Manila Sunset
Manila Sunset is an American chain of Filipino-themed restaurants targeted towards overseas Filipinos. It mainly features foods from its culture and places its seven locations in areas with the highest concentration of them, namely Southern California and Washington.[1]
 | |
 A location in Cerritos, California | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Foodservice |
| Founded | 1985 in Los Angeles, California |
| Founder | Ben Halili |
Number of locations | 7 (2023) |
Area served | |
Key people | Jay Halili (owner) |
| Website | www |
The restaurant is family-run and family-owned. Its ingredients are made from scratch and mostly shipped in from the Philippines.[2]
History
The chain's first store opened in 1985, on Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard, inspiring the restaurant's name, along with the idea that Manila was known for its sunsets. The founder, Ben Halili, who migrated to the United States from the Philippines, intended to provide food for Filipinos in the United States who had missed the food of their ancestry. Halili had previously owned a restaurant called "Mami's Best." It then became popular with people of other cultures, not just from the Philippines.[1] Ben's son Jay Halili took over the business later.[2]
The restaurant's West Covina location temporarily closed in 2016 due to a cockroach infestation.[3]
Menu
The restaurant's website displays the following food items:[1]
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Locations
As of June 2023, Manila Sunset has seven locations, with six in Southern California (Cerritos, Los Angeles, National City, North Hills, Rancho Cucamonga, and West Covina) and one in Seattle.[2] It is not currently planning on expanding.[1]
Reception
The chain has been praised by the Los Angeles Times for its exotic and inexpensive menu.[4] The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin also gave a positive review.[5]
References
- "Official website". Manila Sunset. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
- "Find Filipino comfort food at Manila Sunset". Asian Journal. 2018-06-19. p. 14.
- Baer, Stephanie K. (2016-10-07). "Cockroach infestations shut down these 6 San Gabriel Valley restaurants". Pasadena Star-News. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
- Jacobson, Max (1994-01-20). "Big Cajun and Philippine Tastes Come in Small Venues". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
- Cohen, David (2016-03-09). "Restaurant review: At Manila Sunset, a rare find for IE foodies: Great Filipino cuisine". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
