More at Max’s

It’s best known as the home of world-famous Max’s Fried Chicken, but Max’s of Manila is quite accommodating when it comes to meeting customer demands and expectations, and vegetarians are welcome. The dishes are cooked to order here, and several of them can be requested sans the meat (just ask your server), so you can just let the chickens go home to roost.

Asparagus and Tofu ($8.95) complement each other quite well, and at Max’s they’re sauteed with wood ear mushrooms (black fungus) laced with ginger and sesame oil. It’s a colorful, appetizing yet simple preparation that lets the fresh, tasty spears take center stage while the mushrooms and cubes of tofu shine in their supporting roles, making this a sure bet for an encore the next time you visit the eatery.

A cool, crisp salad fits the bill anytime, and Max’s Ubod Salad ($6.95) is a popular concoction. It’s made with coconut heart of palm, which is crisp like bamboo shoots but sweeter (without that sometimes unpleasant odor bamboo shoots can emit, which some people don’t care for). The heart of palm is cubed, mixed with raisins, tossed in a very light, creamy sauce (which contains mayonnaise), topped with pineapple and served on a bed of fresh lettuce, so it’s crunchy, a little sweet and a little tangy.

So, there’s much more here than fried chicken and crispy pata. Let’s give Max’s a round of applause.

And right now, with graduations in full swing, Max’s of Manila has its catering menus ready and plenty of space available for all those private parties.

Max’s of Manila

801 Dillingham Blvd. (also in Waipahu Shopping Plaza)
951-6297
Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m.