My first memory of San Juan, before it became a city, was Erap. Yes, Joseph Estrada was its mayor for twenty years, from the mid-Sixties to just after the EDSA Revolution. When he was, fortunately or unfortunately, replaced. I remember receiving a phone call sometime in 1986, it was gruff, and I clearly remember thinking it was a joke.
Pwede ho ba makausap si Atty. Enriquez? Si Erap ito.”
I nearly laughed out loud. But then I remembered that my dad was his lawyer. I hurriedly gave my dad the handset (no cellphones yet then!) and they had their conversation. Not too long after, Erap was elected Senator, then Vice President, and then President. Of course we all knew what happened next, but I do know that he became Mayor of Manila, after his house arrest. That’s the former leader of San Juan!
The Side-Street Culinary Boom
His municipality is now a city, and it has certainly prospered. The highlight of San Juan still is, as it has been for half a century, Greenhills. The brand new and beautifully constructed Greenhills Mall certainly is peak San Juan. What with all the brand new stores, and a multitude of restaurants. And much as I love visiting Greenhills these days, what really fattens my heart, and yes, my stomach, are all the restaurants popping up in the city’s back end and side streets.
P. Guevara, Abad Santos, Mabini, and many more. The roads aren’t as wide as you’d find in Makati or BGC, but that’s the beginning of the charms. Old houses, transformed into stunning new restaurants. But keeping that sense of esteemed social status, yet at the same time, more casual than formal.
There’s the ultra popular Guevaras, as well as Eat Fresh, Menya Kokoro, and Lobby 385 for grand buffets, Chinese, Japanese, and great steaks! Mabuhay Coffee, which is open 24/7 for the most interesting concoctions, and much much more. But there are two restaurants I love, loved for a long time now, before the pandemic, and both are doing so well. Cafe Mabini and Francesco’s.
They are located on the same lot on Mabini St, let Waze guide you there. You’ll find two restaurants that deserve to be visited again and again.
Cafe Mabini: All-Day Comfort and Creative Silogs
The first, smaller of the two, is Cafe Mabini, and it’s an all-day breakfast joint. It’s cozy and quiet, but with its loyal clientele filling up the tables, less than ten of them, at all hours.
And what a menu they have, a sprinkling of everything, really. “Rice and Shine” for all the Silogs, from Tapa to Lechon Kawali to Taiwanese Adobo, with my top choice, the Spanish style Garling Dulong: SilverFish, served warm, with two eggs of one’s choice. It’s amazing, and the fact that there’s a lot of Dulong in the serving, means I can take it home for breakfast the next day!
The cafe also serves a variety of toasts, healthy bowls, and a variety of bigger breakfast plates, meant for sharing. All day meriendas and Chef’s Specials are also available all day, along with hand-stretched pizzas, and I always order the Garlic Chorizo Hubad, a deeply satisfying native pizza topped with homemade smoky chorizo.
Francesco’s: Authentic Italian Heritage and Unforgettable Pasta
Why is this pizza so good? It’s simply because it’s made in the same oven of its sister restaurant, Francesco’s! Now this restaurant, originally built by an Italian, is home to many groups, including, every weekend, a biker group led by Kim Atienza. The reason is simple: the food is simply good, nothing too fancy but all done very well.
My favorite pizza in Francesco’s is the Peach & Prosciutto, with mozzarella and stracciatella, perfectly toasted and served with the cheeses melting, coating the fruit and protein. Each bite is a stretch, a rewarding cheese pull. There are many more: Frutti di Mare and Parma and Tartufata al Formaggi, the last one, for Truffle fanatics!
The main courses are purely Italian, from La Bistecca Fiorentina, a Tuscan style grilled T-bone steak, to the Pollo al Matone, their bestselling signature marinated chicken, grilled under hot bricks! And the pasta? Unforgettable. The Duck Ragout Pappardelle, flat pasta with duck and stewed mushroom is a priority, but my numero uno? Salsiccia di Penne: in the creamiest tomato sauce? Housemade Italian Sausages! I can still taste it… magnifico!!!
And the desserts? The Panna Cotta and Tiramisu are both impeccable, along with the Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie, this one, I believe is both a favorite in Francesco’s and yes, next door at Cafe Mabini.
Worth a trip? You bet. And I will not be surprised if San Juan, that tiny city, will be your next culinary adventure, as you go up and down and explore all the goodness it has to offer.
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