PHILIPPINES: DON'T LOOK FOR A VEGETARIAN MEAL AT MANILA'S SPAMJAM RESTAURANT ITS ALL MEAT MENU HAS MANY FILIPINOS TAKING A BREAK FROM COOKING

Record ID: 544904

  • Title: PHILIPPINES: DON'T LOOK FOR A VEGETARIAN MEAL AT MANILA'S SPAMJAM RESTAURANT ITS ALL MEAT MENU HAS MANY FILIPINOS TAKING A BREAK FROM COOKING
  • Date: 19th March 2004
  • Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (MARCH 19, 2004) (REUTERS) WIDESHOT OF SPAMJAM RESTAURANT CUSTOMERS QUEUING SPAM MASCOT STICKER VARIOUS OF COOKS PREPARING SPAM DISHES MENU BOARD WAITER WAITING FOR ORDERS MENU BOARD CUSTOMERS QUEUING SPAM JAM RESTAURANT FACADE VARIOUS OF CUSTOMERS SEATED AND EATING SPAM (SOUNDBITE) (English) PHILIP ABADILLA, OWNER OF SPAMJAM RESTAURANT SAYING: "As you can probably imagine, I am a huge Spam lover. I grew up with Spam. I like Spam very much and as a businessman, I'm always on the lookout for good opportunities and I figured since there's such a big market for Spam here in the Philippines, maybe a restaurant serving all Spam will be something that will be welcomed by a lot of Filipinos and it proved right." VARIOUS OF CUSTOMERS EATING SPAM (SOUNDBITE) (English) RETIRED TEACHER MARGOT MANOZA SAYING: "I love Spam. If you ask people my age...I grew up with Spam. It's a favourite." HOTDOG BEING PREPARED
  • Embargoed: 3rd April 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Business,Industry,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA6A645QQIYXC7SX823V599ZD6X
  • Story Text: Don't look for a vegetarian meal at Manila's Spamjam restaurant. It's all meat menu has many Filipinos taking a break from cooking.
    Spamburgers, Spamnuggets, Spam spaghetti, Caesar salad with Spam, Spam and eggs: the menu at the Spamjam restaurant in Manila could be straight out of the Monty Python sketch.
    While the canned luncheon meat will forever be ridiculed by fans of the British comedians, it is a much loved staple in the Philippines.
    Filipinos eat 2.75 million pounds (1.25 million kg) of the stuff every year, and woe betide anyone arriving from the United States who doesn't bring a few cans for their relatives.
    Restaurateur Philip Abadilla decided to capitalise on the passion for the tinned pork product, and Spamjam was born.
    "As you can probably imagine, I am a huge Spam lover. I grew up with Spam. I like Spam very much and as a businessman, I'm always on the lookout for good opportunities and I figured since there's such a big market for Spam here in the Philippines, maybe a restaurant serving all Spam will be something that will be welcomed by a lot of Filipinos and it proved right," said Abadilla.
    Abadilla says the restaurant has been a success since its opening in December, pulling in three hundred customers a day. There are even plans under way to open two more branches.
    First produced in 1937 by Hormel Foods Corp of the United States, Spam became an institution during World War II when it was used as a protein-rich preserve for allied troops.
    "I love Spam. If you ask people my age...I grew up with Spam. It's a favourite," said retired teacher Margot Manoza.
    It gave its name to junk e-mail because of the singing Vikings in the Monty Python sketch, who kept drowning out a waitress of fering dishes such as spam, egg, spam, spam, bacon and spam.
    For people who don't like Spam, such as the female customer played by Graham Chapman in the sketch, the menu also offers hot dogs.
    To which the Spam-loving waitress played by Terry Jones would have said: "Urgghh!"
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register