From the moment Joseph Ang and his wife Levi chanced upon a parcel of land on the corner of 10th Avenue and Del Mundo Street in Caloocan City, they knew they were onto something special. Their son, JR, shares, “My dad has a great pulse for businesses and investments, and when he saw this lot, he immediately thought of a restaurant. He and my mom took the risk and the Orient Pearl was born.”
Patronized by generations of customers, The Orient Pearl Seafood & Restaurant has a signature warm ambiance from the distinctive aromatic blend of brine and ginger, sitting on a bed of freshly cut spring onions. Although it faced challenges such as operational problems and competition, the restaurant stayed true to its merits and its food and has since become a distinctive city landmark and a regular for Northern Manila residents.
As times change, so does their online presence with a larger social media team and delivery app partners such as GrabFood and Food Panda. “Now that we are online, we hope to increase the number of our customers by expanding our reach and improve our customer service at the same time. We also hope to cater to new customers who have never tried our food before,” Ang shares, continuing, “The global health crisis allowed us to understand the pacing of the business and to optimize resources. It pushed us to device even more creative ways to bring our food to our customers with heightened convenience, and without any worries.”
To appeal to the younger crowd who prefer personalization, the Orient Pearl recently launched a Make-Your-Own Lauriat that was well-received by the public and has been featured by influencers such as Benedict Cua, David Guison, and CHiNOY TV’s Janeena Chan, as well as chefs JP Anglo and Jeremy Favia. As the second generation of the family gears up to modernize the restaurant, longtime traditions remain. “Our recipe for the sweet and sour sauce has always been the same. It is a special blend of secret ingredients that makes the Orient Pearl truly special,” expresses Ang proudly.
As the economy slowly reopens with the easing off of quarantine guidelines, the Orient Pearl maintains its strict implementation of sanitation guidelines. “The unprecedented events led us to create a better normal for our diners,” Ang states. “The Orient Pearl will continue to innovate not only in terms of menu and offerings but also definitely in terms of our service,” he concludes.
The Orient Pearl Seafood & Restaurant is open for dine-in, take-out, and delivery, with strict implementation of IATF guidelines. For reservations, call (2)8-3614132, (2)8-3309891, and SMART (919)072-5665. For more information, like their Facebook page – Orient Pearl Restaurant, and follow them on IG at @OrientPearlRestaurant!
