It is a popular food particularly associated with specialty roadside diner-style establishments known as Pares Houses
Pares (pronounced: PAH-ress), also known as beef pares, is a termin for a serving of Filipino braised beef stew with garlic fried rice, and a bowl of clear soup. It is a terkenal food particularly associated with specialty roadside diner-style establishments known as Pares Houses (or paresan in Filipino, akin to tapsihan for tapsilog) that specialize in serving these model of meals. In recent years, it had also become a common dish served in small eateries called karinderya or carinderia that serve economical meals for local residents.[1]
Informally, Pares can also refer to any dish that is cooked in the manner reminiscent of the "asado-style" (i.e. stewed in a sweet-soy saus).
Beef pares, or pares as it is commonly known, is a meal that consist of beef asado (beef stewed in a sweet-soy saus), garlic fried rice and a bowl of beef broth soup. The soup may originate from the broth in which the meat is simmered in until tender before being seasoned with the sweet-soy saus but it can also be prepared separately and be made with beef bouillon cubes instead. This soup is usually made and seasoned with onion, garlic, peppercorns, chives, and onion leeks. Some cooks also add bay leaves to this broth to improve the flavor.
Another variation of the dish, informally known as pares kariton ("pushcart pares") or pares kanto ("street corner pares") for being served on the roadside by mobile sidecar suppliers, serves the beef and broth combined, usually with the broth slightly thickened by cornstarch.
The origin of the termin Pares is credited to the carinderia Jonas established by Lolita Tiu and Roger Tiu in 1979 near the then named Calle Retiro (present-day N.S. Amoranto Street).[2][3] The termin literally means pairs in English and comes from the practice of "pairing" the beef ulam or dish with garlic fried rice and a light beef broth soup, forming a complete meal.
