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Food, Restaurants
Maty’s - Don Galo’s Original Barbeque and Tapsilog
I don’t usually make it to the inner (more like western, or coastal) reaches of Parañaque, so it was a treat for me when two native Parañaqueños (who actually grew up in the area when the area was a bonafide probinsya: there were still rice fields to explore and clean rivers to swim in) invited to me a sinangag dinner at Don Galo. Hmmm… sinangag and Don Galo: the first association that came to mind was the ubiquitous chain of small carinderia-type restaurants called Don Galo’s Best. I figured it could be the only one, that the branch we were going to was the very first incarnation of the store, and that, if for some reason we didn’t make it to Don Galo proper, we’d still be able to have the same experience at one of the many branches all around the South (there used to be one along President’s Avenue, and there’s another near Pilar, a tiny hole in the wall often patronized by the local tricycle drivers, if the vehicles outside are any indication).
How very wrong I was. Turns out that the reason why there are claims to be Don Galo’s *best* tapsilog is that there’s an actual stretch of Quirino Road in Don Galo that’s lined with tapsilogans (or tapsihans) as far as the eye can see (well, OK, I exaggerate. But they definitely appear one after the other, and across the road from each other: think stores selling espasol, buko pie, and lambanog in Pansol, or funeral homes along Araneta, or car shops along Banawe. Some places just develop a strong local industry, I guess). We were going to best and most popular of these (according to my native guides), Maty’s.
Apparently Maty’s is running such a roaring trade in silog meals and barbecue that they can’t fit all their customers in a single store: there are three of them clustered along one area, much like the Wok-Ins lined one after the other in Ermita. And—would you look at that!—all three were pretty much full when we got there. We parked along the road outside one branch, then walked back to what my hosts said was the absolute original branch (the sign did say “Experience the Original Taste of Parañaque’s Best Tapa and Barbeque.” Original it is, then).
We squeezed ourselves around a table at the back and ordered tapa (P35), barbecue (P12 per stick), and some rice and fried egg (as a meal, tapsilog costs P48 and barsilog costs P25; our meal also came with the requisite “katas ng medyas” (sorry, not translating that one, it’s rather unappetizing taken out of context) free soup).
The tapa was a simple affair, of the “nginuya na para sayo” (translation: already chewed for you) variety, with small chunks that greatly resembled corned beef, like the more familiar Rodic’s tapsilog we used to gorge on almost daily (ah, college living, so unhealthy!) at the UP Shopping Center. The difference was, these chunks were bigger and a lot more solid (in fact, being the sort of person who doesn’t like litid in my food, I found the meat a bit tough), and taste wise, they were a lot beefier. When put together with fried egg and sinangag, though, I was ready to forgive the tough meat and enjoy Maty’s version of this old Pinoy standby.
The barbecue, which they grilled right in front of the store, was very good: the cuts of pork were large and thick but relatively flat, no meat curling around on the stick, making it easier to bite through the meat without getting a mouthful of fat in the process. The marinade was on the salty / spicy side (not sweet), and it went well with the silog, though I ate mine off the stick, without rice.
While we ate, we watched one of the waitresses work through a tub of soaked garlic, peeling the stuff that would undoubtedly flavor the next batch of sinangag. Occasionally someone from the street would walk in and make the rounds of the tables, asking for food or spare change; new diners would come in, groups of students having lively conversations, or solo flight diners come to silently brood over their silog meals.
Ambiance wise, well, there’s really no ambiance to speak of, which is exactly what you’d expect from a neighborhood tapsihan… if anything, it reminded me of those small hole in the wall restaurants you find in provincial towns and cities, attesting to the erstwhile rural nature of this place (along the way, more proof: gorgeous old bahay na bato and American era haunted houses line the inner streets). My little visit here has inspired me to explore this place even more, preferably with a knowledgeable tour guide like Mrs. L, one of the Maty’s trip promotors. After all, aside from the churches and houses and coastal restaurant compounds (ie, Dampa), there are all those other tapsihans still to try.
Maty’s
Don Galo,
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hello. im new here. :) sarap naman yung nasa pictures.. yum yum.. :)
hi elaine!
welcome to southbound! :)
I remembered when I was a kid lage kame dito dumadayo ng neighbors ko to eat dinner.Dito nagsimula ung tsismis na tapa kabayo daw yung sineserve pero hindi nagpa affect mga customers pumupunta pa din sila ehhehe
Hi Iysa!
actually i’ve heard that tsismis also and as a young child di ba you tend to believe anything you hear. But really…noon iba ang texture at lasa ng tapa nila di ba?…malinamnam…very tender…. ah basta.. i still crave for Maty’s tapsi every now and then
Hi Elaine!
