Boy Ching Woo Restaurant — Restaurant in Caloocan

I've always wanted to go here if only to say that I've been to one of the oldest restaurants in the country. I'll never go back.

The place was very hard to find. Parking is close to impossible since the streets are very narrow. There is a shawarma stall in front of the restaurant. A Chinese restaurant that serves shawarma. That should've been warning enough. There was a van directly in front of the restaurant entrance which was being overhauled. Parang talyer ang dating.

There was a function upstairs so we were forced to eat downstairs. There was no air conditioning. The seatcovers were filthy. When I was about to sit, a cat ran from under the table. May pusa sa loob ng restaurant! I could tell my wife didn't want to eat there anymore but we traveled so far. The battered menu was hardly legible. The bathroom upstairs was filthy. This place probably has thousands of cockroaches partying every night. We didn't even drink their water since we were concerned about the cleanliness of the place.

The food was ok. Battered chicken was good. Lechin con tokwa was ok. Lumping shanghai was good. You had choice of fried rice. Yang Chow and Fried rice. When we asked what the difference was, the waiter said yang chow was yellow and fried rice was white. Food coloring lang. Labo!

Their service was weird. The waiter initially wanted us to write our orders on a piece of paper. We didn't finish anything we ordered. When we asked them to wrap up the leftovers, the waiter put the chicken and shanghai together in one plastic bag.

It's sad to see places like this. They could capitalize on its heritage but they just...

I used to often order food from this establishment during the late 80s up to the 90s. I distinctly remember how delicious their battered (buttered) chicken was. Now, the flavor seems ordinary. Maybe the recipe was not passed on properly or they are scrimping on ingredients. Nevertheless, their pansit is still good. They have a shawarma booth by the entrance but it's not a specialty of theirs. Parking is difficult so it is better to visit the place at night when nearby establishments are...

This restaurant's pancit selections are beyond ordinary. I've tried several pancit dishes here and everything is delicious.

I particularly like the pancit alanganin with thick noodles, pork lechon chunks, and its rich sauce.

Boy Ching Woo's battered chicken also goes well with their Yang Chow Fried Rice.

When you're in Caloocan near the city hall, look for this restaurant which is just around the corner. Be surprised and pampered with its...