In 2024, well-known, multi-awarded Filipino actor Joel Torre introduced his ultra-popular Ilonggo-style grilled chicken restaurant, JT’s Manukan Grille, to Singapore, taking a spot at Lucky Plaza’s Asian Food Mall, along Orchard Road. It was an instant hit not only with the Filipino community but likewise among Singaporeans and other residents in the city-state as well.  

This month, JT’s Manukan Grille will mark two milestones: it will celebrate the first anniversary of its maiden store in Singapore on 25 June and that same week, Torre and his crew will open a second one at the International Merchandising Mart Mall, the largest outlet mall in the Lion City. The mall is located in Jurong East, a large residential enclave on the western side of Singapore. 

“We are thrilled to open our second store in Singapore and continue sharing the flavors of the Philippines with our customers here,” says Torre. 

Famed chicken inasal

JT’s Manukan Grille’s new store at “Makan Street,” the food court concept inside the huge IMM Mall, will feature the brand’s signature dishes, particularly its famed chicken inasal (grilled chicken), in a comfortable space for friends and families to gather in. 

As part of its commitment to community, JT’s Manukan Grille will also host special events and collaborations with local content creators and influencers in the new restaurant venue.

“Our journey in Singapore has been incredible, and we are very grateful for the warm reception we’ve received from our fellow Filipinos and the Singaporean community,” Torre said.

“Since Day One when we first opened, we have been very well received by the Filipino community here, with JT’s becoming a regular stop for our kababayans looking for a taste of home,” he added.

Ample reasons

Indeed, Torre has ample reasons for being pleased with his restaurant’s initial year of operations in Singapore.

Singapore’s F&B industry is particularly competitive, and last year, over 3,000 commercial dining establishments, including Michelin-starred restaurants, closed shop. This, however, didn’t retard the opening of new ones -- JT’s included -- so there was still a net increase in the number of restaurants opening. 

Said JT’s marketing manager, Paul Henares, “We were seeing a revolving door in the restaurant industry here. We managed to shift JT’s into a QSR (Quick Cooking Restaurant) concept by re-engineering our cooking processes with modern equipment, which greatly helped in improving our products.”

After a year of operations, Torre said, “I would rate our success, from a scale of one to 10, a nine, with impressive sales figures surpassing our expectations. That’s why we are opening our second store this year, because the brand has done so well, and also, we’re doing so in response to the request of the Filipino community here to bring JT’s closer to their residential areas.”

Much to be proud about

Torre has much to be proud of his business mainly built around his native city, Negros Occidental capital, Bacolod’s chicken inasal, that is, grilled chicken in a marinade of a blend of garlic, vinegar, calamansi juice, lemongrass and annatto oil and grilled over hot coals. 

The grilling method gives the chicken its smoky flavor and crisp skin. Dipped into a sauce of vinegar, soy, calamansi juice and chili peppers, then eaten with steaming hot white rice, the dish is so scrumptious, one can forget one’s name partaking of it. 

He founded JT’s Manukan Grille in 2003 with his wife, the former Cristy Azcona. Today, JT’s Manukan has become a household name in the Philippines, known for its delicious grilled (inasal) chicken, and the casual, warm hospitality given to customers by Torre’s well-trained service staff in each of the restaurant’s over 40 branches across the country, and now, the two ones overseas, in Singapore.

Regarding the second JT’s Manukan to open later this month in the city-state, Torre said, “The opening of the new store at IMM Mall is a testament to the brand’s continued growth and success in Singapore, and motivates us to continue delivering a unique, delicious dining experience to all.”