Max’s Restaurant of Manila

Hard to beat that fried chicken. Even my husband loves it and he’s usually not that into fried or Filipino food other than seafood. Good solid place for Filipino food.

The Filipino spot closest to the Valley!
The service here is a hit or miss. Last time we came here it was a miss but tonight it was definitely a hit. Came here with a group around 9 pm and we were sat immediately. Our server, Luis was friendly and helpful. When my boyfriend had a problem with his drink, Luis was kind enough to get him new one (s) and he was also accommodating throughout the night.
Tonight, we ordered kare-​kare with a side of bagoong (shrimp paste), pork sisig with egg on top, lechon kawali, crispy pata (pork hock?), filipino beef steak, ½ Max’s fried chicken and garlic rice. Everything tasted delicious! They have good portions as well.
Docked a star because their bathrooms could be cleaner and they charge $ 2.50 for «Valet» parking but then the Valet employees are literally standing there holding a flash light while they point to my you where you’re supposed to park. Doesn’t make sense at all.
Other than that, I like coming here and will probably be back soon.

The service can be a hit or miss sometimes, but what keeps me coming back is the kare kare and the calamari. I am docking a star because of the valet parking, and at times the restaurant is too crowded. Even though it is more Americanize Filipino food, it is definitely one of my favorite places to go. The calamari is nice and crispy, the batter is simple. The kare kare is good and you can customize it to your taste and liking which is awesome. The fried chicken is good, and man I love the leche flan here. The price is a little high, but the portions are huge.

If you’ve had homecooked authentic Filipino food, this place falls short. This place is saved by their fried chicken. They offer whole and half fried chicken. It was flavorful and moist. The Kare Kare was not flavorful and the peanut flavor just didn’t come out. The pancit canton similarly was lacking flavor. Bottom line, go for the chicken, which is actually really enjoyable! But don’t expect the other dishes to be as yummy!

This breaks my heart, for MAX was my all time Favorite restaurant back in the Philippines. I mean I don’t mind paying SO MUCH MONEY for food as long as it tasted half decent. Their food portion is ridiculously small. The server we had was so neglectful. I asked for a straw and repeated it for 4x and gave me my straw just a few minutes before we finished our food. They kept giving us the wrong rice order. It was just a horrible experience. Can’t believe we drove to L. A traffic for almost 2hrs for this!

I love coming here with my family. They are known for their fried chicken which was so scrumptious and tasty! I also love their crispy pata, sizzling tofu, lumpiang shanghai, chicken and pork adobo, buko pandan (yum) and chicken sisig. Generous portions of food. How I wish they still have the camaron rebosado, my favorite… so delicious! Service wasn’t bad, not great either. Most of them are friendly. Sometimes it takes them forever to give you the bill, nevertheless, my favorite filipino restaurant. They have the best halo-​halo, I must say. The perfect way to end the meal? Ube panna cotta. The blend of ube and gelatin is so perfect. Reasonable price. Parking can be a hassle. Valet Parking only on weekends.

I’ve always had a love for Max’s. I’ve spent my 21^st birthday here. My cousins celebrated birthdays here too.
I recommend their sinigang (baboy), sisig and the lumpia Shanghai. Their chicken is also to die for and the noodles (canton).

Max’s is your reliable place for Filipino cuisine. They are most known for their fried chicken recipe which is ubiquitous to Filipino households. I don’t know one family who grew up in Manila who do not know about Max’s Fried Chicken. This namesake is already part of our culture and our history.
That being said, take some time to get the chicken, and have it with banana ketchup. This is the «Filipino» way of eating fried chicken. Try it for what it is and then do your variations later. Also, eat it with rice, thats the common way of eating it in the Phils.
When you are done, order some «gulay» and have some Pinakbet, a common filipino vegetable dish with string beans and squash. put some of the soup in your rice and then eat the rest of it.
Have some «Lechon Kawali» which is basically fried crunchy pork with the gravy. If you have some more space order the «Kare Kare» and then finish it off with the «Halo Halo» trust me on this. I know what I’m talking about.
Max’s is a good place to sample Filipino cuisine. if you’re craving, you know where to go.

