in an exclusive interview.
Cruz, an avid lover of Chinese cuisine, dines in the restaurant every payday with both family and friends as it is near his home and place of work.
Among the dishes favored by the crowd are their pancit guisado and yang chow fried rice.
2. Dainty House (Iloilo); 1929
Much loved by the Ilongos, Dainty House was founded in 1929, originally erected in Ledesma Street, Iloilo City. It then moved to JM Basa Street in 1940 before finally being relocated to Iznart Street where it still stands today.
Among the many dishes it serves, it is most famous for its pancit guisado, bihon guisado, siopao, and pan de leche which have left tourists wanting for more since it was first established.
“It’s where my mama and papa met back in the 80s, so I’d like to say it’s sort of a part of their love story and the food is certainly an aphrodisiac,” Ramon Ernesto, 37, said in an interview.
He now returns to the restaurant with his wife, Marla, and two children: Isabel and Katya – with the bihon guisado being a great family favorite.
3. Digman Halo-Halo and Homemade Siopao (Bacoor, Cavite); 1940s
For the summer lovers, halo-halo has been a long-time favorite among Filipinos. The dessert mainly consisting of shaved ice, evaporated milk, leche flan, jellies, beans, and fruit cocktails, has long been a favorite to battle the heat.
In Bacoor, Cavitenos have favored Digman’s Halo-Halo which was established in the 1940s. Their halo-halo consists of macapuno, kaong, nata, ube, and the sweet leche flan. Alongside this, customers have also expressed their favorite to be that of the restaurant’s grilled barbeque and Filipino-style spaghetti.
“We’ve been eating there for two years since we moved to Cavite,” Ralph Mendones, formerly from Quezon City, said.
Often dining in the restaurant with his parents, his family acquired a taste for Digman’s classic halo-halo and leche flan.
Mendones described the halo-halo as “the most authentic” one he has tasted. “It doesn’t need table sugar to have that sweet taste,” he added.
Mendones added that a possible key to the success of the restaurant was its respect and guidance from the Virgin Mary, whose statue stood by the entrance of the establishment.
4. New Life Restaurant (Banga, South Cotobato); 1960s
In the Land of the Dreamweavers stands New Life Restaurant, one of the oldest restaurants in Banga. Serving a wide variety of noodle dishes, it has been around since 1960.
“We started as a small restaurant before it became a standard restaurant. It was a lomihan, now there is a complete change,” Calvin Dalita, one of its managers, told Manila Standard Cravings in an interview.
The restaurant boasts of rich flavors when it comes to its special lomi and batchoy, perfect for a cold rainy day.
“It’s important to maintain the service and the culture for the restaurant to last this long,” Dalita added, noting that the restaurant’s success is owed to following tradition and maintaining good service.
5. Balay Dako (Tagaytay, Cavite); 1948
A few hours from the metro stands Balay Dako, established by the same culinary genius as Antonio’s. Established in 1948, in Tagaytay City, Balay Dako’s central vision focuses on bringing the family together.
“At one time, family compounds were built around a large central home. This Balay Dako became the gathering place. It was where family and friends would come together to commemorate life’s significant events. Baptisms, birthdays and weddings and even funerals became occasions for remembrance, celebration and more importantly, family,” their website reads.
The translation of the name in Negrense means “Big House.” Among the favorites of customers are the chicken inasal and pastel de lengua.
“I look forward to the ambiance of the place whenever we return to Tagaytay. It’s like a home away from our home in the province,” Nikolai Aquino said in an interview, highlighting the pata tim as a classic favorite.
“The more crews are all smiles from the moment you enter the restaurant to going home. Also, I believe that one way to a person’s heart is through their stomach,” she added.
6. Irene’s Vigan Empanada (Vigan, Ilocos Sur); 1930
Located in the historic city of Vigan in Ilocos Sur, Irene’s Vigan Empanada springs two branches, one in Calle Salcedo and the other in Calle Crisologo. Despite having been established in 1930, it only earned its name in 2004 when its owner, Irene Santos, decided to incorporate her name to the infamous brand.
The city’s most famous empanadas consist of a crunchy shell, shredded papaya, and a lot more to fill the tastebuds.
“My children absolutely loved the empanadas. They found one order is not enough, so they ordered more,” Eloisa Jacinto who recently went to visit the shop in Vigan for the first time, told Manila Standard Cravings.
Aside from the Empanadas, Irene’s now also serves Filipino breakfast dishes such as the Vigan longganisa.
