The ‘Pares Retiro’ You’re Looking For Is From The Original Pares Mami House In La Loma, Quezon City

The Original Pares Mami House offers nostalgic slowly braised beef

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Next time you feel the temperature drop and the cold breeze touch your skin, think about the warm, savory, slightly sweet, garlic-y flavors from The Original Pares Mami House.

Unlike other pares spots, this restaurant has been serving the quintessential pares retiro everyone’s been talking about since 1989.

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The original roadside pares

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You can’t miss the restaurant’s red and white building in N.S. Amoranto St.
Image credit: The Original Pares Mami House

Every corner of the metro has a place that claims they serve pares retiro. However, if you want to try the authentic version, head on to N.S. Amoranto Street in La Loma, Quezon City.

Fun fact, years ago, Amoranto St. was actually called Retiro St; that’s why people started calling the dish pares retiro, because it was literally the pares made in Retiro.

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Pares, mami, siomai, and more

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A typical order of pares retiro
Image credit: The Original Pares Mami House

Ordering food in this restaurant is pretty straightforward, just head to the counter and say you’ll have the pares. You can also add sides, such as siomai and siopao.

The Original Pares Mami House siopao
Image credit: The Original Pares Mami House

You also don’t have to worry about ordering rice since pares literally translates to pair in English, because the slow-cooked beef stew is always served with fried rice.

An order of Chinese-style fried chicken
Image credit: Treblig Lael

You can also try their Chinese-style rice meals, like garlic chicken, chop suey, and beef broccoli, or the noodle version of pares, called mami, which has a thinner soup base served with thick noodles instead of rice.

Special mami with braised beef chunks
Image credit: Orlee Passion

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The dining experience

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Dining at the first floor of the restaurant
Image credit: Hector Crisostomo

The pares mami house still has a traditional carinderia setup, where the kitchen and order counter occupies the center and most significant area of the ground floor.

Plexi-glass dividers are placed during the pandemic
Image credit: Ariel Policarpio

You can find a spot to eat on the outer portion of the first floor, with additional seating on the second floor at select hours.

One thing to note is how other customers might stand near your table while waiting; this is because the place is fast-paced, and it isn’t considered rude to wait for other people to finish their meals so you can immediately sit down after them.

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The classic comfort food

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Pares retiro will always have a special place in the hearts of Filipinos from the metro because of its distinct taste and nostalgic elements.

Next time it rains, or gets cold, indulge yourself with some sweet and savory street-style beef stew.

Check out these other food spots:

• Filipino comfort food in Makati
• Filipino food in Tagaytay
• Chinoy food in Sampaloc, Manila

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Cover image adapted from: Joana Villegas, The Original Pares Mami House