My wife had heard good things about Pan De Amerikana before our recent trip back to the…read morePhilippines, and her cousin in Manila was good friends with the owner Jun who was absolutely awesome to meet!
We were in Manila for a few nights before flying home to California and had a dinner date with her cousins the first night, so we headed to the restaurant. Jun waited for us to arrive after we attempted the two hour evening rush hour Manila traffic from Okada to Pan De Amerikana.
It was a Tuesday evening and when we arrived around 8pm, the restaurant was thankfully not too busy. I'd read other reviews about how packed it can get, since supposedly "every picture is IG worthy...". That ended up being totally true!
Jun greeted us warmly and introductions were made. He was gracious and friendly and gave us a quick tour of the incredibly painted and decorated restaurant; from the intricately curated Eugene Torre chess museum with various international chess sets, the tunnel made of lights and wind chimes, the antique wagon (yes you can actually sit in it and take pictures wearing a hat from the collection of fantastical hats on a rack nearby), the other various set pieces and photo backdrops, to the bathrooms and wash stations which had custom interiors and artistically decorated sink basins and soap dispensers. Every table and seating arrangement will provide a memorable experience here. There's no bad seat in the restaurant :)
Jun generously provided us with the special air conditioned room for large groups next to the chess museum, which has large glass windows to see the restaurant while you eat, although it would have been fine to also sit in the restaurant, as even though it was a warm evening in Manila, the inside temperature was pleasant.
On the way to the restaurant, inching our way along packed rush hour streets, we looked at the dishes and were ready with our selections soon after receiving the menu.
We had several outstanding dishes including the Sinugba platter full of tasty grilled fish and pork barbecue, the pork Sisig with calamansi (I'd been comparing various Sisigs from different eateries in Pangasinan the whole trip and this was my favorite), delicious Pinakbet, and the perfectly seasoned Pansit Bihon Special. The garlic rice was also super tasty. The wait staff was very attentive and friendly.
Despite the restaurant beginning to close for the evening while we were eating, Jun was even able to scrounge up some of the famous wheat Pandesal the restaurant is renowned for. It was truly delicious. My favorite is still Durong's Pandesal, but that's a different recipe altogether. Pan De Amerikana's Pandesal is certainly unique, scrumptious, and one of the healthier recipes.
Jun suggested the green Moringa w/ cucumber drink and brought a pitcher. Good thing, too, since it was totally addictive. We also had the red iced tea, which was not overly sweet and thirst quenching.
The entire experience was delightful, unforgettable, and fascinating. You'll have plenty of good food, memories, and photos to share with family and friends after you eat at Pan De Amerikana. Ask for the owner Jun when you go and I'm sure he'll proudly give you a tour of his famous chess museum and point out all the beautiful installations and decorations throughout the restaurant. Even the outside of the restaurant shouldn't be missed, from the front door all the way to the corner of the street. Inside and out, Pan De Amerikana is a wonder to behold!
Thanks, Jun, for giving us such a special memory to take back home with us. See you again soon.