From state functions to FPJ-Susan Roces’ wedding and Vilma Santos’ debut, the caterer has served generations.
At a Filipino gathering, the food will always be the star.
Whether it’s a binyag, debut, or kasal, the spread can set the tone for the celebration—and often leads to the most pressing question of all: “May Sharon ba?”
Even a despedida has a way of becoming less bittersweet and less of a goodbye, thanks to what everyone is about to eat. Corporate events, conferences, and state functions—typically boring on paper—can also be exciting with the prospect of a delicious “pakain.”
And even outside of any occasion, Filipinos make food their love language. Serving a plate to a guest is a way of welcoming them, celebrating them, and making them feel at home. Even a simple “Kumain ka na ba?” can be a subtle way of saying, “Concerned ako sa ’yo.”
For Makati-based, family-run caterer The Plaza, that has been its love language for the last 60 years.
At a time when new names can burst onto the scene with flashy concepts and unique selling points, staying power is a different kind of achievement. The novelty can draw people in, sure. But keeping them coming back takes something quieter: carefulness, consistency, and the discipline to make sure that what worked yesterday still works for years to come.
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The Plaza has done that across generations. In one anecdote, a couple’s parents had The Plaza cater an occasion years ago, before it returned for the couple’s own wedding. In another, it served a child’s birthday years after serving the parents at their own celebration decades earlier.
Part of what makes The Plaza a fixture in celebrations is its signature premium baked ham, developed by co-founder Imelda “Meldy” Reyes and Swedish master chef Gosta Pettersson. In fact, it has found its way even into wakes.
The menu has grown with the generations: carvery services for ham, corned beef, New York-style hot pastrami, and roast turkey; truffle pasta in a parmesan wheel; burrata and Pinoy merienda stations; American, Pinoy, and Mongolian barbecue; Japanese cuisine; and Mexican party fare. Newer additions include lumpiang shanghai, smoked tanguingue in pinwheels, salad Manileña cups, crispy kangkong with garlic dip, mixed mushroom bouchée with mushroom pâté, and spicy tuyo aglio olio pasta.
Behind all those tables is a family whose food story began in restaurants before expanding into catering.
The Plaza was established by Jose “Joe” Reyes and Meldy in the ’60s, building on a family food legacy that began with Joe’s mother, Engracia Cruz Reyes, fondly called Aling Asiang, who founded the Aristocrat Restaurant in 1935.
It went on to pioneer Western-style smorgasbord dining and high-end catering, helping shape the way Filipinos experienced food at large gatherings.
Its first off-site affair was a grand one: a Malacañang Palace event for a summit conference attended by then-US President Lyndon B. Johnson, where around 3,000 guests were served. In 1980, its flambée station was part of the ASTA World Congress, an international gathering of the American Society of Travel Agents that drew 10,000 participants.
The caterer is also tied to some of the country’s most memorable celebrations, including Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces’ wedding in 1968 and Vilma Santos’ lavish debut in 1971.
The next generation carried that work forward. Joe and Meldy’s daughter, Millie Reyes, took The Plaza to the Philippine International Convention Center at age 25, where she handled major international conventions and some of the country’s biggest gatherings.
Today, the fourth generation is carrying that legacy forward through Karla Marina Reyes, who oversees the brand’s catering operations, menu development, and retail business.
Through the years, The Plaza has stayed in the same family, continuing to serve Filipinos through celebrations big and small.
“Living up to the legacy of our founders, my grandparents, Joe and Meldy Reyes, is not an easy task,” Karla said. “However, they have instilled both business and family values which serve as my guiding light in running the company.”
As the “ber” months usher in another season of reunions and celebrations, The Plaza is looking ahead to the tables still to be filled—and the generations still to serve.
Check out The Plaza’s 2026 menu here.
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