PRESIDENT GRAND PALACE RESTAURANT
746 Ongpin St., Binondo, Sta. Cruz, Manila
Tel. No. 244-5886

Ask any big Filipino family where they head to for Chinese food, and chances are that they will answer, "Chinatown." My family, unfortunately, is an exception. I haven't explored the area as much as I would've wanted, though I know for sure there is a myriad of excellent food choices if I just snooped around a bit.

I remember my first foray here very clearly - it didn't feel like I was in Manila. Signs were in Chinese, sidewalk fruit vendors were Chinese, and the heady aroma of 5-spice powder filled the air. Only when the jeeps belched their smoke was I dragged back into reality.

The President Grand Palace Restaurant is one of the most famous Chinese restaurants in the Philippines.

My first ever meal here some time in the late 90's was with a friend who insisted that we go to President. This is, of course, one of the most famous Chinese restaurants in the Philippines, where generation after generation have passed through their doors, feasting on a plethora of delights. However, by the time I got there, it had seen better days. The memory that stuck with me the most was the impressive stage at the back. Although it was still intact (it was where Chinese opera was once performed, or so I was told), the restaurant seemed a bit frayed at the edges, like a once favored shirt that you would wear all the time, much to your mom's chagrin, but one that had begun to lose its shape.

The food, at least on that fateful day, was non-descript. To be honest, it was just greasy, and most definitely not in a good way, indicative of opinions from others I've heard that the food had slipped a lot - so much so that when I exited through the front door, I never looked back. It's been a couple of years.

Then, just like that, I heard the grand dame had closed. What the real story was behind that, I didn't really know. Sad news, this, because although it didn't leave a lasting impression on my taste buds, I knew it was an icon in shaping Manila's collective palates for Chinese cuisine. Plus, it was a 30-year institution.

Fast forward to present day 2010, where a gazillion Chinese options are littered all over the city, a lot of which are pretty good.

Thankfully, the downturn for the restaurant ended on a positive note. The daughter of the original owner decided to re-open a little less than a year ago or so, plus she married the son of the original head chef to boot. Now her husband is in charge of the kitchen.

I had no intentions of coming over until a good friend of mine told me I was missing out. Intrigued, I dragged some other people over on a rainy weekday night. I expected traffic to be nightmarish, but it seems the driving gods were looking down on me: we got there from Malate in around 10 minutes. Entering the familiar facade, I expected memories to flood in from my last trip there, and again I was proven wrong. It didn't look like anything I remembered- in fact, it was a whole new creature. The main chamber had sparkling chandeliers and little red lanterns hanging from the high ceiling, and the once prominent stage had gone completely. Even the rest room looked quite contemporary (read: spankin' brand new) and was even air-conditioned.

We met Ying Ying, the ringleader of the renaissance of President - a little firebrand of a woman who worked hard to make sure everything was just right, clearly the mark of someone who genuinely cared for the customer's welfare, and thus making all things good for the restaurant as well. Seriously, she flitted about like she was on Red Bull. Good vibes abound!

President Grand Palace Restaurant serves Chinese food classics. Click for more photos.

Though a restaurant does not live on good ownership alone (always a step in the right direction), it's a very clear message that there will be good things happening on the table. In my opinion, this is not the kind of place to expect elaborate dishes for emperors (though I'm guessing they could probably come up with that if that's what you wanted), but rather it's a venue for solid classics.