Pan de Amerikana

I've always been interested in the upside-down Pan de Amerikana branch along White Plains, but never got around to trying it out. I found myself visiting Pan de Amerikana's Marikina branch instead. The Marikina branch was huge and densely decorated. You will find a lot of interesting pieces here and there :)

Here is the store facade:

Restaurant Facade

They had a huge windmill at the front too. So you probably won't miss the place!

Windmill

This is the order counter, the restaurant is self-service and they don't do service charge; but you do have to line up a bit (especially when there are a lot of buyers at the time -- not only those who're dining in). At the time of our visit, their system seemed to be down, so they only accepted cash. Good thing we had enough cash to cover the bill! It was all good :)

Order Counter

Here's the main dining area; see the upper wall with a lot of frames? Those are photos of showbiz personalities when they were younger! Imagine Herbert Bautista, Vic Sotto, Bella Flores, Dolphy, and a whole lot more. Those who're fond of the Philippine movie and TV industry will definitely be intrigued :)

 

Main Dining Area

Showbiz personalities in their younger years

Dining

Other dining areas also had different design details. But in general, they worked with a lot of wood, antiques, old photos, bringing it all together in a quaint/quirky fashion.

 

A more outdoor dining ambiance

 

Chess tables and windmills

 

 I really loved this area where there was a huge chess board and chess pieces! Very interesting and very Alice-in-Wonderlandish, especially for Saia :)  We had a good time playing in this area :)

Huge chess board and pieces

Family chess

Now, on to the food. Definitely, this restaurant is value-for-money. They serve Filipino dishes, or lutong bahay delights. They have a Family Platter, which is only served Saturdays and Sundays. The platter includes Shrimps, Mussels, Eggplant, Pork BBQ, Bicol Express, liempo, inihaw na bangus, okra, and kangkong for P650. Because the Bicol Express is a supposed best seller, we added 2 orders, plus a Pork Sisig.

We enjoyed the Bicol Express and Pork Sisig the most -- The Bicol Express was perfectly spiced, not too oily, and the meat didn't have much fat. Pork Sisig was crunchy and oily, but really yummy nevertheless :)

Dessert included Turon with Langka, Saba con Hielo, and Halo-Halo. They were all okay, but not super extraordinary.

Drinks!
Red Iced Tea - P20
Calamansi Juice - P30
Shakes - P35 to P45

Family Platter - P650

Bicol Express - P60

Pork Sisig - P160

Saba con Hielo - P35

Turon Langka - P25

Halo Halo - P50

Here's a copy of their menu:

Menu

If you want to enjoy affordable Filipino lutong-bahay food in a quaint setting and with good ambiance, Pan de Amerikana is definitely a good option :)