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It’s Party Time at Max’s of Manila

Columns Lite Bites

August 19, 2012

Story By: Yu Shing Ting |

Max’s Fried Chicken (half-pan $53.95, full-pan $107.95). Photo courtesy of Max’s of Manila

Max’s of Manila is known for its delicious Manila-style Filipino cuisine, including its signature Max’s Fried Chicken.

Located in Dillingham (near Costco Iwilei) and Waipahu, it’s also family-friendly, clean, and there’s plenty of parking. There’s also a catering menu for private parties or takeout.

Some of the popular catering menu dishes are Lumpiang Shanghai (half-pan $57.50, full-pan $112.95), Pancit Palabok (half-pan $39.95, full-pan $78.95) and, of course, Max’s Fried Chicken (half-pan $53.95, full-pan $107.95).

Lumpiang Shanghai is a traditional Filipino egg roll with a pork and vegetable filling, and served with a sweet-and-sour sauce. A half-pan of this all-time favorite appetizer consists of eight orders for a total of 128 bite-sized pieces, and the full pan is 16 orders for a total of 156 pieces.

Pancit Palabok is a traditional noodle dish featuring a thicker rice noodle, ground pork and squid, a seafood base sauce, and topped with ground chicharron (fried pork rind), fried garlic, boiled eggs and green onions. A half-pan order feeds about 20 people.

Then there’s Max’s Fried Chicken (half-pan $53.95, full-pan $107.95), which is served with a banana ketchup dipping sauce. Seasoned in a secret sauce, the chicken is deep-fried for a crispy exterior, and is tender, juicy and flavorful inside. The half-pan order has four whole chickens chopped into 24 pieces.

Other customer favorites are Lechon Kawali (fried pork belly), Kare-Kare (oxtail beef stewed in a peanut sauce), Pancit Bihon (stir-fried rice noodle) and Crispy Pata (crispy pork shank).

For private parties, the Waipahu location can seat up to 200 people, and the Dillingham restaurant can seat up to 150 people, including a private room for 20 people. For parties of 40 people or more, the food is served buffet-style. Table linens, an LCD projector and screen, and microphone and speaker also are available.

Founded in 1945 by Maximo Gimenez, a Stanford-educated teacher who befriended American soldiers stationed at Quezon City at the time, Max’s started as a cafe for the troops to eat, drink and hang out. Initially serving chicken, steak and drinks; it was the chicken created by Gimenez’s niece Ruby that became an instant favorite and continues to be today. Since then, Max’s of Manila has expanded to eight locations in the U.S., two in Canada, two in Dubai and more than 120 in the Philippines.

Max’s of Manila

801 Dillingham Blvd. (next to Costco Iwilei)

Waipahu Shopping Plaza
94-300 Farrington Hwy., Suite F-1

951.MAXS (6297)
maxschicken.com

Dillingham
Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Waipahu
Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Honolulu, HI 96817

Westgate Shopping Center, Waipahu, HI 96797

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