Pares and bulalo — both Filipino favorites that have different origins. But who would have thought that these can go together and become one distinct dish?
According to Kristian Viktor De Guzman, 30, a self-confessed pares lover himself and one of the owners of “Pares ni Master” in Las Pinas City, the idea hit him when he was coming up with something original that a pares lover like him has never tasted before.
"I imagined the taste first in my head then came up with something unique that a pares lover doesn’t usually see or taste in a regular pares set up. I tried to incorporate the corn in my pares soup bulalo style. And it worked perfectly fine," he said.
De Guzman described the dish as "savory, peppery, salty, and good." He explained that the meat came from the "Retiro style" taste which is basically sweet. Retiro in Quezon City, is also famous for its pares and is considered the pioneer.
"Sabaw pa lang, ulam na” goes the saying that is as old as the country's culinary history itself. Kristian said their dish perfectly resembles this often heard remark labelling their dish as the "Pambansang Pares ng Pinas."
"Our broth is made from the finest and freshest ingredients in the market. You can put anything sa broth ng Pares Ni Master. Kahit seafoods and it will still taste delicious," he said.
Aside from “pares bulalo,” they also serve other "putok-batok" treats like chicharong bulaklak or fried pork intestines served crunchy and tumbong soup made from you guessed it, pig intestines.
Kristian said he opened "Pares Ni Master" to pares lovers on August 8, 2020 with his sister Kristine Eillen D. Guizon, 39. They later entered into a partnership in November with Michael Angelo Lobrin.
"So now, the three of us, along with our spouses and family members operate the Pares Ni Master under Simply Food Masters Company," Kristian said.
Before entering the pares business, Kristian shared that his older sister previously worked with Bespoke Doors and Furniture Inc. located in BGC, Taguig City as an Executive Assistant. Meanwhile, Kristian worked at Top Serve Corp as Account Coordinator but left his job.
"I left the company due to substance abuse and depression brought about by a family problem. It was the lowest time of my life. I was technically jobless at the time that my first child was born," Kristian said.
But now Kristian proudly said that "Yung dating tambay, yung dating EA, isa ng Master ng Pares ngayon."
From earning P900 to an average of P15,000 a day, Kristian said that they have come a long way.
"Our heart is full. We are so grateful to God, to all the blessings He keeps on showering us. To our spouses, to our children, to our parents, they are our inspiration and rock. To all the sacrifices that they have to go through, they keep on pushing us to do better, and to become better," he said.
His advice to those who wish to enter the food business is "Trust yourself that you can do it. Pray and use the power of your imagination. It will take you to places. C.S. Lewis was right when he said, 'you are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.'"
"May kanya kanya tayong time, darating din yung para sa iyo. Just be patient and believe na kaya mo, na kakayanin mo. And most importantly, dapat may puso ka sa ginagawa mo, your passion towards food should be limitless," he added.
Kristian said that they are looking at opening more branches around Metro Manila and other nearby cities. He added that they will continuously improve their menu, to offer more delicious but affordable choices that satisfies every palate.
You can get your pares bulalo fix at their main branch in Gatchalian, Las Piñas which is open from Mondays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. They also have branches in Pildera 1, Pasay City and Dasmariñas, Cavite. They also provide delivery by messaging them on Facebook.