Three Sisters' Restaurant of Pasig: Heirloom Recipes and Tradition

Three Sisters' Restaurant of Pasig known for its delicious pork barbecue and other home cooked Filipino food is one of the oldest restaurants in Manila that stands in Kapitolyo area.  Founded by a matriarch named Lola Rosa, its history can be traced way back 1941 as Three Sisters' Refreshment Parlor – a name derived by a famous brand of talcum powder. While WWII put a halt into its operation for a while, foiled with passion and unyielding optimism, it opened its door once more and carried its current name from then on.

With an arsenal of family recipes handed down from generation to generation, Three Sisters' Restaurant of Pasig is known as one of the institutions in local restaurant scene.

Prior to my recent visit, I honestly have not been to Three Sisters' Restaurant of Pasig despite its proximity to where I reside and my palpable affinity for pork barbecue. But recommendations from friends compel me to take heed to the invite to try the restaurant’s offerings.

Housed within the walls of a simple ancestral house, stepping into the vicinity of Three Sisters' Restaurant made me feel as if I was attending a family gathering filled with good food and people. It was a Saturday noon and the place was bustling with people from all walks of life.

 

There are two places in the house where the magic happens; the kitchen and the front porch which serves as a makeshift grilling area. 

Watching the food attendants grilling despite the warm weather and the heat that comes from the grill, it amazes me how they still manage to put a warm smile on their face. 

"I've been working here for nearly 8 years ma'am, some of our colleagues have been with the family for long they lost count of the years. We are happy here." says Arnold while neatly arranging pork barbecue and chicken grilled by his grill partner for the day, Ruel. 

That answered my question. 

Inside was a long table holding the display of gastronomical feast alongside old and new photos that speak history of the institution. Every table was served with the delightful feast.

Mr. Paul Pike, grandson of Lola Rosa and currently the great talent behind Three Sisters' was kind enough to visit every guest in their table and chat up a bit about the restaurant. Food and family history - always a delightful topic in my book. It was a great lunch, I tell you.

Staying true to the tradition of serving good food, we were fed with select dishes in hefty serving portions. To use the word generous can be a bit of an understatement - but for them, they are just living the tradition.

The Pork Barbecue was served on our table and just by the aroma of it, I already knew I was in for some serious business. I got my own list of the best barbecue in Manila neatly tucked in my keep for those days when intense craving hit me and grilling at home is not a possibility. Right after tasting Three Sisters' Restaurant own rendition of Pork Barbecue, I felt a great deal of loss not having them on my list all these years. 

The pork was tender it easily yields to a soft bite. The ratio of fat to lean meat was just perfect enough to provide juiciness to the string of meat on the stick. The flavor has a perfect balance of sweet and savory. No wonder Three Sisters' Restaurant become famous for this. It is Lola Rosa's original recipe after all.

The Grilled Liempo on the other hand carries the same flavor as the barbecue. It feels like it has the same marinade hence the similarity. Its tenderness although not as astounding as the pork barbecue I deem noteworthy on its own. Soy and calamansi were provided but even without it, I could finish off a serving or two of this liempo on its own.

The Pancit Bihon is also Lola Rosa's own recipe and is one of those which Three Sister's' Restaurant is known for. Again, I never wonder about that fact since this is probably one of the best pancit bihon which I have tried. The overall flavor is hinting with shrimp while the crushed pork rinds generously poured over the top lends not just texture but meaty flavor as well.

Crispy Pata and Kare-kare is definitely one of the most well-loved Filipino dishes of all time. If one could not quite decide on what to have when dining at Three Sisters' Restaurant, they could resort into having the Crispy Pata Kare-Kare instead and feel great about life.

As the name implies, it is literally a big slab of Crispy Pata sitting atop of Kare-Kare sauce peppered with veggies known for Kare-kare. I tell you, some of my companions were already having dessert, but I was still munching on the crisp skin of the pork. It was that good.

Although Three Sisters' Restaurant really know how to treat great meat dishes, they also do well when it comes to vegetable dishes. Their Pinakbet has a perfect savory flavor you would instantly crave for a bowl of steamed rice. The vegetables were perfectly cooked as it still posses the snappy bite into it.

For dessert, we were served with chef Paul's Leche Flan. Although it looks like the usual flan one can see in any restaurant or food establishments, this one got a dense texture and not overly sweet flavor. Normally, a spoonful or two of leche flan would be enough for me since I usually find the sweetness too cloying, but this one, I had to make an exemption since I was able to finish half of the entire serving. 

We also had Three Sisters' Halo-Halo. It was told that years ago, it was the Japanese who taught Lola Rosa how to make halo-halo. Since then it has become part of the menu of Three Sister's Refreshment Parlor, and to this day, it still brings happiness to patrons of Three Sister's Restaurant.

Having tried some of the dishes at Three Sisters' Restaurant of Pasig, it made me wish that I should have visited and tried them out earlier. The food which I have tried were all good and it made me feel confident about the other items on their menu. The food attendants were friendly and accommodating. The prices are very affordable. 

We were told that in the coming days, they will soon branched out and open another branch somewhere in Quezon City. They will also move their store in Kapitolyo soon, but still in the same area. In that case, I am more excited to visit them again soon.

Three Sisters' Restaurant of Pasig

8 East Capitol Dr., Brgy. Kapitolyo,
Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Contact Nos.: (02) 631-9247 and +63 917 636 2134
Facebook: Three Sister's Restaurant of Pasig
Instagram: @threesisterspasig