“This one I’ll keep coming back for is their Vigan longganisa. It’s not too salty or fatty, which is exactly what my spouse and I prefer,” Eloisa added.
To get the full experience of Irene’s, Eloisa and her family ordered different dishes at every visit.
7. 18th Street Pala-Pala Seafood Grill and Restaurant (Bacolod, Negros Occidental); 1970s
Resourcefully using the specialty of Negros, 18th street Pala-Pala Seafood Grill has been around since the ‘70s. Specializing in a variety of seafood dishes, the establishment boasts of freshly harvested seafood that may be cooked in many ways: from fish to prawn.
“Our dedicated staff meticulously prepare every piece of your seafood selections to ensure you experience the true taste of pala-pala,” a post from the restaurant’s Facebook page reads.
Another family-owned restaurant, it owed its beginnings to the family’s love of seafood dishes.
“Our family really loved to eat seafood and we decided to put up a restaurant that caters to seafood all over Negros,” Sylvia Golez, the owner, previously said in an interview.
Among the customers’ favorite dishes are tinolang lapu-lapu and manumbok sizzling.
8. Matutina’s Seafood Restaurant (Dagupan, Pangasinan); 1982
Another establishment serving fresh dishes from straight under the sea is Matutina’s located in Dagupan and in Urdaneta and was established in 1982.
Its specialties include fresh seafood, Filipino dishes, sizzlers, and inihaw. Among the favorites highlighted are calamares and seafood kare-kare.
“We ordered the inihaw na bangus and grilled pusit which we paired with the pinakbet,” Jen Cabautan, an OFW from Italy, said in an interview.
Cabautan discovered the said establishment through the recommendation of her friends who also work overseas. The restaurant’s setting was spacious which was able to cater to her family of ten.
“There’s also room for parking your vehicles outside which makes it convenient for the senior citizens who will be going with you,” she added.
A noted favorite is the grilled squid.
9. Boy Ching Woo (Caloocan); 1939
Before it was an establishment that hosted large parties and events, Boy Ching Woo in Caloocan was a family business. Opening its doors in 1939, it first started out as a carinderia which served special varieties of pancit before it was elevated into a standard restaurant.
“It was founded by Thomas Ching Woo and mainly served Chinese food under the name Ching Panciteria before it came to be this,” Alias Ading told reporters in an interview.
Ching Woo’s father, Nicholas, found the shop and remained fateful to Chinese dishes, especially their flavorful pancit.
The restaurant prides itself in always using fresh ingredients, especially with the vegetables, instead of stocking up on frozen goods.
Among the fan favorites include their classic buttered chicken, original fried rice, and their pancit shanghai.
“We had one of our earlier dates there that’s why we decided to use it for our babies’ christening reception,” Alice Marquez said in an interview.
She and her husband Mike noted that Boy Ching Woo became a witness to the growth of their relationship as it became a favorite date spot.
10. Ramon Lee’ Panciteria (Sta. Cruz, Manila); 1929
Established in 1929, the ninety-five-year-old establishment survived historical milestones.
“It’s like you’re going back in time whenever you eat there,” Cami Perez, a journalism student, emphasized in an interview with Manila Standard.
As the establishment is near her dorm, Cami often eats dinner with friends and classmates in the said establishment.
“The sweet and sour fish is certainly a favorite along with the lumpiang shanghai,” The affordable yet big proportions of food served were what attracted Cami and her friends when they first dined there.
The fried chicken is also an honorable mention among the bestsellers.
Among the best, the most flavorful, and the oldest, lies the secret of survival. And among the many factors, the family’s preservation of their traditions is important.
“I think for one, especially for family run restaurants, is the general grit of the family through the generations and through the decades,” Chef Tatung said.
Tatung emphasized the importance of adapting with the times, especially with the changing taste of customers.
“Triggered by social media, and accessibility ng travel ng tao and diaspora ng migration and all that. Dati if you looked around, wala naman access to all these ingredients and importation laws have changed,” he said.
Besides accessibility, other factors are now considered by customers beyond mere taste of food: presentation, the ambiance of the restaurant, and reviews and recommendations made by peers.
“Image is the basis of marketing. Andaming factors, because of social media, di lang food ang labanan kung hindi pati aesthetic, plating. Ang taste generally for food has gone beyond the conversation of the food itself. Meron na din dining experience, story, at history,” Chef Tatung said.
