Savory Restaurant – Another Manila’s Heritage Lost

Never judge a Chinese restaurant by its looks. Having a dilapidated building doesn't mean that the food they serve is not good. A friend once told me that a good Chinese restaurant looks dirty because their owners focus more on serving delicious food.

I guess this is true for Savory Restaurant located along Kalye Escolta. The uninitiated will likely deride this restaurant for its shabby appearance. But they will be surprised because the place is filled with customers every evening. In fact, the parking space beside Savory is always full.

Savory Restaurant before the Fire
Savory before the fire.

This restaurant was founded by the Ting brothers at the foot of Jones Bridge in the 1950s.1 Back then, Kalye Escolta was considered the greatest commercial center in Metro Manila. Big businesses all have their main offices in this place. An old office driver told me that in the past kapag nag-Escolta ka, sikat ka (if you go to Escolta then you’re fabulous).

Sadly, this iconic restaurant burned down last Thursday.

Savory Restaurant along Kalye Escolta, Manila after the fire last Thursday
Savory is "Business as Usual" no more.

Reports say that the fire started in the kitchen. The fire went out of control and thus engulfed the whole place. Thankfully, no life was lost during the incident.

My “blogger-sense” prompted me to visit Savory the day after the fire. Fire trucks were in the area and firefighters were still putting out remaining embers.

Firefighters still at work to stop the fire in Savory, Kalye Escolta, Manila


Smoke continued to rise up from the second floor

Burnt building of Savory, Kalye Escolta, Manila

The OTB and lotto outlet beside Savory was not spared. The Polland branch beside the lotto outlet (with a big sigh of relief to its owners) was saved.

Kalye Escolta, Manila

The fire that gutted Savory was the second incident that occurred along Kalye Escolta this year. The first incident was the fire in the upper floors of the City College of Manila.

City of College Manila

I never entered Savory even though I walk along Kalye Escolta and Jones Bridge plenty of times. But that doesn’t mean that I never tasted their yummy dishes. In fact, my officemates occassionally order Savory’s lomi and pancit canton for merienda. Savory’s famous fried chicken, on the other hand, is ordered during special occasions like birthdays, promotions, and Christmas.

The owners of Savory along Kalye Escolta are yet to reveal their plans regarding their restaurant. There’s a possibility that the current restaurant will be torn down and a new (and probably modern) building will replace it. If that happens then the iconic building that stood at the foot of Jones Bridge for decades will be lost forever.

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Footnotes:

1. This info was obtain from the Original Savory website.
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North Thailand Road Trip (Part 6): Our Moon and Sun Hotel Experience (Chiang Rai)

The best thing to do after a whole day traveling is SLEEP. No night life. No going to bars. Just SLEEP. Apparently, my travel companions have the same idea so after eating fried bugs in the night market Yam and J (the Thai and Filipina) couple brought us to Moon and Sun Hotel.

Moon and Sun Hotel in Chiang Rai

Me and our Myanmar friend were assigned to a room with two bedrooms.

Our Room in Moon ad Sun Hotel in Chiang Rai, North Thailand

We had a good sleep! The place is not noisy even though it stands along the highway. I bet that the only noise that the Myanmar friend heard during the night was my over-the-top snore (which I usually unleash when I’m too exhausted). My roommate didn’t complain. I think he had a good sleep also.

Dark corridor in Moon and Sun Hotel, Chiang Rai

Moon and Sun Hotel is one the oldest hotel in Chiang Rai. It was started by Temsiri Powwattana as a 14-room hotel along Singhaklai Road.1 Now it has free WiFi, cable TV, and other amenities that a budget hotel can offer.

Logo of Moon and Sun Hotel, Chiang Rai, North Thailand

Yam did all the transactions so I have no idea how much each room costs.

What I like with this hotel is its cleanliness. Of all the places in this hotel, my favorite would be the lobby.

Lobby of Moon and Sun Hotel, Chiang Rai, North Thailand

Yam, J, our Myanmar friend, and I had no complaint against this hotel. We had a good sleep and we’re fully recharged for another day of road trip. Because of our good experience, I give Moon and Sun Hotel a thumb up and I recommend them to all tourists visiting Chiang Rai.

