Henry's Place by Good Earth

In one of our heated discussions about food and our favorite restaurants in Manila, the topic of Good Earth was brought up, particularly its famous duckquitos, with slices of roast duck, mushrooms and scallions piled into tiny double-bite-sized hard taco shells. With the closure of the Good Earth branches in Metrowalk Ortigas and in the Fort, we felt compelled to find out if the establishment had closed for good or if it had merely relocated, and if so, to where. And while we had been to Burgos Circle quite a number of times in recent weeks, we found ourselves realizing the Good Earth had moved there only recently, after eyeing the small ?by Good Earth? clause printed beneath the signage outside Henry?s Place.

We were determined to confirm that this place still had the best duckquitos in these parts. And, thanks to Henry, we were definitely not disappointed, so much so that we rationed three orders of these eighteen precious tacos among five hungry eaters. Assuming you?re not in the mood for Mathematics, that?s more or less three pieces per person, on top of the other dishes we ordered. Henry?s duckquitos were exactly as we remembered it ? thin slices of shiitake and scallions neatly heaped onto little hard taco shells together with slivers of roast duck, and topped with hoisin and some creamy and rich white sauce which rounds up each bite so perfectly that we did not even bother to find out what it is made of or what it is called. But, it is not the duck or the interesting mishmash of Chinese and Mexican cuisines that make this dish a winner; rather, it is the sheer fun and sense of adventure one feels when biting through a crisp taco shell with the fear of duck slices falling onto your plate (and therefore rendering your mini-taco-biting experience a big mess).

It is also imperative to recognize Henry?s duck siopao, which, with roasting drippings oozing from inside the pao, is impossible to dislike. The warm steamed pao is stuffed with roast duck, which is partly salty, partly sweet and as a whole, unlike any other pao that one can find on any Chinese restaurant?s menu in Manila. Albeit the ubiquitous nature of siopao in the local fast-food and dining arena, this one filled with tender meat prepared Hong Kong style, is in a league totally disconnected from that of the generic asado or bola-bola kind in Chowking.





Going through Henry?s menu, we noticed that it is exactly the same as that of the old Good Earth, with favorites such as hot and sour soup, sautéed chicken with pine nuts, shantung spicy chicken and of course, roast duck. The prices have remained the same as well; but considering inflation and the overall quality of the food and the place, every dish is worth every Peso.

Business hours: 11:00 AM ? 2:00 AM

Address: Unit ES-3, Burgos Circle, Forbes Town Center, Rizal Drive corner West Crescent Park, The Fort, Taguig City

Telephone: 393-5915 and 359-827

How to get there: Henry's Place by Good Earth's Google Map