Naku! there are more to yummy yummy articles coming! Welcome!
hi there!
matys surely brings back a lot of fond memories of high school.
i went to st paul, just down the street and after classes, hungry that we all were, we took the jeep to matys then after a really really heavy merienda (or early dinner, yeah right), we would walk all the way back to st paul just in time to ride our school buses and head home.
btw, my first time there was with a native don galo person and she taught me the best sawsawan for the matys tapa.
you mix the ketchup with vinegar then add some salt then crush one sili. the perfect mix of sweet, sour and salty.
yum.
nicki,
that’s exactly the sawsawan our miss jo, one of my “hosts” mixed for us! grabe, traditional maty’s sawsawan pala talaga sya. i took a picture of it, but a blob of ketchup isn’t very photogenic, so hindi ko na na post. but boy did it taste good!
im looking forward to going there again. hahaha.
anyway, this is such a great site. im enjoying losing myself in the articles.
keep it up.
hi again,
was wondering how to contribute articles for southbound.
i have some good recos for potential food trip stops. :)
I loove Maty’s! We used to eat here on our way home from school (Taft to BF). We could’ve passed a different route but we won’t be passing by Maty’s (& let it tempt us!) if we did, hehe.ü
I miss their tapa.. & yes, I used to believe that it was tapang kabayo, hihi..
nicki,
great! we welcome contributors with open arms hahaha! i’ll send you an email and include you in our contributors pool egroup. feel free to send us suggestions and we can set which articles you can prepare. yay!
caryl,
wow, that must be love kung sinasadya nyo yung route na yan… medyo matraffic pa naman dyan, hahaha! sabagay, pag na traffic ka, that’s a good excuse to stop and eat para “magpalipas ng traffic” hehehe…
Hehe true! And to think na I’d still eat there when all the while (then) I believed it was tapang “kabayo”, hehehe ü
I miss Maty’s… I remember going here para manlibre ng mga pinsan… mura lang kasi at sobrang nakakbusog… :) I love this site… makes me proud to be from the South!
Hello..Merong kamag anak ang Maty’s Don Galong sa Clovis, CA they named it “Inang’s Tapsi”. I’ve been in both places Maty’s have the sweeter taste but since I love sour taste I go for the one in CA. They said that it was Maty’s recipe nga lang di nila ginawang sweet. Merong picture frame ng Maty’s sa restaurant nila.
i just want to ask how much is the franchise of MAtys adn all the expenses needed. Im interested to make a franchise of MAtys
hi! How much is the franchise of Don Galo’s & Matys’?
Thanks
hi! i just want to share that there’s a branch of maty’s along molino road in bacoor, cavite right in front of camella springville entrance. it’s a small place (2-3 tables) usually frequented by camella residents. it’s just a short drive from alabang (via daang hari route). we usually go there to buy take-out tapsi and bbq, when we can’t ignore our tapsi/bbq cravings. =)
bluefairy,
thanks for the info! :D
iryn and hansel,
we weren’t able to get a phone number for the branch we visited, but try inquiring at any branch to see if they do franchising. :D
michelle,
that’s fascinating news! i’m sure our pinoy friends living in california will want to try inang’s tapsi out! thanks for the link!
cheri,
thanks! south rules! :D
batang don galo ako at ninang ko si ka maty the ang lasa ng tapsilog at orig ang dating kahit gayahin kulang soya ang niak otid sa olag nod ang paras!!!! baliktad
sir, open ba to for franchising? txt call me 09192954501
hi raymell,
we don’t have a contact number but maybe bryan can help you since ninang nya si ka maty. :) bryan, do you have a contact number for the original owners?
Sorry for the late respond. Thanks Betty! Yeah madami ding pinoy na nagpupunta dun sa california yung iba talagang mga taga Paranaque pa. Di ko lang sure about the franchising pero iresearch ko din. :) Go TAPSILOG!!!!
Hi! Me contact number ba ‘yung Maty’s? We would like to feature them in our show Us Girls sana. If you do, kindly text or call me at 0923-3533679. Pls, pls. Thank you so much!
hi weshlynne,
sorry, we still don’t have a contact number for the folks at maty’s! i’ll ask a paranaqueno friend to get it soon. :)
Hi
I miss your tapa’t sinangag and bbq. pwede bang malaman ang secret kung bakit masarap ang pork bbq ninyo? :0)
Wow… thanks for this post! Now I’ll head to the local GOODAH here in Glendale, CA. Nothing compared to Maty’s but it satisfies the cravings for a very homesick pinoy!
The “chismis” of yore about “tapang kabayo” was what made Maty’s even good… because the meat was so tender and it really melts in your mouth… it was then I am sure with the commercialization of the place a lot of changes have happened especially to the meat.