Moon and Sun Hotel’s address is 632 Singhaklai Road, T.Wiang A.Muang, Chiang Rai 57000. Their telephone number: 053-719279-80. Check out Google map below for the exact location of this hotel:


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1. This info was obtained from the article “The History of Moon and Sun Hotel” posted in the hotel lobby.
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North Thailand Road Trip (Part 5): Eating Bugs in Chiang Rai Night Market

Eating bugs is not a new experience for me. Years ago, when I’m still a college student, a neighbor challenged me to eat this:

Salgubang
(Photo by Pilya)

This insect is called salagubang and it usually live on trees and very abundant during summer. We usually shake the trees around our house and these insects fall like hailstones. Children usually catch these bugs and used them as toys. Adults, on the other hand, catch them and turn them into pulutan.

I accepted my neighbor’s challenge and eaten one fried salagubang. Well, it was crunchy and salty. I admit that I almost puked it out. The eeky factor was still there.

In Thailand, our generous Thai friend Yam gave us a similar challenge. He asked us if we are brave enough to eat these bugs being sold in a night market in Chiang Rai:

North Thailand - Yummy Bugs in Chiang Rai

I was up for the challenge but our Myanmar friend was hesitant in eating any insect. He preferred to eat the normal food being sold in the night market.

North Thailand - Stall selling bugs in Chiang Rai Night Market

To convince our Burmese friend to accept the challenge, Yam bought the easiest bug meal in the menu which is the silkworm. He also bought some fried cricket. Yam paid 30 Baht for every plate of the fried insects.

North Thailand - Prices of bugs in Chiang Rai Night Market

Did our friend tried out the bugs? The answer is “yes” after much prodding. I guess the sight of these bugs unnerved him.

North Thailand - Let's eat bugs in Chiang Rai Night Market

The fried silkworm and fried cricket tasted OK. They are crunchy and salty and they’re good partner for the beer that we drank that night.

I think I will not eat the fried bugs during normal days. Maybe I will eat them when I’m desperately hungry or maybe when I’m in Cambodia.

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Read more of our adventures in North Thailand:

North Thailand Road Trip (Part 1): Lampang’s Hidden Gem
North Thailand Road Trip (Part 2): A Taste of Chiang Rai’s Kôw Soy
North Thailand Road Trip (Part 3):Coffee Time at Le Petit Café
North Thailand Road Trip (Part 4): The Bizarre White Temple of Chiang Rai
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North Thailand Road Trip (Part 4): The Bizarre White Temple of Chiang Rai

There is a man who so wanted to be remembered after his death that he built the most weird temple in the whole of Thailand. That man is Chalermchai Kositpipat and the weird temple is Wat Rong Khun.

Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai Province, North Thailand

The weirdness starts with the temple’s color. White is rarely used in traditional Thai temples. All the temples that I visited: Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Lampang Temple, and the UFO-like temple in Pathum Thani; are awashed with gold. Chalermchai departed from this tradition and made gold to represent money and worldly desires while white represents purity.

To further demonstrate that point, Chalermchai painted the toilet with gold.

Golden Toilet at Wat Rong Khun complex, Chiang Rai, North Thailand
The Golden Toilet

I think that this is the most beautiful toilet that I had ever peed in.

The weirdness doesn't stop there because located around Wat Rong Khun are things that will never be seen in a traditional Thai temple like the statue of the Predator…

Predator at Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, North Thailand

…and the head of Batman.

Batman's head in Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, North Thailand

Even the “No Smoking” sign was also beyond the usual.

No Smoking sign in Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, North Thailand

I’m not sure, though, if the skulls can scare smokers from doing their usual yosi habit.

I read in other blogs that pop culture references and are also painted within the White Temple. So, instead of seeing images of Buddha and traditional Buddhist/Hindu icons, visitors will see Hello Kitty, Superman, Michael Jackson and even the New York Twin Towers being bombed by airplanes. These untraditional murals represent the woes of modern world such as war, greed, and corporate branding.1

I didn’t enter the Temple so I didn’t saw those not-so-Buddhist images. You may view some it in an article in MSN.

Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai, North Thailand

The White Temple has a small lake around it. Kind of a moat where a water dragon resides…

Water dragon at Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, North Thailand

…and fishes too.

Feeding the fishies in Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, North Thailand

The funny thing with these fishes is that they are fed using the baby bottle.

Feeding Koi fishes in Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, North Thailand

I had to cross the bridge before I reached the White Temple but before I can do that I had to pass through these hands:


The outstretched hands represent those who were damned in hell.

