Ma Mon Luk restaurant is named after its owner, Man Mon Luk, a pioneer Chinese-Filipino chef and entrepreneur. He established Chinese food in the Philippines, and he named the restaurant Ma Mon Luk. In 1918, he migrated to the Philippines to earn money and win the girl’s wealthy Cantonese family. Ma Mon Luk sells her specialties, like chicken noodle soup and egg noodles. He became famous on the streets of Manila. 

Ma Mon Luk soon opened her first restaurant in Binondo. He introduced his famous siopao and steamed pork dumplings with a secret sauce. Ma Mon Luk continues to sell his product on the streets; he promotes his restaurant by giving away free samples to the people. By the 1950s, Ma Mon Luk had become an iconic Chinese restaurant, sprouting a lot of imitators who hadn’t been able to match his success. In the mid-1990s, there were at least six Ma Mon Luk restaurants in Metro Manila. But when 2006 came, only the branches in Benavidez Street, Manila, Quezon Avenue, Qc. And Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo, Manila. remain open. Ma Mon Luk died on September 1, 1961, due to throat cancer, but even with that, the restaurant continued to run, and they decided not to change all the things that the restaurant has, including the interior of it, the uniform of the employee, and lastly, the smell of Ma Mon Luk, which gives you a glimpse of the past. He succeeded the Ma Mon Luk generation.

The specialty of Man Mon Luk is their special soup and special siopao because of their taste. The quality of mami is not typical, but it comes from a Chinese recipe inspired by Filipino recipes. Their soup is perfect for warming you up, especially during the rainy season, and can warm you up in the morning, which can truly wake you up and comfort you after a long day’s work. The soup base is well balanced, not too salty or bland, allowing you to taste the other ingredients, and their serving will surely make you full. 

On the other hand, the partner of their special soup, of course, also has the special siopao, which is surely a must try. The fluffy steamed bun envelops a generous feeling of savory pork or chicken, and in just one bite, you literally taste the meat inside of it. It is the best representation of “Siksik Liglig at Umaapaw,” the best expression of abundance in Tagalog. 

Overall, Ma Mon Luk restaurant is a testament that even though there are a lot of new things in the market, we will always go back to our original favorite snacks.

 By: Francesca Julia Simbulan, Jaderiel Mith Reyes