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<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-22/engracia-cruz-reyes-and-alexander-reyes.avif" alt="Engracia Cruz-Reyes and her husband Alexander Reyes" loading="lazy" />
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(Engracia Cruz-Reyes and her husband Alexander Reyes)
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<h4>
Early Life
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Born to a poor family in Navotas, on April 16, 1892, Cruz-Reyes developed her cooking skills at a young age. Her mother, a street peddler who sold food sauces and fruits, later managed a small neighborhood eatery known in the Philippines as "carinderia". Cruz-Reyes was responsible for preparing meals for her five younger siblings while her parents were out working. Despite her humble beginnings and only completing four years of primary education, she went on to make a significant impact on Filipino cuisine.
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<h4>
The Aristocrat Restaurant
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To supplement her family's income while her husband, Alexander Reyes, struggled to establish his legal practice, Cruz-Reyes opened a small carinderia in 1928 on Calle de Marques de Comillas (now Romualdez Street) in Ermita, Manila. She named it "<a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/2874/the-life-of-lapulapu-a-symbol-of-filipino-bravery-and-resistance" class="news_link">Lapu-Lapu</a>", after the Mactan chieftain  who famously defeated Ferdinand Magellan in battle. The eatery featured native decor and primarily served Filipino fare, emphasizing nationalistic pride during a time of colonial influence.
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By the 1930s, Cruz-Reyes was selling adobo sandwiches at Luneta Park from a car loaned to her by a future son-in-law. Her reputation as a cook grew, thanks to home-cooked dinners she prepared for prominent political figures, friends of her now-prominent husband. 
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Engracia Cruz-Reyes, founder of The Aristocrat restaurant chain, was born on April 16, 1892, in Navotas