i'll admit, i am not savvy on the intricacies of Filipino food. the only Filipino food i've ever experienced have been from Juliez in Kapolei, Elena's from the Eat the Street food truck festivals, and from friends and family. all of the above were delicious. when i heard there was going to be a "Max's of Manila" opening in Hawaii, i was pretty stoked. why? their infamous fried chicken. if you know me - you know i have thing for fried chicken. i've been dying to go here for the longest time, and FINALLY got the chance with a few friends. luckily, one of my friends is a Max's veteran, and had some great suggestions. i loves me some good pancit. BUT did you know? = there are a few different types of pancit? i did not know this until i came here. the noodles vary in thickness (and ingredients), thus, different types. my favorite type are the very thin noodles, Pancit Bihon. this dish was pretty good, but i was disappointed in the amount of shrimp.... there were only 2 pieces of shrimp incorporated into the dish. the least they could have done was chop it up, so then we wouldn't notice how much shrimp wasn't in the dish.... despite this, i would eat it again. this is Pinakbet (pronounced pee - knock - bet). it is a mixed vegetable dish consisting of onion, ampalaya (a.k.a. Bitter melon), okra, sitaw (a.k.a. Long Beans), eggplant, squash, kangkong (a.k.a. Water Spinach), pork, and shrimp - all sauteed in bagaoong (its fermented fish sauce). i'm exhausted just explaining it to you. this was another "stingy with the shrimp" dish. that is quickly becoming Max's trademark, which makes me sad. again, despite the sad amount of shrimp, i would eat this upon a re-visit, no doubt. that right there is crab meat fried rice. sadly (and i hate to say this) the crab meat was hardly present. i ate way more egg than i did crab. what is going on with Max's food? is this the way it is usually? anything containing seafood seems to be severely lacking in actual seafood. *confused and frustrated* this dish was good, but when promised CRAB - you don't hold back on it. STOP PLAYING WITH MY EMOTIONS ALREADY...... i will not get this again (considering this was close to $9, for me it was not worth it - unless of course there is more crab), and next time will opt for the garlic fried rice instead, which i hear many good things about. this dish was suggested as a MUST HAVE from my veteran diner friend. i'm SO GLAD she came to eat with me. without her input about this dish, i would have totally missed out on a great experience. this is the CRISPY PATA. if you go to Max's - YOU MUST EAT THE CRISPY PATA. trust me. and if you're squeamish about pig's feet... well... bring a friend who isnt. you don't want to miss this. all i have to say to you is, just eat it. you'll be glad you did. on the Max's menu, it is described as a pork leg that is "processed and cooked the same way we cook our famous... Max's fried chicken." SO, if the crispy pata is fantastic, then of course the chicken must be too, right?.................. not so. :(
while the crispy skin on the outside of the chicken was great, the meat of the chicken was blah. not a lot of flavor. while it was tender and juicy, it was a little bland. not inedible, but not something i would go out of my way to eat again. Even though this was a let down, the crispy pata more than made up for it. Max's of Manila might not be as spectacular as i was hoping it would be - but it is a place i can see myself eating maybe once a month.... after all, their menu is BIG, and there are still more foods i'd like to try from there (the lumpia for example). Max's - I'll be back..... ********************************************** Max's of Manila 801 Dillingham Blvd. #108 Honolulu, HI 96817 Phone: (808) 951-6297 website: http://www.maxschicken.com/index.php? hours: 11a - 9p daily
1 Comment
Lucia Wong
4/10/2013 01:05:06 pm
Love their Pata.
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