Mabuhay Fast Food Restaurant - Serving Great Filipino Favorites
Restaurant Review by Ken Stewart, The Guam Food Guy
July 2001

When Lucy A. asked me if I'd ever reviewed a Filipino restaurant, I responded that I'd not, and told her that many of Guam's Filipino population have told me the best Filipino food is either in the Philippines or at their homes! She then invited me to try Mabuhay Express on Route 16 in Harmon, and when I did, I definitely understood why home-cooked freshness is essential to enjoying Filipino food.

Lucy and I were joined by Gennie I., and it was their express purpose to "educate" the "Guam food guy" on a cultural cuisine that I'd paid too little attention to in the past. Once seated, I was given a glass of Gulamon, a popular, semi-sweet, refreshing iced beverage with gelatin. This drink is free with the meals at Mabuhay Express, and costs $1.00 on its own. While enjoying my Gulamon, I watched this lunchtime crowd swell and line up at the counter for their fast food selections. The parking lot was already overflowing and still more people were coming. Their fervor almost seemed religious, so intent were they on getting to this food!

What was the draw and why was this little restaurant so popular among Filipinos? The secret can be attributed to one word, "passion." The passion of Arlene Madrazo, owner, who, along with her husband and co-owner, Roland, shares this passion for cooking excellent food and working maniacally to "get it right," all the time! This day I learned to appreciate preparations made with taro leaf ("gatang lahing"), heart of the banana ("puso saging"), "Bistek," "Tokwat Baboy," jackfruit, milkfish in guava soup, Beef Mechado, and a fried shrimp vegetable patty called "ukoy" - foods that can best be described as "na masarap" (delicious!). Moreover, I was astonished by the phenomenal success of their second venture, Mabuhay Canteen, located in the front parking lot of Johndel Supermarket in Dededo, where their "famous" BBQ Pork sticks are drawing customers from as far away as Agat and Talofofo!

You'd not be able to tell from the green banner with yellow lettering that Mabuhay Express is a restaurant with a future. Located on the ground floor of the Pangelinan Building just north of GPA's main office, the French paneled front door invites you on a culinary journey into the culture of the Philippines. A cafeteria-style, glass-protected serving counter with food pans filled with about 10 entrees awaits the customer's selections. This fast food counter is value priced, with single item meals starting at $3.50, 2-choices at $4.50, and 3-choice meals priced at $5.75.

The dining areas have bamboo plants, bamboo curtains, and bamboo pole wall decorations that transform this concrete building into a more comfortable and natural environment. The woven wall paintings depict country still life scenes. Everything is simple, and the wooden tables are made to seat four people.

Most westerners seem leery of trying Filipino food, since most of it seems (and is) unfamiliar as well as unidentifiable. Fortunately, my gracious guides, Lucy and Gennie, helped me with their explanations and descriptions of the food. In life I've learned to have an open mind along with an open mouth!

The "gatang lahing" was a tasty blend of chopped taro leaf mixed with coconut milk. It reminded me of collard greens.

The "puso saging" (banana hearts) were made with coconut milk, squash, and long string beans. This was a rich tasting dish, and I liked the treatment of the banana stem and other vegetables. The jackfruit was cooked with pork and coconut milk, and I was impressed how easily a simple mixture can yield interesting flavors. The "Tokwat Baboy" was made with braised tofu, vinegar, soy sauce, and tender pieces of pork, from the pig's ears. This was certainly an interesting way to meet my protein quota! The Bistek (Beef Steak) was easier to understand since it resembled more of a beef stew. It was made with garlic and onions, and has a thick brown gravy consistency. The meat was tender and flavorful.

We were soon joined by Arlene Madrazo, owner, who began explaining the many cooking processes involved in her preparations. Her style of cooking and concern for freshness assured that the food quality was maintained, and that the pans in the hot table were promptly replenished, so that foods did not sit for prolonged periods. One dish she wanted me to try was milkfish in guava soup, a first for me. It was unusual, with the fruity sweetness of the guava blended in a broth with green beans and tender fish. It was good. I was told that Arlene makes home-cooked meals in the "Laguna" style, making foods creatively, in ways that aren't normally found in other restaurants.

The Beef Mechado was made with tomato sauce, red peppers, and onions. It was tasty, and not hot unless you happened to bite into one of the peppers. The beef was tender from its long cooking in the tomato-based stew. One of the eating rituals was to be sure to keep pairing the meat and vegetable dishes with rice. It may have something to do with how the blandness of the rice gives a balance to the spicy, rich flavors of the various main dishes.

My last item was "ukoy", with was one of the more unusual looking preparations I'd seen. It was a reddish-orange mixture of vegetable ingredients and flour that was deep-fried, with a whole shrimp in the center. Part of the color could be attributed to the sweet potato used. It was not my favorite dish, and it required more work to cut since the frying "welded" the ingredients, making it quite chewy.

The hours for Mabuhay Express Fast Food Restaurant are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday. I enjoyed myself at this small, family-run eatery (call 649-2949). Although I totally enjoyed myself at this lunch, I would have been lost without the guidance of Lucy and Gennie. My advice to Westerners is to go with a Filipino friend who can help you understand these interesting foods that are made with usual and unusual ingredients.

The Madrazo's other fast food business is their Mabuhay Canteen, located in front of Johndel Market in Dededo. When you arrive you'll see a large bbq grill under a canopy, next to a small canteen with a walk up order window. Usually there will be a cook or Roland busily turning pork skewers over the coals. The meat is marinated over night in a secret blend of spices. The final product is a BBQ skewer that has made this couple famous, with people calling Arlene the "BBQ Lady" and Roland (formerly of Guam Hilton) the "BBQ Guy." It is juicy, has an outstanding flavor, and is probably the largest skewer sold on island. The $1.25 price is very reasonable...these folks are generous. No wonder folks will come from Agat and Talofofo just to get their BBQ!

Other items available here are Gualaman ($1.00), Halo Halo ($2.50), arroz caldo ($2.00), and white rice. A dinner plate for $5.00 includes 2 scoops of rice, 2 BBQ skewers, and pancit on the side. Mabuhay Canteen is open seven days a week, from 2:00 pm to 10:30 pm, and they pride themselves in pleasing customers with their incredibly good pork BBQ, which has a taste so distinctly theirs that customers can not be fooled with substitutes. One can't help but appreciate the passion that the Madrazos have for making quality foods. They are making a name for themselves and establishing a reputation for excellence. This is how food service legends are made.