The star here is the Boku Pandan. It was like nothing I had before. Sweet, rich and delicious. I’ve never had Pandanus or Screwpine before, but jelly-​like dish was awesome. We ordered the Crab Fried Rice, which was unsatisfactory. The dish felt cold and made in quickly. Don’t recommend. In a close second though was the Nilagang Baka (Beef Soup). If it is cold and/​or raining outside, this is the perfect dish to warm you up.
Although Boku Pandan is a traditional Filipino dish, the screwpine (pandanus) is actually eaten throughout oceania including Kiribati, which is why and how Max’s Restaurant of Manila knocks Kiribati off the list. If anyone knows of more traditional cuisine form Kiribati please let me know.
1. Boku Pandad (get one of your own — don’t share)
2. Nilagang Baka (beef soup) — Hearty, filling, and delicious
3. Crab Fried Rice — Not my favorite.
Kiribati — Check.

Gave this place a ²⁄₅ because I felt there was no effort put in. Food was cold and the crispy pata had so much hair.
I live in a town were Filipino cuisine is not common, and I assume this place was going to be amazing like the first time I tried it in S.F. I was wrong. Huge disappointment, But on the bright side the Halo Halo was the best dessert out of the dishes we got.

It’s been 5 years since I last stepped into Max’s. I’m pretty hard to impress when it comes to Filipino food so when I took on the challenge of finding a good restaurant, I grudgingly agreed to coming here even though its not on the top of my list.
We came on a rainy, busy night. One area was closed off for a 104^th birthday celebration. Say whaaaaat? I hope I’m still healthy enough to eat lechon when I’m that old. After my companion declined my offer to crash the party, we proceeded to our table.
Service:
Pretty friendly until we overstayed our welcome. Before we knew it, more than 2 hours passed and Ate’s smile was replaced with looks of annoyance every time she passed out booth.
Food:
Garlic rice — OK; not as garlicky as I wanted.
Pancit bihon — stir fried glass noodles with meat and veggies. Flavored perfectly, IMO. Most Filipino noodles come out salty but not this one.
Chicharong bulaklak — deep fried pork intestines. Not one of the dishes I wanted to order since its usually very bland and greasy but this one… What a surprise! There is enough flavor that dipping sauce is not needed.
Lechon sisig — a definite must try. Very flavorful. I wish I wasn’t driving that night. I would’ve had it with a bottle of Red Horse. Or two. Perfect representation of Filipino food shared with friends
Max’s chicken — I didn’t try it. Hope it was good.
Overall, I was kinda proud of the food served. I hope the quality remains consistent.
As for Ate, pasensya na napasarap ang usapan namin.
Till next time.

when you crave that Filipino fried chicken and killing me softly fried pork skins… dang it.
came in with friends and enjoyed great food. we got the pancit (noodles), vegetable thing, kare-​kare, fried fish…
yeah. got fat on a Wednesday.

I don’t get it. Why there is all the Max love out there. I thought the food was rather mediocre. I was there with a group of about 20 people and we ordered Menus B & C ($ 170 for each menu) which come with a lot of dishes such as Fried Chicken, Soup of the Day, Pancit Canton, Pinatuyon Pork Adobo, Lechon Kawali, Chop Suey, Rice and a soda.
I wasn’t too crazy about any of these dishes. I was excited to try the chicken because everyone raved about it. Not the greatest, or even close to the greatest. The Pork Adobo might have been the best of the litter.
But the most important part of the meal is that everyone had a good time with lots of picture taking. One more picture!

