Max’s Restaurant is a classic. I just think their fried chicken is the most amazing thing in the world. Fried chicken with the falling-off-to-the-bone goodness of roast chicken, if you know what I mean. We locals take it for granted, but it is something that should be tasted when you’re in the Philippines for the first time. (note: like Jollibee, they do have overseas branches. In California and Hawaii). It was absolutely a hit when my American mother-in-law visited this resto during her maiden visit to RP. Simple joys!

And because Max’s is one of my family’s favorite restos of all time, let me fill this space with the announcement of four new dishes that they’ve cooked up in their kitchen:

Pork adobo with ensaladang kangkong. Adobo is my comfort food with a capital CF. Max’s version is twice-cooked, since the meat is fried to a crisp first and mixed with savory adobo sauce. The addition of ensaladang kangkong makes this a healthy pairing.

Crispy Tilapia with choice of Tomato or Labanos (white radish) salsa. Another comfort food of mine resurrected with a few variations. I like my tilapia with skin on, and then fried to a crispy crackle, while tasting its yummy belly fat. Max’s version has been filleted, fried to a moderate crispness and coated with breading. For the choice of salsas, tomato ranges between sweet and spicy while the labanos is mixed in a mild vinaigrette and bordering on sweet and sour.
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