Annamae Chua-Juan made sure everything would run smoothly. As the branch owner of Max’s Restaurant in Dumaguete, she and her staff spent the entire day checking everything for the soft opening happening that night. The storm and the haze from Indonesia have hindered shipments of their equipment and ingredients, delaying the opening from coinciding with the Buglasan Festival to Oct. 26. Annamae’s determined not to further the wait.
That night, guests poured in the Paseo Perdices; Max’s Restaurant at its helm, surrounded by congratulatory bouquets of gerbera daisies. The staff directed families to their tables: the Chuas, the Lees, the Juans, the del Prados.
In between, bank personnel of Asia United, Metrobank, Security Bank; the government officials Vice Mayor Woodrow Makiling, Vice Governor Mark Macias, City Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria, and their entourage mingled among themselves–all the guests in a woven language of chat and banter, under the warm brown hues of brick and wood of the resto.
A jolly man walked up the east side of the room–microphone in hand; the boulevard behind him.
As Public Relations manager of Max’s, Bobby Simborio welcomed the crowd. He shared the story of Max’s: how a Filipino and his mother shared homemade fried chicken–and 70 years strong, how they kept that tradition.
Annamae wrapped a white apron around her neck to prepare for what every Max’s opening entailed: the ceremonial chopping of the chicken. A round wooden slab was wheeled to the forefront; the chicken trailed after. Annamae, with a cleaver at hand, smiled for the press and split the bird in two. The staff wheeled the chicken into the kitchen, and marched back out, glasses of red wine for every table. The toast was proclaimed and the cheers were exchanged. “Thank you for sharing your stories,” Bobby said. With that, the dinner commenced.
Eggplant, pechay, and succulent pork composed the kare-kare–partnered with the lumpia shanghai which graced every table. Trays, each carrying plates of the combo meal–a quarter-cut of the signature chicken, a whorl of pansit, and a melt-in-your-mouth caramel bar–floated above the guests’ heads, delivering dinner to every patron. The room hummed with jovial chatter; it grew with every customer’s bite. “I know Dumagueteños are huge fans of food– mahilig daw kumain ang mga Dumagueteños,” said Bobby, at one of the marble benches of the Paseo’s interior. “We are just here to give good service to our customers…Our biggest rewards is to see our customers go out with smiles and new memories about the brand and the restaurant.”
When the evening had died down, Annamae smiled. The dinner flourished; guests shook her hands and beamed hearty smiles. She looks over to see her staff huddled at a corner, spraying orders for improvement. She joins them. The night may have gone well, but it’s just the beginning. (Lurlyn Mae Carmona & Christian Renz Torres/ SU Masscom Interns)