Thanks for posting this…
Sarap talaga yan… Miss ko na kumain sa Matys… Da Best!!!
hi, am so curius on don galos tapang kabayo., May restorant akong napuntahan they also serve tapang kabayo its along pacita ave., pacita complex. Joshuas place name ng store formelrly leos tapsi., they also serve tapang kalabaw. very tender & meaty ung tapang kabayo & tapang kalabaw nila
any balita on Maty’s contact number or franchising info? interested din po ako! thanks.
hi, can i get the number of the owner of matys im interested to franchise. i soo love the food
ask q lng po how much cost ng franchising??? nd san q po kau m contct??? or txt me nlng po 09167687858….tnx po…gus2 q po kc mg franchise near skul at de lasalle dasma…
hope your ready for frnchising just call or txt me po 09167687858 i want this business and i want matys introduce to all cavitenio and cavetenia…
It’s masarap! so i just want to know if how much the franchising fee just email to me or call my celfone number @ 0915-4498462 or 0919-8548253. Thank you so much.
hello,
Laking dongalo ako but now nasa california na ako…..ako as a tubong dongalo proud ako na merong tapahan na ganito ka sikat s alugar namin….nakasama ko na rin si nanay maty ka lola sya ng bestfriend….but she past away i think september 2006……napakabait ni nanay maty kaya pinagpala at tinangkilik ng mga tao ang kanyang carinderia….but now lahat ng anak nya ang nagmamanage ng carrinderia and passed it to all the legitimate family members…..
i grew up in don galo and next door neighbor namin sina nanay maty..(may she rest in peace)..anyway kamiss ang tapa nila..sa gabe food trip kame bili kame madaming tapa at kanin…syempre may dagdag lahat..i dont know kung nag franchise sila kase i know lahat ng matys e family member lahat nag ma-manage..from the three son’s of nanay maty (3 branch sa dongalo) and some from nanay matys grandchildren…kuya jerry salazar is the person to be contact i believe…kase xa ung eldest child..anyway i miss don galo and tapsilog….with vinegar , ketchup, a bit of salt and hot chili…wow sarap naman talga…
Hi Matys,
Im interested in Franchising. Dito lang ako sa Kanto ng Fortunata Village Sucat.
Pls send me details about the franchise.
Try to visit their website… http://matys.biz.ly
i would to ask kung ngfra-franchise ba ang maty’s??
or even don galo how much po din ang franchising…
Im interested in Franchising. Dito lang ako sa Kanto ng Fortunata Village Sucat.
Pls send me details about the franchise.
hello, im interested in franchising. please send details about the franchise… thank you very much
Ilan po ang branches nyo ? Francise po ba ito?
I miss matys, naalala ko pa mga 20 years ago araw araw dumadaan ang sidecar nila sa tapat ng bahay namin na nasa batya na punong puno ng BBQ at tapa tapos idedeliver sa quirino. Tsaka naalala ko na laging naghohost sila ng padasal doon sa deguzman street (kung saan nila ginagawa yung prep work ng BBQ at tapa). bong malate parang kilala kita. Also yung tapahan dito sa california eh nagbibigay respeto sa tapa from don galo as featured sa TFC adobo nation
hello, Im interested in Franchising. Pls send me details about the franchise.
nag-pa-pa-franchise ba kayo?
Hi!u can call me Dan,I’m from bacoor grew up in pasay.Pls.contact me asap. Im interested in Franchising. Pls send me details about the franchise.plano ko sana sa pasay maglagay.
Thank you.
hi.. im from langcaan dasma, im interested in franchising. pls send me details about the franchise.. pls email me asap.. salamat
hi.. im residing in roxas city and im interested in franchising.. pls send me some details. thank you
greetings…..I represent the Heealth and wellness club, and we have organized the BF Homes Paranaque Organic weekend market, held every saturday, at the covered gym court , along Pilar Banzon Street, beside the clubhouse in phase 1……..And we would like to invite your company to participate in our weekly event as exclusive barbeque dealers….you may contact us at cel no. 0935-9543483, 0917-8115064 and landline 393-3770…. hope you can join us… thanks….. Andrew Yu (organizer)
hi…open po ba maty’s for franchise…..
pakisend nalang po yung details about the franchise kung open pa po!
pasawaynicky@yahoo.com
09164072088
i just want to ask how much is the franchise of maty’s adn all the expenses needed. Im interested to make a franchise of msty’d im msrls ydeliza de guzman.. pls im waiting for your reply…. or pls send it tome via txt.09088887564 thnx im really inteested in franchising…
good day!
ako po ay si marla de guzman , i’m from bacoor cavite, gusto ko po sanang itanong kung magkano po ang franchise sa inyo…. umaasa po ako sa inyong sagot sa lalong madaling panahon.. salamat po. God Bless…
Pls..pakisend ASAP ung details bout franchising kung magkano at kung saan pwd kau kontakin. ty
Hi. Like you guys i’ve heard rumors about the maty’s tapang kabayo also. It just came to me that why butcher a horse for its meat if a horse costs 10 times a cow and has less meat? :D
Hi all, I’m originally from this place> Was born and raised here. I believe they don’t do franchising. I hope they do. So I can start my own Maty’s hehe.
pa share naman po nr recipi ng tapang don galo
Hi po!
I’m intrested na mag-franchise ng Maty’s here sa may Molino Blvd. Cavite! Sana po contact me asap kasi I’m really intrested! 09287886510