His complete name is Jose Rizalino de Leon Torre. But among moviegoers, he is simply Joel Torre, one of the country’s finest actors. Today’s generation knows him as Teodoro “Teddy” Arevalo/Juan Verdad in the top-rated television series, “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.” He was also Soliman “Sol” Olivar in “On the Wings of Love.”
What most Filipinos don’t know that he and his wife Cristy is behind the famous JT’s Manukan Grille. This Negrense restaurant serves chicken inasal and other dishes from Bacolod.
In the beginning, Joel and Cristy were experimenting with various ways of marinating chicken that they learned from their respective parents and aunts. What they wanted was a grilled chicken that was only tasty but also succulent and fresh-tasting at all times.
After several studies, they thought they had perfected it. And so, they launched the inasal and some other recipes in a space at one of the properties of the Vera Perezes. What started as a small stall on Ortigas Avenue Extension in Quezon City in May 2003, it has now blossomed into a full-service restaurant that is flourishing in almost big cities in the country.
One time, I got a message from him that he was coming back to Davao City. “Can you attend the launching of my restaurant in Davao?” I heard of such restaurant in Manila but never has a chance of going there whenever I am in the country’s busiest city.
Since I haven’t tried the authentic chicken inasal from Bacolod yet, I answered affirmatively. I never made it to the launching but I did come on the following day. The restaurant is located at Zone C Unit 6, Damosa Gateway, Damosa Complex in Lanang. (The second branch is located at Mabini Street.)
On why he started such kind of restaurant, Torre replied: “We love food and we love eating.” But seriously speaking, he thought of the business as a fall back, something he could do should he won’t be active in the showbusiness anymore.
“If you become older, your market value goes down,” he explained, adding that looking back, he made the right decision. “I had a certain talent fee as an actor,” he said. “Now, from my business, I got more cash than from being an actor.”
According to Torre, he sees to it that all his branches live by what he calls as 4 M’s. No, you’re wrong. It doesn’t stand for “matandang mayaman madaling mamatay.” But rather, it means: “masarap, mura, malinis, masaya.”
Let’s take a closer look at each:
Masarap: Meaning delicious, a term used to describe the Ilonggo dishes from Bacolod. “Our specialty dish, inasal, is deeply marinated chicken grilled to perfection,” its website pointed out, adding that it is grilled to a crisp on the outside, tender and juicy in the inside. “We cook it with care, well done, not rare,” it said. “One bite of it brings you to the City of Smiles.”
Aside from chicken inasal, the resto also offers kansi (beef bone marrow and vegetable soup) and batchoy (noodle soup), the latter is perfect for rainy season. Other well-known dishes include apan-apan (kangkong) isol (chicken ass) and sate babi (Ilonggo version of the kebab).
Mura: No, it doesn’t mean cheap but affordable. “Meals start at P150 upward,” it said. “Definitely affordable for the whole family and barkada. If you’re looking for good food with an affordable price, JT’s Manukan is definitely the place to go.”
Malinis: People love to eat in those places not only having excellent menu but also clean. “(It) stands by the food’s quality,” the website said. “Our food is prepared with authentic ingredients, some even shipped all the way from Bacolod. We make sure that we serve healthy and fresh dishes that are brought to our customers with outmost care and love.”
Masaya: The Tagalog term for happy. “(The resto) has been a staple place for family occasions, dinner with friends and even romantic dates,” the website pointed out. “We have the right ambiance for you to enjoy good food as well as good conversations.”
Some branches have been opened in some tourist destinations like Boracay and soon Siargao in Surigao del Sur. “We cater to tourists, particularly foreigners, who are eager to get the Ilonggo dining experience without having to fly all the way to Negros,” Torre said.