Hands and more hands in Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, North Thailand

The Hands of the Damned is the scariest artwork in the whole area. Too bad that Chalermchai didn’t place a statue of the Hell Girl beside these hands.

Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, North Thailand

The bridge to White Temple represents the path to eternal bliss (in Buddhist teaching). It is guarded by Death and Rahu, who decide the fates of the dead.1

Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, North Thailand

The White Temple is not actually devoid of Buddhist/Thai traditional art elements. It boasts of three-tiered roof, Nagas, and the images of Buddha are located in many places.

Visitors to Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, North Thailand

Chalermchai placed fragments of broken mirror on the walls of Wat Rong Khun thus making it shine under the sun.

Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, North Thailand

Chalermchai continues the construction of other buildings for Wat Rong Khun complex. Aside from the ubosot (main temple), which is now standing, Chalermchai plans to build a house for the monks to make the place not only as a tourist spot but also a full-blown Buddhist temple.

Statue in Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, North Thailand

Wat Rong Khun is indeed bizarre. It is a perfect break for tourists who are already temple-tired after visiting one traditional Thai temple after another. Chalermchai’s artistry for this temple is really good but it still failed to “captivate” me. As for me, the best Thai temple for me is the traditional ones.

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Travel Notes:

1. Admission is free for Wat Rong Khun and anyone (even foreigners) can freely enter the place. Of course they accept donations and you can do that by throwing your money to this golden wishing well:
[ins Wishing Well]

2. Wat Rong Khun is a temple despite its appearance so each visitor is expected to show respect and wear proper clothing.

3. The place is also a tourist spot so souvenir shops are available in the area. There are also restaurants and other shops that sell food. So, tourists need not be afraid that they will be starved at this place.

4. Taking photos inside the ubosot or the main temple is strictly prohibited. Postcards showing the not-so-Buddhist murals inside the White Temple may be bought at the souvenir shops in the area.

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North Thailand Road Trip (Part 3):Coffee Time at Le Petit Café
North Thailand Road Trip (Part 5): Eating Bugs in Chiang Rai Night Market

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Sources of information for this post:

1. Bizarre and Beautiful: Inside Thailand's Wat Rong Khun Temple in MSN website.
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North Thailand Road Trip (Part 3): Coffee Time at Le Petit Café

The best thing to do after a sumptuous meal is to eat some desserts. So, after enjoying a delicious lunch of Kôw Soy our generous hosts, the Thai and Filipina couple Yam and J, brought us to Le Petit Café.

Le Petit Cafe in Chiang Rai

I’ve been to Thailand for many months now but this was my first time to enter a coffee shop in this country. I guess I’m being too cheapskate.

Inside Le Petit Cafe, Chiang Rai

Le Petit Café is more European than Thai so European tourists will feel at home in this shop. I guess this is the best place for Europeans and Americans to relax after visiting so many Thai temples.

Of course, there’s still a hint of Asian/Thai:

Jars in Le Petit Cafe, Chiang Rai

Le Petit Café offers coffee, tea, and homemade pastries. They have tables and chairs outside (perfect for smokers) but we chose to enjoy our coffee inside the cafe.

Tables and chairs at Le Petit Cafe, Chiang Rai

I can’t remember the coffee flavor that I ordered. What I do remember is that I ordered a cold coffee drink.

Cold coffee from Le Petit Cafe, Chiang Rai

There is nothing special about the coffee of Le Petit Café. It’s just like the other coffee that I tasted in other coffee shops. What I do like about this coffee shop is its coziness.

Another thing that I like with Le Petit is the wall where customers can leave their thoughts.

Messages on the wall of Le Petit Cafe, Chiang Rai

I hung a tissue paper where I said: “Mas masarap pa rin ang kapeng barako ng Batangas” (Coffe from Batangas still tastes better”.

Pretty flowers at Le Petit Cafe, Chiang Rai

Outside of the coffee shop is a garden full of flowers. My favorite is the flower (in the above photo) hanging from a tree.

We had a relaxing afternoon at Le Petit Café. I guess we had a perfect stop before we continue our road trip around North Thailand.

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Read more of our adventures in North Thailand:

North Thailand Road Trip (Part 1): Lampang’s Hidden Gem
North Thailand Road Trip (Part 2): A Taste of Chiang Rai’s Kôw Soy
North Thailand Road Trip (Part 4): The Bizarre White Temple of Chiang Rai
North Thailand Road Trip (Part 5): Eating Bugs in Chiang Rai Night Market
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