Pares Retiro in Cubao

Metro Manileños, except probably the really affluent, have eaten in a Pares House at least once in their lifetime. That is a really made-up statistic by the way. Be it an after-party snack, a night shift worker's full mid-day meal, or just to satiate the late night munchies, 24 hour joints like these dot the entire Metro Manila. America has diners, we have Pares Houses!

This not-so-little-place along P. Tuazon in Cubao looks like a very popular dive where locals flock to. It doesn't appear to be open 24 hours but it does close way into dawn. 

It's a pretty big operation: A fair number of servers that were very easy to call the attentions of; A security guard that also serves as parking attendant; And it has it's own jingle. I kid you not, they have a jingle that gets played after about two songs from their audio setup.

There is no AC in the place but it does have several electric fans and an industrial size blower. There is an air conditioned room at the back that ominously has heavily tinted windows. We went here at about 12 midnight but there was still a smattering of diners. There were a couple of SUVs parked out front and there was one foreigner dining at the counter near us. 

The Pares was full of actual meat with some tendons and ligaments added in for flavor. It was slightly sweet, the right hint of Star Anise (not overpowering), and just the right saltiness. Bottomline it was not super special but it was pretty good. The garlic rice had that good toasted garlic flavor but the bits added on top is kind of overkill. 

You can get any of the "Baby" orders where the beef pares is partnered with anything from an egg to chop suey. The egg was overcooked but the chop suey was very good. The vegetables were crisp and the sauce was savory. They also have several "silog" meals and the tapa tasted really hearty. Siomai, however, was forgettable.

Cubao, even with the revamp of the Araneta Center, is still lagging behind with the other celebrated business districts but it is definitely not rife of the holes in the wall. Maybe that's exactly what will make it stand out? 

17th Ave, P. Tuazon Street Cubao, Quezon City.

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