Ma Mon Luk: Home of the Original Mami
We always see food spots and concepts come and go. But some stand the test of time (and even the pandemic). So I want to feature and celebrate these institutions in this series, Legends of Manila. Today, I’m featuring a noodle soup chain that I used to visit when I was younger.
When I was a kid, my dad would sometimes fetch me from school and we would eat merienda (snack). My school was conveniently located beside a popular Mami (noodle soup) chain. We would eat there for a delicious bowl of noodles, Siomai (pork dumplings), and Siopao (pork bun). This chain happened to be an institution that my dad used to eat at when he was growing up. The mami chain is Ma Mon Luk.
Ma Mon Luk
Ma Mon Luk is named after its founder, who was a grade school teacher from Guangzhou, China. He migrated to the Philippines in 1920, and arrived without money and employment. So he started selling mami, peddling it on bamboo poles with two metal containers just like a Taho (silken tofu with syrup and tapioca pearls) vendor.
It is believed that Ma Mon Luk invented the noodle soup that many Filipinos enjoy nowadays. There’s even a legend that the word mami is a combination of “Ma” (the founder’s name) and “Mi-ki” (egg noodles).
Celebrities who have visited Ma Mon Luk
Using two pairs of scissors, Ma Mon Luk would cut the egg noodles and meat for his customers, usually college students. When he saved up enough money, he opened a shop in Binondo, Manila, where he also introduced siomai and siopao (although he would continue to peddle his famous mami). The shop was first named Ma Mon Luk Mami King.
Soon, Ma Mon Luk (the chain) opened several branches. But today, I believe they only have one branch at Quezon Avenue (near Banawe Street) in Quezon City, which we recently visited.
Inside Ma Mon Luk’s Quezon Avenue. Not much has changed in its interiors.
I ordered the classic Original Mami. It has delicious, comforting broth and al dente noodles. Admittedly, the broth can use some seasoning. So I added asado sauce (a sweet sauce that’s also for the siopao), calamansi, hot sauce, and white pepper. And that made the broth tastier.
Original Mami (Regular: PHP150; Large: PHP160)
The siomai is meaty and filling. It’s a bit sweet for me (at least during my recent visit) but dipping it in soy sauce with calamansi balances it. And I believe it used to be bigger.
Siomai (2 pcs.: PHP80)
The siopao is likewise meaty. The bun may not be the fluffiest I had but it’s tasty.
Special Siopao (PHP100)
Ma Mon Luk is truly a classic. Some might find the soup on the plain side, but I find it tasty and comforting (and nostalgic). If you haven’t been to original mami place, then do a visit soon. I highly recommend this place to you.
Address: Quezon Ave. (near Banawe St.), Quezon City, Philippines | Operating Hours: Daily, 9AM-8PM | Contact No.: 8712-3560 | Facebook