Blast from the past

Manila, manila, I keep coming back to manila, simply no place like manila, I’m coming home to stay – the hotdogs <famous band from the 70s) 

Do you remember the Roxas Boulevard of long ago? The 80s? There beside Malate Church was Aristocrat. It was a place of repose, you can sit in one of it’s rattan tables & chairs, sip hot cocoa, emjoying the tranquility of an early morning. There were very few cars passing by during those times. The air was still unsullied. Joggers go by here & there waving their casual good mornings. Yes folks, it used to be this way, even in manila. 

The restaurant itself was open air, no airconditioning, no doors, no windows. I can still remember how it looked with it’s folding doors. Yes, there were no vendors, nor beggars during those times as well. You can enjoy a meal peacefully, no rush. 

There’s no Chicken BBQ like Aristocrat Chicken BBQ, well atleast during the 80s, and maybe even until the early 2000. And the JAVA rice, WOW ! You wouldn’t need Paella ! I remember how as a child I would drizzle my boneless chicken BBQ with a hearty dose of peanut sauce. Yummy! But I wouldn’t stop there, I would also trickle my Java rice a  hefty serving as well. Then as I fill my mouth a spoonful of this

scrumptious delight, I would follow it thru with a bit of  homemade special Atsara. Ah ! Those were the days! And the Pancit Canton, God forbid I forget. The sauce , the noodles in perfect harmoy. Never soggy, never too salty, just perfect. With just the right amount of vegetables, meat & sea food.

Reality: Today, 2013, I was looking forward to bringing my family to Aristocrat. I couldn’t help but be giddy all the way, talking and talking of the place, the food, the over all ambiance. To my dismay, it was already different. It was traffic all the way, parking was crowded, vendors everywhere. The restaurant itself was already a part of Roxas Boulevard’s progress. It was now closed and fully airconditioned. Tables were shoulder to shoulder. People were shoulder to shoulder. The waiting list alone was so long that you’d begin to wonder if you’d ever gonna get a table. Then I saw a smiling face, she looked familiar. Ben my husband whispered “Mama she’s one of the Reyes, I think we saw her on TV”. She was so gracious & even acknowledged us. After a few seconds we saw her come back with a helper, chairs in hand. Hospitability at it’s best ! It’s so heart warming ! After a tolerable 20 minutes give and take we were seated.

We ordered the house specialty of course, the original, the one & only Chicken BBQ with Java Rice. Unfortunately, as much as we love the Aristocrat, evolution has taken it’s toll. Our once loved boneless chicken BBQ is now like “Inasal”. I know, I Know BBQ is grill cooked. But before,

the chicken were like pork skewered in a stick. They don’t look like chicken! Today it’s mere chicken fillet, very recognizable chicken without  the bones. The Java Rice was ok. The peanut sauce was rationed. Yes, rationed. Before you could have peanut sauce to your hearts content. Now it is given to you, 1 sachet per order. We dared not order for some more fearing we could be charged for it LOL.

The overall experience was ok. The food tasted ok. The ambiance ok. This event cost us Php700. Benz didn’t like the food at all, so it was drive thru on our way home.