Classic Pinoy restaurant among the '150 Most Legendary Restaurants in the World'
Classic Filipino restaurant The Aristocrat has been recognized as one of the 150 most legendary restaurants in the world.
The restaurant, which has been serving up traditional Filipino dishes since 1936, was praised by TasteAtlas for its "unique gastronomic journey" and its "popular Lumpiang Shanghai."
The lifestyle website noted that each place on the list offers “a unique gastronomic journey that is absolutely worth embarking upon at least once in your lifetime.”
“We are proud to represent our country's wonderful food culture!” beaming with pride, The Aristocrat announced the feat in a Facebook post on June 30, inviting Filipinos to celebrate their achievements with them.
Emerging to the top of the list is Vienna, Austria’s Figlmüller, a restaurant founded in 1905, with its iconic dish, the Schnitzel Wiener Art.
Included in the top 5 are Katz's Delicatessen in New York for its Pastrami On Rye, Warung Mak Beng in Indonesia for its Ikan Goreng, Mexico’s La Polar for Birria, and L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele in Naples for the Pizza Napoletana.
Other popular restaurants on the list are Taipei's Din Tai Fung, ranked 28th, and Japan’s Ippudo, ranked 60th.
“These are establishments that have remained relevant and highly regarded in an ever-changing culinary landscape,” TasteAtlas said. “Our list celebrates these enduring icons of gastronomy, the restaurants that prioritize substance over the show, serving honest, no-nonsense food that is simply delectable.”
TasteAtlas added that all the restaurants on the list “stood the test of time,” not giving in to the temptations of trendy gimmicks as they continue to celebrate their own branding of traditional, high-quality cuisine.
Engracia Cruz-Reyes founded The Aristocrat in 1936, making it one of the oldest homegrown restaurants in the Philippines. The first Aristocrat operated as a rolling store using a Studebaker van, and its menu centered on traditional Filipino dishes.
In addition to Lumpiang Shanghai, The Aristocrat is also famous for its signature barbecue chicken served with peanut sauce and java rice, kare-kare, crispy pata, and more.