Classic Savory: A perfect fusion of Filipino and Chinese cuisines Being one of Filipinos’ oldest trading partners, the Chinese have brought to the country some of their native dishes, which Filipinos have come to love as their own.

Chinese immigrants in the early days have further influenced the Filipino palate by putting up eateries serving mostly noodles called ‘pancit’ derived from the Chinese term “pian i sit,” which
literally means convenient food.

Migrating in the Philippines in the 1930s, the Ting Brothers from the Fujian Province of China came to learn about the Filipinos’ fondness for the noodle dishes from their country.

After the war, they set up a panciteria, first in Quiapo, which mainly served pancit lomi. After a while, with the panciteria’s increasing patronage, the Ting Brothers put up a bigger eatery which
they named the Savory Luncheonette, or Savory for short.

They then created an additional dish which would become a favorite among its most avid patrons.
That is, the Chinese fried chicken with special gravy, which the Savory Luncheonette would become
well-known for even decades after its first serving.

The second generation of Tings from the side of one of the brothers, Antonio, would soon relaunch the restaurant as the Classic Savory, whose branches are now conveniently situated in malls to make
it more accessible to diners.

The 80-outlet strong Classic Savory restaurant chain still uses the same Chinese chicken recipe of
the first Savory eatery to cook up one of Filipinos’ all-time chicken favorites – the Savory Chinese
fried chicken.

Now known as the Classic Savory Chicken, the dish has stood the test of time – unchanged, timeless… truly a classic. Coming up with the restaurant’s signature dish entails marinating fresh chicken in a secret blend of spices, and then frying it to perfection – making sure that it stays tender and juicy inside. Pairing it with a generous serving of equally delectable gravy makes the Savory Chicken an enviable dish of all restaurateurs in the country.

Meanwhile, Savory’s pancit lomi would be the forerunner of today’s best lomis and has become a classic dish in Classic Savory restaurants. Savory’s original lomi recipe has also been preserved for generations of foodies to enjoy. It has become the Filipinos’ ultimate comfort food with its hearty, thick noodle soup relished with vegetables, seafood and meat.

The Filipino-Chinese restaurant also came up with other dishes, which have been created or adjusted
with the Filipinos’ discriminate palate in mind.Needless to say, the resto has become known for these contemporary dishes as well. These include the Pancit Canton, Pata Tim, Shanghai Rolls, and many more.

 

Classic Savory Marketing Manager Dennis Ting said, “While many of our older patrons have fond recollections of our chicken being their parents' favorite take-home treat, Classic Savory has evolved
into more than our Classic Savory chicken and Lomi. People come here for our other dishes as well. In fact, if you ask Classic Savory diners what their favorite is, you can get as many answers as there
are customers.”

Ting shared that Classic Savory’s Product Development head Larry Mallari collaborates with the resto’s Head Chef in coming up with the new dishes. He added, “The new dishes then go through a panel composed of Classic Savory’s Management Committee, with the main consideration for the dish selection being its taste. Each dish has to be able to stand alone and not just play support to our other hero products.”

What makes Classic Savory dishes appealing is that, while they are of Chinese origin, they have the taste and flavors that Filipinos love as well. For one, Classic Savory’s Crispy Pata Tim, one of its relatively newer dishes, has also become a bestseller as it combines a much-loved Filipino favorite
with the classic Pata Tim.

Ting added, “Ensuring the best quality of food at the restaurant is a central commissary that takes care of all our branches’ requirement, with all chicken, meat and vegetables delivered fresh daily by our suppliers.”

All told, probably the main reason why Classic Savory and the Savory tradition has endured and become a part of the Philippine foodscape is because it has served delicious comfort food that the whole family can enjoy.

“Filipinos love to eat, that’s why we make sure the food we offer is something they will want to come back for,” Ting said.