Today, I am going to take you to a virtual tour at the Pan De Amerikana. Pan De Amerikana is actually a restaurant located in Marikina City, Metro Manila, Philippines. But...This is not your typical restaurant at the heart of the city. Why? Because this houses the Philippine's first ever Chess Museum.
Yes! Museum inside the restaurant! Sounds amazing right?
As soon as you get inside, you'll feel like travelling back in time. Because unlike the modern and polished reataurants, this shows a vintage atmosphere.
Here's what you'll see:
Antique decor and rustic furnitures such as this old TV from the 80s or 90s. To be honest, I'm not really sure from what year this is from, all I know is that this is a vintage television as well as the speaker-like thing. I alao love those mini chairs. On the right photo, it's like a movie or drama set from the early days. You'll see a kalesa, taho and palamig containers.
On another corner is an old piano and across that is a set like in the province. An old earthenware jar to store water and some claypots used for cooking. It felt like I was back at my grandmother's house in the province.
There are also lots of photos hung on the wall. Those are old photos of Filipino actors and actresses from classic Philippine cinema. I dont recognize most of the faces, but the black and whote photos made the place feel like you're visiting you're great grandparents ancestral house.
Small hanging bridges connect different parts of the restaurant, which felt like a tiny adventure park. And below those bridges is a mini pond with Koi fishes and something like a big nest and a well on the right side.
I also noticed an upside-down set of tables and chairs.
It feels playful and confusing at the same time, like gravity stopped working for a moment.
Mini Windmill.
An old telephone which I only saw in movies.
This one is like a mini tunnel with cute lanterns and lights and at the end is a vintage Land Rover.
Finally! We see the Chess Museum.
At the entrance it says "Eugene Torre Chess Museum". Just a little back story, the museum is dedicated to Eugene Torre, he is a Filipino chess legend and Asia’s first chess grandmaster.
Inside are giant chess pieces and chessboard tables. There are giant life-sized statues of knights made of steel.
We playfully moved the pieces around for photos while some other visitors played with it. Outside the museum area, the chess theme continues everywhere. There are different sets of chessboards that looks aesthetic and vintage.
The museum feels like the “heart” of Pan de Amerikana, quietly reminding visitors that chess is not only about winning games, but also about patience, discipline, and finding beauty in thinking ahead.
Before I end this virtual tour, let me also add that this is called Pan De Amerikana because this is originally a bakery that sells Pan Amerikano, I heard it is a popular bread in the 1950s that is baked using a traditional oven made of brick. And eventually, to attract more customers they made it into a restaurant. But until today, they still sell that bread. I was just unable to took photos because I was too focused and in awe of the museum.
That's it for our virtual tour today. I hope you enjoyed it!
All photos are mine and are from my gallery.