The case of the chicken upstaging a veteran actor

There’s a running joke that goes at JT’s Manukan Grille that the delicious chicken they serve has upstaged its very famous owner, veteran actor Joel Torre.

Front view of the new branch in Tagaygay

In more ways than one, this is true—with eight branches so far in and out the metro, JT’s Manukan has built a solid name for itself, with happy customers who come back for more once they’ve tasted the sumptuous food items the chain offers.

“What sets us apart from the rest is that my wife, Cristy, and I are really from Bacolod so we brought to JT’s Manukan the different flavors and most famous recipes from our province, as well as the ambience,” Torre told the Inquirer on the sidelines of the launch of the chain’s latest branch in Tagaytay the other day—its first outside Metro Manila.

The initials “JT” stood for the actor’s name, who after finding stardom in the movies seemingly found yet another avenue to share his skills in the form of this humble yet very popular roadside restaurant.

Unlike many of the entrepreneurs today who expand their food chains as aggressively as possible, opening branches left and right, the eponymous owner of JT’s Manukan is taking his sweet time to expand the business.

Of the eight branches of JT’s Manukan Grille, five are company owned and three are franchised, including the newest branch in Tagaytay (located at Kaybagal South, Aguinaldo Highway 4120). In the eight stores they have, some 120 workers have found employment.

With three floors and 800 square meters of floor area, the Tagaytay branch is the biggest yet among all the eight JT’s Manukan branches. Proof of how delicious their food items are is how many bigger food chains have tried to acquire the business from them.

“We don’t want to sell out. My initials are in the name of the brand and if I learned one thing from my dad it would be that we have to take good care of our respective names,” the actor-turned-entrepreneur said.

That’s not the only thing he learned from his parents. Torre recalled how he grew up with food around him, with his mom in the business of selling packed lunch in their town in Bacolod. 

But while Torre is still super hands-on in the business, the star of the show remains to be the grilled chicken Inasal, marinated and prepared the way Ilonggos have been cooking it for generations.

“The best compliment we’ve ever got and we’ll ever get is when we see diners smiling, enjoying their food, and coming back for more, again and again,” said Torre, who isn’t about to leave showbiz anytime soon (he just got a part at the latest “The Bourne Identity” movie being shot in Manila).

Indeed, after all, while customers may initially come because they know it is owned by one of the country’s most experienced and revelled actors, it is the sumptuous gastronomic finds that drive them right back and make them loyal ambassadors of the branch that is truly Pinoy and truly delicious. 

*** This article is an edited version of the one that was published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on March 19, 2012 under the Project BIG section. ***