This post was first published on June 29, 2020, for https://www.manilaculture.com/. You can view the original article here.
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There was a high probability that I'd never encountered Emer's Food Center, ever but I'm glad I did.
The first time I learned of this wonderful place, I've been living in Pampanga for 2 years. After residing in Manila for more than a decade, I married the love of my life and with things being the way they were, the best decision I could do for us was to move to Pampanga.
There are instances when I miss the Metro but that is a story for another day.
Anyway, my wife and I were staying at an Airbnb in Makati for a few days to attend a birthing class. Travelling was a risk given the pregnancy but the class however was too good to pass up, especially with the due date being just a few weeks away.
I had the entire trip planned out: We arrived on Friday – it was decided that we’d spend the rest of the evening staying in the fancy place I booked, then we’d attend the seminar the following day. The second evening we’d eat out at Little Tokyo for dinner. Finally, we’d spend Sunday morning going through Salcedo Weekend Market.
The restaurant we were supposed to go to that second night didn’t pan out. With long weekends and heavy foot traffic, there were too many people. I’d chalk it up to growing old but crowds are something I prefer to avoid. We wandered about and across the street lay Makati Cinema Square. As we were walking I was on my phone looking for an alternative place to dine. My good friend Google included Emer’s as part of its recommendations and boy, were we in for a treat.
Going Old-School
Emer’s is located in one of the Lower Ground Floors of what was formerly known as Makati Cinema Square. Now called Makati Square for the lack of cinemas, this place was a pioneer in the 80s: when it opened, it was the only mall in the entirety of Makati and it housed the very first cinemas and bowling alley (named Superbowl which remains here to this day). It also had stores that sold LaserDiscs and VHS tapes as well as LPs and cassettes of well-known and unknown artists.
There are still some stores that sell vintage stuff like vinyl records and other antique items but there are plenty of Manong DVDs and tiangges as well. I remember in the late 2000s when I started working in Makati, I’d visit this place for cheap finds like toys, second-hand books from the branch of Booksale they have, and yes, pirated DVDs. I never did explore the lower levels and therefore, it was like discovering an entirely different world.
We can do a full breakdown of this mall as it is now, down the line, as that would probably entail an entire blog article on its own. Having said that Emer’s Food Center is one of the oldest establishments in this building.
Based on my research, Emer’s Food Center opened its doors at the same time as the mall it is in. In those days, people of all ages would flock to this place to get their Chinese food fix. I’m a strong believer in the phrase “the best things come in simple packages” and Emer’s does not disappoint at all.
As you enter, you’d get a hit of enticing aromas of Chinese food being prepared; and let me tell you, the red motif is everywhere. It won’t hold a lot of people at the same time with just a few tables and chairs here and there but, they’ve been around since 1982. Kind of says something about how much people like them.
And so there we were, my wife and I, ready for a gastronomic adventure. Thank the Lord I married a woman who’s as game as I am when it comes to trying out new food. We ordered the Cua Pao as the reviews online laud of it the most. We also had Lomi and Pancit. Yeah, that sounds not so adventurous but I asked the waiter and he said those three are their best sellers.
Chinoy Food
Long before the Spaniards “discovered” our islands, Chinese merchants have already been trading with our ancestors. The collection of Chinese artifacts found throughout Philippine waters, dating back to the 10th century is proof of this. On top of this, we have Binondo, the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in 1594 by the Spaniards as a settlement close to Intramuros, Positioned so those colonial rulers could keep a close eye on their migrant subjects, it was already a hub of Chinese commerce even before the Spanish colonial period.
There were approximately 1.35 million Filipinos with Chinese ancestry in a study done in 2013. In addition, Sangleys or Filipinos with at least some Chinese ancestry comprise a substantial proportion of the Philippine population. To this effect, Chinese traditions, and most definitely the cuisine, permeate our society.
Pancit, Siomai, Siopao, Lomi, and Goto among others are derived from Chinese cuisine. You probably get a serving of Tikoy before Chinese New Year and of course, who can forget about Ongpin and all the Chinese restaurants there. Not all Chinese restaurants are exclusively found there though. You can find Hai Kang Seafood Restaurant along Wilson on your way to Greenhills, Oriental Palace in Tomas Morato, and of course, Gloria Maris now located on the 5th floor of Gateway Mall.
Despite territorial disputes, it is clear that the Chinese have had a strong impression on our culture even on our ancestry and taste buds.
Now I have to admit, I am no food expert. I’m the type of guy who avoids fancy restaurants in favor of hole-in-the-wall food places so if you’ve read this article up to this point looking for a breakdown of the food we had at Emer’s and you're expecting highfaluting jargon, this isn’t the place but I will do my best.
The Lomi, the Pancit
We all know what Lomi is. If you’re anything like me growing up, you probably have a passion for Lomi. What kid won’t? Thick egg noodles in a thick eggy soup. What’s not to love? I have fond memories of my mom making a batch of Lomi for our family on lazy Sunday afternoons.
Pancit, of course, requires no introductions. A staple of all Pinoy handaans, we all grew up on Pancit whether it be Pancit Canton, Miki, Bihon, etc.
Emer’s takes all of those memories, distills them, then serves it to you piping hot. It was great.
When we were finished with both dishes (yes, all orders are good for sharing) and don’t mark me a racist by saying this, I said to my wife with most of the people in the resto likely hearing me: You gotta hand it to the Chinese, they make good food.
That did not end the meal though…
So What’s Cua Pao?
To the uninitiated, hearing Cua Pao probably reminds you of Siopao. It’s like that but it’s so much more.
Cua Pao or Gua Bao is a steamed bun stuffed with slices of braised pork. In this Taiwanese rendition, it is combined with cilantro, stir-fried pickled mustard greens, and ground peanuts. Up to this point, neither my wife nor I have tried Cua Pao and it blew us away.
It was so good my wife and I had to take out 2 more orders of Cua Pao, you know, just in case we crave some more in the middle of the night, and let me tell you: we did.
The Verdict
Some places leave a lasting impression. Maybe it’s the food, the ambiance, or the service. By the way, there is something to be said about the service the staff provided. They were warm and welcoming.
That said, we enjoyed and craved the food so we went back to Emer’s Food Center the following day for lunch. A couple of months after, when we took our daughter to meet with a specialist and we’d probably go back there every time we visit Makati.
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