Max’s is a solid and very affordable Filipino restaurant. Service is quick and the menu is fairly wide. There is nothing here that blew my socks off, but on the flipside enjoyed all the items we ordered.
THE ORDER
FRIED CHICKEN — 3 out of 5 — Max’s fried chicken is one of their specialties and it is pretty darn good. The chicken skin is crispy and the meat juicy. You eat it with Banana Ketchup (a great filipino condiment that is slightly sweeter than normal matchup) mixed with Worcestershire and hot sauce. The resulting blend is good. I used to eat it this way as a kid and didn’t realize until much later that this is the place my parents learned it from. Dish though does lack some wow factor, every thing is well prepared but at the end of the day it still feels like chicken and nice ketchup.
BEEF SISIG — 3.5 out of 5 — Diced beef served on a sizzling plate with a cream sauce. I enjoyed this dish more than the wife. I haven’t had beef sisig in a long time and it was a nice change of pace. The creamy sauce the sisig came in was rich and flavorful and overall very nice to eat.
LAING — 3 out of 5 — Spicy taro leaves in coconut milk. This is my wife’s favorite filipino dish and we order it everywhere they serve it. This version was solid. The taro leaves were well prepared though could have been much more spicy.
OVERALL
It was nice to give this place a shot. I haven’t been to a Max’s since I was a kid and it was great to go back, thought it also showed how little the chain has grown or changed through the years.

This place is for people who aren’t fortunate enough to have Filipino food readily available to them.
The atmosphere is that of a typical Filipino gathering. A mixture of friendly staff, lively patrons and a pungent stench of the Filipino staples.
My party of 6 took a look at the menu and decided to order:
Kare Kare-​a mix of eggplant Chinese long beans beef and bokchoy smothered in a peanut based stew served with a side fermented shrimp paste; pretty average
Sisig– vinegary finely chopped pigs parts in most traditional versions snout and ears are typically used this dish was served on a sizzling plater; I would have liked it to be crispier
Palabok– thick rice noodles in a shrimp based orange sauce garnished with peeled shrimp boiled eggs green onions and fried garlic; this dish wasn’t as flavorful as I’m used to and the sauce was soupy
Crab fried rice– pretty self explanatory; had great crab flavor probably one of my favorites
Max’s chicken– this is what they are know for crispy fried chicken; another dished that could have been more flavorful and crispier
All in all this place will suffice again if you can’t get your Filipino favorites in your own kitchen

Time to get my Filipino on. Love coming with the fam bam and pigging out literally with bulaklak (pig intestine, don’t worry it taste better than potato chips), lechon, crispy pata, etc. I am a fried chicken lover and I grew up on Max’s fried chicken. Always order the whole chicken, even if you don’t think you can finish it.
This is the only restaurant I’ve been able to order bulaklak, calamansi juice, and fried chicken all at once. Do yourself a favor and order the garlic fried rice, they’ve been cooking it here forever and I can’t find its match.
The way things are done here are family style. Order a lot and share with everybody, try something new and still keep eating your favorite, there is no downside!

As newbies of Filipino food we decided to try this place. I loved the service and our waiters Ramir and Kurt were supper nice and helpful, recommending dishes to us. We ordered the chicken as its their specialty and the garlic rice. Everything was so delicious and fresh, supper tender and flavorful. It’s very affordable also, the whole chicken is like 15 dollars. I’m definately coming back to oder other dishes as everything sounded and looked so good on the menu.
Order the green dessert… don’t know what it’s called but our waiter recommended it and we loved it.

