A. Bonifacio street is a fairly quiet district with houses stationed side by side a few small shops and eateries. Of these is Aling Mely’s, stationed on the ground floor of what looks to be a house, marked primarily by the teal wall with its seemingly hand-painted name. Past its simple storefront and into its dining quarters, the neighborhood carinderiaCarinderiaA carinderia is a small, often informal Filipino eatery serving home-style dishes displayed in pots for diners to point and choose from directly. Common in neighborhoods and near workplaces, itGo to Carinderia Glossary greets customers with the colorful assortment of viands laid out just by the door, all glistening and still warm from their trays.
At 87, Aling Mely Still Keeps Her Original Recipes Alive
The ‘Mely’ of in their name is no other than Milagros Tuazon, a Malabon native who got her love of cooking from her mom. After returning from an 11-year stay in the U.S. to take care of her grandchildren, Tuazon opened Aling Mely’s in 1966, initially selling from a corner by her house. As she continued to make good profits and got to a better financial situation, she was eventually able to get the rest of the space built into the cozy eatery that it is today.
The space may have changed, but what has stayed consistent is their food. Tuazon—who is 87 years of age as of writing, and is assisted by her family in running operations and preparing their daily specials—makes it a point for the dishes to be cooked the way they always have, relying on her early recipes and taking no shortcuts.
Why Aling Mely’s Mechado Takes Almost Two Days to Make
The Mechado is an enduring favorite. Tuazon bases it on a traditional recipe handed down by her mother and still makes it the exact way, cooking the meat low and slow until it’s tender while retaining a satisfying bite. It’s served in slices with its accompanying sauce—a sauce with ample body that it coats a spoon, eliciting oohs and ahhs with its glossy surface (the nagmamantika quality desired in Filipino cuisine is certainly there) and deep mahogany color.
The sauce’s rich aroma is only mirrored by its taste—meaty and deeply savory it is, the kind of complex flavor profile you can only get with slow cooking. Amazingly, no tomatoes are used in its making, so the prevailing taste is really that of the beef; and despite its seemingly conservative portion size, the mechado is so flavorful that a little goes a long way when paired with steaming-hot rice.
It takes almost two days in total to prepare the recipe from start to finish, Tuazon shares. “Kaya kahit gayahin nila, hindi nagagaya,” she proclaims, rightfully proud of her work. “kasi [‘yung recipe ko, nakabase sa] luto sa unang panahon.”
The Filipino Home-Cooked Dishes That Make Aling Mely’s Special
There are plenty of other gems on ther roster to try as well; some are mainstays on the menu, though the vegetable dishes and soups change daily. The Bola Bola is comfort on a plate, with tender golf ball-sized meatballs in a light but savory sauce with what seems to be a dominant onion note. The Tortang Alimasag, cooked whole (akin to a fritatta) and served in slices with banana ketchup, is a fan favorite with its generous amount of juicy, subtly sweet crab meat.
Also winners in their own right are the Escabeche Lapu Lapu that strikes the right balance between sour and sweet; the Gulay sa Gata Langka with jackfruit chunks that just about melt into the creamy coconut sauce; and their classic, meaty MenudoMenudoMenudo is a Filipino pork stew diced small and simmered in tomato sauce with potatoes, carrots, and raisins, distinct from the Mexican soup of the same name. Its slightly sweet,Go to Menudo Glossary that ticks all the right boxes.
“Madali lang magluto, kaya lang… matagal ang proseso,” Tuazon says of her secret. Her patience in the kitchen clearly pays off, every dish of hers redolent with home-cooked flavor from and real-deal, fresh ingredients.
What’s remarkable about Aling Mely’s is how they rely not so much on hype or marketing, but on making the food itself the best it can be, at the price points they aim for. It’s a seemingly simple approach that allows the food to do all the talking—and oh, does it get its delicious point across minus the frills or fuss.
Aling Mely’s is at 10 A. Bonifacio Street, Malabon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aling Mely’s is a cozy, neighborhood carinderia stationed on the ground floor of a house on A. Bonifacio Street in Malabon.
The eatery was opened in 1966 by Milagros Tuazon after she returned from an 11-year stay in the U.S., initially selling food from a corner near her house before expanding.
“Aling Mely” is Milagros Tuazon, who is 87 years old as of the article’s writing. She currently runs operations and prepares daily specials with the assistance of her family.
The Mechado takes almost two days in total to prepare from start to finish. It is cooked low and slow using a traditional recipe handed down by Tuazon’s mother without using any tomatoes, resulting in a deep mahogany color, rich meaty flavor, and a glossy, spoon-coating sauce.
Other standout dishes on their roster include the Bola Bola (tender golf ball-sized meatballs), Tortang Alimasag (cooked whole like a frittata and served with banana ketchup), Escabeche Lapu Lapu, Gulay sa Gata Langka, and a classic, meaty Menudo.
According to Tuazon, the secret is patience in the kitchen. For her, it’s about not relying on hype or marketing, but taking no shortcuts and keeping the cooking process authentic using real-deal, fresh ingredients and old-fashioned techniques.
