7 Places in Manila to Buy the Best Ham for the Holiday Feast
A Christmas table wouldn’t be complete without the presence of one prized item—ham! In the Philippines, there are two most common types of ham namely Western and Chinese. Western-inspired ham is characterized by its sweet yet sometimes smoky taste, while the Chinese-style is saltier and firmer in texture.
To help you out, we have compiled a list of stores where you can get the tastiest Christmas hams in the metro to take home or bring to a potluck. Don’t forget to grab a ball or two of queso de bola for that perfect pair!
Säntis Delicatessen
Santis Delicatessen is known for its gourmet meat cuts and premium wine. However, every holiday season, they bring out their Honey-cured Christmas Hams (Php 605/kilo) that are guaranteed to be the star of the Christmas table. Made with prime quality meat and ingredients, their ham comes out juicy and moist.
Their main branch is located at 7431 Yakal Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City. You may view their complete store locations here.
Contact: 02-8844-1154/0917-844-7123
Website: santis-deli.com
Facebook: facebook.com/SantisDelicatessen
Excelente Chinese Cooked Ham
Perhaps, Excelente Ham is the most talked-about ham every Christmas. Judging from the swarm of buyers that tirelessly line up outside their store in Quiapo, one can say that there is really something special with their product that made it a part of every Filipinos’ holiday tradition.
The ham’s complex flavor and distinct texture make it stand out from the rest and the sweet sauce that comes with the ham can balance the salty and smoky taste of the meat.
Price range: Php 750 to Php 1,300 per kilo depending on the variety
Address: 155-157 C. Palanca Street, Quiapo, Manila
Contact: 02-8733-6355
Majestic Ham
This brand has been offering ham to Filipinos since 1956. Through the years, they have improved and perfected the formula on what makes a Christmas ham great. Majestic Ham utilizes oak barrels to traditionally cure the meat then they have it smoked with aromatic woods, aged for full flavor, and cooked in selected spices.
Check out their website to know where you can avail of Majestic Ham products. They also deliver around Metro Manila!
Price range: Php 480 to Php 1,070 depending on the variety
Contact: 02-8995-0320/02-8913-5488
Website: cloretshipolito.tripod.com/majestic
Facebook: facebook.com/MajesticHamPH
Mr. Delicious
Mr. Delicious takes pride in its handcrafted cured and smoked meats and artisanal sundries so it isn’t a surprise to know that they also offer one of the tastiest hams in town. Their Pineapple-Glazed Smoked Ham (Php 1,095) is lightly glazed and slow-smoked the old-fashioned way giving the meat the right tenderness and flavor the be the centerpiece of your Noche Buena table.
Their products are available at Launch Lab Test Kitchen in Makati. You can also order from their website and have it directly delivered to you!
Address: 215 Salcedo St., Renaissance Building, 2nd floor, unit 201 1201 Makati City
Contact: 0947-990-3747
Website: mrdelicious.ph
Facebook: facebook.com/mrdeliciousph
Adelina’s
Another long-time player in the industry is Adelina’s. Established in 1955, their Chinese-style cured ham has that signature smoky-sweet taste that Filipinos especially love. It also comes with a sweet sauce, which you can avail of in separate bottles.
Because of its impact on the local culinary scene, Adelina’s ham is included in the Department of Tourism’s MyMetroManila app, which serves as a guide to Metro Manila’s diverse food choices, where to find them and their rich history.
Price range: Php 1,300 to Php 1,480 per kilo depending on the variety
Address: Unit 2 Gomega Condominium, 353 P. Martinez St., Mandaluyong City
Contact: 0923-464-2466
Facebook: facebook.com/adelinashamofficial
The Plaza Premium Baked Ham
It's not too late to order your Christmas Hams! – https://mailchi.mp/03a772d5ccc5/its-not-too-late-to-order-your-christmas-hams
This five-decade-old family recipe is inspired by the Swedish ham yet it is particularly designed to fit the Filipino palate. The Premium Plaza Baked Ham (Php 1,600/kilo) is cured and lightly wood-smoked with choice herbs and spices. It is then oven-baked and glazed giving the ham a sweet crumbly crust.
You can order directly from their website or from the nearest Premium Plaza Baked Ham outlets near you.
Contact: 02-7729-0001 to 02/02-8890-8446
Website: theplazacatering.com
Facebook: facebook.com/theplazapremiumbakedham
Supermarket-bought ham
If you don’t have much time to order the hams listed above, you can always opt to buy one from the groceries. Contrary to what others think, grocery store-bought ham is not all bad. At the same time, it is also much cheaper. Look for brands such as Purefoods, Holiday, King Sue, and Virginia if you don’t know where to start.
Which among these hams will be the star of your holiday table? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured image grabbed from Santis Delicatessen and Plaza Premium Baked Ham’s Facebook pages