Why can’t healthy food taste like this? I’ve been here before eons ago and I was NOT impressed with the food. I believe I went in there for their «famous» chicken. It was good, but I didn’t understand the hype… Fast forward to recent years, and I tried all the other things and I fell in love. It’s not healthy by any means and if you’re currently on any sort of strict régime, this is the place to avoid. HOWEVER, carpe diem and this food … chicken skins, pork hock, crispy, tender… garlic rice full of aroma, … and their palabok! Great noodles and just my gosh this place does all these dishes so nicely! I wanted to order everything on the menu… It’s one of those place I will eat and eat even though I’m full cause it tastes soo good…
I didn’t get to try the desserts but I saw lots of people coming in here just for the halo halo and stuff so I’m sure it’s a hit. Doesn’t hurt that a lot of the people were Filipinos…

I have been to Max’s over the years. My last visit had been only a few months ago; however, this past Saturday was the CRAZIEST visit I have ever had at a restaurant. My sister and I had been craving some Filipino food, so we met here with a group of 6 on a Saturday night at about 7pm.
Reservations: I had tried to call ahead, but they don’t take reservations on the weekend.
Parking: They have a little lot and they valet; however, when we got there, the lot was full and they told us to park next door in office parking garage. In the garage, the stairs to exit were covered in cat food, cat food cans & garbage. We had to maneuver around it, going down the staircase. When we walked past the valet, they said the cost was $ 2 and handed my husband a recycled valet ticket with writing all over it.
Host: We lucked out that there were no people waiting when we went inside. They told us it would take 25 minutes, but we were sat after only 10 minutes.
When we sat, they immediately brought 4 water glasses. Remember there are 6 of us. I figured my water glass was coming the next round. Nope. My husband and I never got water.
Then, within 5 minutes, a fist fight breaks out at the table next to us. Seriously. A man attacks another man and the two of them start punching and shoving into their table. They then get up and shove into another table, breaking a glass. Everyone just sat their silently watching. Finally restaurant staff, pulled them apart and they stormed out of there. As everyone at our table looked at one another to figure out what that was about, the servers went to the table on the other side of us to sing, Happy Birthday. WOW. This was going to be an interesting evening.
Drinks: Everyone orders tea & soda. They had beer & wine, but a very limited selection.
Food: We had several at the table that had not had Filipino food, so I did the ordering. To try and cater to everyone, I got a little of everything.
2 orders of Lumpiang Shanghai (egg rolls): Pretty standard, but mine’s better.
Pancit Palabok: This is my favorite and the main reason I came here.
Crabmeat Fried Rice: Ok. I prefer garlic fried rice, but was making the table happy.
Whole Max’s Fried Chicken: Their signature dish and its good.
Crispy Pata: This was a hit with the men.
Dinuguan (an acquired taste of Pig’s blood that’s not for the faint of heart): my husband is usually a fan, but there’s is too bland (we like more peppers)
Pinakbet-​another item I was craving, but it was only ok.
Chicken Chicharon (crispy chicken skin): My sister loved this one.
Dessert:
Halo-​halo-​good and exactly what my sister, husband and I were craving.
Service: I don’t know where to begin. All of us at the table only had all our drinks full at one time (when they brought our soda & tea). For the remainder of the evening, there were always 2 people with empty glasses. My favorite was when they brought a pitcher of water and filled only 2 glasses, but left everyone else’s glasses empty (one of the glasses they filled was my husband’s empty soda glass. Husband had 2 empty soda glasses and server just assumed one of them was water). As for food service, it was the most bizarre pacing. They brought out 5 dishes fairly quickly. Then 15 minutes later, another dish. Then 30 minutes later another dish. The time between first dish and last was an hour. Seriously. This was suppose to be eaten family style. The last dish, I just wrapped up to take home because everyone had finished eating, 30 minutes prior.
I am guessing it was just a very STRANGE night because I had never had an experience quite like this. Still, if you are craving Filipino food in a casual environment that can accommodate a larger group, this is a good place to go.

Over priced filipino food!
The chicken is a must order, that’s what they’re known for. Crispy skin with tender meat.
The crispy pata is pretty good but not a lot of meat. It’s also pretty good though.
The Kare Kare could be better. It tastes like it’s missing something.
The egg rolls are addicting. We always finish it really fast.
The crab fried rice is also a good alternative to just the normal plain rice. It could be better though.
The one thing I can say about this place is that they have great customer service. I’m sure being filipino though I can name other places that will be as good but this place is not so bad.