Max’s of Toronto: does it compare with Manila’s?

Whenever we talk about Max’s Fried Chicken in Toronto, the question we often get asked is: Is it the same as the one in Manila? We eagerly awaited the restaurant’s opening a couple of years ago to find out if it satisfied the cravings and homesickness for delicious Filipino food. When it first opened, they only had service for dinner. The line-ups went beyond the front door, and there was a considerable wait (sometimes, beyond an hour) to be seated. Folks sometimes drove from more than an hour away just to get to the Dufferin and Steeles location. We had a visitor from BC once whom we took to Max’s, so that could well be among the farthest places Canadian customers can come from.  After all, this is the first (and only one so far) location in Canada. Dining at Max’s Toronto definitely beats flying over to Manila just to have fried chicken. 

The menu pretty much looks the same except for the prices. A whole chicken would cost about 40-50% more (depending on the exchange rate) in Toronto. Maybe the chicken in Toronto speaks French? Surely, labor and other operating costs are more expensive here. On the other hand, this is almost about the same price as a half-chicken at Swiss Chalet (even if that came with rolls and a side dish). It all boils down to what you feel like having – fried or rotisserie chicken – and how much of a premium you are willing to pay.  Then again, some people are just not into fried, I suppose.

Anyway, they have all the basics here as well—lumpiang ubod, pancit, kare kare and all the comfort food that reminds one of home. There is sinigang as well as the all day Tapsilog breakfast. Not only catering to Filipinos, Max’s also has people of other nationalities dining there (mostly as guests). Filipino hosts surely have picked one of the best places in Toronto to introduce guests to their cuisine.

Pancit Palabok

Even if we try out the other dishes in various occasions, fried chicken and garlic rice remains a staple in our order. Golden-fried, the skin is always crispy and the meat very tasty. And when dipped in Jufran banana ketchup mixed with Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, it is absolutely yummy! Over the past couple of years that we have been going there, the quality has been consistent. The other dishes are good as well. I would recommend their Crispy pata, which is among the house favourites.  We also like the tapa.

Tapsilog

For dessert, while the ube ice cream and leche flan are good, the ingredients are simply not sufficient for a satisfying Halo-Halo. There is too much gulaman and not enough of nata de coco, kaong, beans and others ingredients. The presentation is good, though, and it does refresh. And I believe they also serve their classic Caramel bars, but we haven’t tried them yet.

Wanderlusting Mama’s verdict: Yes, it comes very close to Max’s in Manila, if not the same. A “Sarap to the bones!” treat.