BY JEREMY C. MALCAMPO
Indeed, Max’s Fried Chicken doesn’t just live up to its 60 years of serving Filipino food in great tradition, but also the legacy of family cooking as a humble option to the royalist cuisine of the (Spanish) prewar era.
In this 60 years, Max’s Fried Chicken—with the benevolent vision of Maximo Gimenes on the potentials of quality home-style cooking restaurants after World War II—has enriched traditional and native cuisine to be fancied as gourmets, or simply everyday-favorites: Fried Lumpiang Ubod; Chicken Barbecue; Pancit Canton; Lumpiang Shanghai; Sinigang na Tiyan ng Bangus.
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MAX’S FRIED CHICKEN RESTAURANT IS
BEST FOR FILIPINO FAMILY CELEBRAT
IONS: HERE, IN SM MANILA BRANCH,
A NEWLY-WED COUPLE CELEBRATES
THEIR HUMBLE RECEPTION. | |
This house’s Kare-kare—in its peanut-reduction sauce that smoothens the cow meats’ flavors in the palate, and "insides" with pre-sautéed-stewed vegetables as sitaw, talong, kalabasa, highlighted by a strong whisk of bagoong alamang—goes well with a cup of steamed rice, and crispy fried chicken.
Here, simple home-cooked meals (that are well-loved by the Filipino family, including our country’s greatest chefs whether they admit it or not,) are dished up as fiesta food in a daily basis—that was a revolutionary thing with restaurants after the war (and with fresh culinary hangovers from the American regime,) because not all people during that time were blessed to enjoy resto-food.
It’s fried chicken, and chicken barbecue recipes are, perhaps, the most revered chicken-dishes of its line.
Now, 60 years later—with the wave of modern-international fares in our new age of gastronomy—Max’s, continues both tradition: quality food, and family bonding.
Chef Gene Gonzalez (TASTE Editor and Center for Asian Culinary Studies President) notes that Max’s Fried Chicken Restaurant is not just rich with quality traditional Filipino dishes, but also of proper family Filipino virtues.
"As a chef, I’ve witnessed the maturity and grace of this restaurant from my childhood days, part of my having a loving palate to Pinoy food, were my romantic memories with Max’s restaurant through time…
No doubt, Max’s has proven that love for cuisine and love for the family is the key secret to success," Gonzalez caringly says as he mixes a halayang ube puree with son Chef Gino [for a very special panacotta recipe for Max’s dessert-line].
Of course Max’s buko pandan dessert (in its creamy concoction, and gelatine heaven,) caramel bars (of nougatey, cream-caramel bars,) and Sago’t Gulaman (as a traditional Pinoy drink of vanilla-flavored beverage with shaved ice and tapioca pearls or sago,) work heavenly anytime of the day, but this Panacotta is Max’s sweet tribute not just to its clientele, but more to the filipino Family.
Certainly—like how the family of Max’s puts it—the family is food’s first and last line of happiness.
OTHER RECOMMENDED DISHES AND PARTY PACKAGES:
- Package 1 – 2 pcs. Max’s Fried Chicken, 1 pc. Fried Lumpiang Ubod, 1 plain rice (P135)
- Package 2 – 1 pc. Chicken Barbecue, Pancit Canton, 1 plain rice (P150)
- Package 3 – 2 pcs. Max’s Fried Chicken, Pancit Canton, 4 pcs. Lumpiang Shanghai, 1 plain rice (P189)
- Ube Panacotta – Creamy panacotta mound in milky consistency, stuffed with Max’s halayang ube, sprinkled with ube cake grates (highly recommended)
Chef Gene’s Halayang Ube Recipe
[General Ube Recipe for Rizalian Fiestas]
Noted by Jeremy C. Malcampo
Ube is best not during rainy season.
Peel and boil some ube with lots of pandan leaves.
Grind the ube with a little amount of water
Add milk and coconut milk.
To improve smoothness and creaminess, add a little butter while mixing.
Mix in very low fire.
