Tags: Filipinos Abroad
By Jerico Abila
HONG KONG – Where can I find Pinoy food in Hong Kong? Any Filipino living and working in Hong Kong has had to confront this question. And almost always the answer is Mang Ambo Restaurant.
It could mean the tiny take-out stall on the third floor of World Wide Plaza, or the slightly bigger branch in Wanchai with a seating capacity of about 20. Wherever branch you get your food, you’re assured of delicious home-cooked meals like adobo and dinuguan as well as all-time Filipino favorite desserts like halo-halo and leche flan.
In a country with more than 140,000 overseas Filipino workers, there really is a serious demand for Pinoy food, which Mang Ambo Restaurant has singlehandedly been satisfying for more than 12 years.
A former bartender, Ramaliel Soabas, more fondly known as Mang Ambo, learned how to cook while helping his mother-in-law with a small food business in Hong Kong. From there he created his own recipe for success, which gave rise to an authentic Pinoy restaurant.
Not that Mang Ambo is the only place in Hong Kong that caters to Filipinos. There’s Jollibee, whose two floors can get really packed on weekends. Then there’s World Wide Plaza – where the smaller branch of Mang Ambo is located – which has about a dozen shops selling anything from balut and itlog na maalat to cassava cakes and bibingka. A similar set-up can be found in Hung Hom’s Planet Square Building and North Point’s City Garden.
There’s also a few more in the dining department – a few other restaurants catering mostly to Filipino professionals as well as Hong Kong locals and international visitors looking to have a taste of the Filipino cuisine.
There’s Cinta-J, which from the outside may look not much different from its neighboring girlie bars, but on the inside it’s an interesting case study. Located on Jaffe Road in Wanchai, Cinta-J is a popular hangout for Pinoys who want to mix food with entertainment. Kare-kare, sinigang, pancit, crispy pata and adobo share equal billing with Indonesian, Malaysian and Thai classics.
But what really sets Cinta-J apart from the pack is the live entertainment provided by an all-Filipino band. Request your favorite Pinoy songs, sing in your mind or jam with the band – the choice is yours.
Another dining option is Anchor’s Point, which pairs the unlikely duo of cheese and Filipino food. A half-Swiss, half-Filipino restaurant located in SOHO, Anchor’s Point is a popular hangout for sports fanatics wanting to share a glass or two.
Pancit palabok, sinigang and chop suey are just some of the Pinoy favorites you’ll find here. The restaurant has only been in business for more than a year but already it has attracted Filipino celebrity guests like Dolphy, Eric Quizon, RJ and La Diva.
At first glance it may look as if Hong Kong doesn’t have any Filipino food available, but in reality the country sizzles with a few treats — enough to surprise any Filipino palate.
Jerico Abila has been in Hong Kong for almost five years and is currently working as an editor for various travel and lifestyle magazines. When not stringing words for a living, he’s either exploring the beaches and jungles of Hong Kong or shopping in Shenzhen.
Read Pinoy Adventures in HK Part 2: Hikers explore a different side of Hong Kong
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Hi Godfrey, the next hike’s quite interesting. Please send me an email at jekomambo@gmail.com
hi, how can i join the trek?