May 03--The scene: lunch hour at Bahay Kubo, a cafeteria-style eatery in Los Angeles' Filipinotown. Boxing fans swarmed the place Saturday for tasty takeout to indulge themselves during the evening's historic match between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pacquiao himself is a frequent customer of the Temple Street restaurant. The fighter often trains in Hollywood.
On Saturday, families ordered trays of adobo and the restaurant's popular fried chicken. Rhuel Crisostomo and his son, Rue, happily carried kare-kare, oxtail stew with a thick peanut sauce, and lechon kawali, crunchy pork belly. The lab techinician said he planned to host a viewing party with 15 guests at his home in Reseda.
"We share the TV bill, share the booze and after, everyone can crash with us," he says. "We can't wait to see our guy's moves."
Diners talked about the big showdown: The welterweight title unification match, featuring an undefeated Mayweather (47-0) against Pacquiao, an eight-division-champion, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The fight is expected to be the richest in boxing history, with both competitors expected to earn tens of millions of dollars.
Ringside seats were selling for $5,000.
Just to see it on his television screen in his living room will cost Crisostomo nearly $90.
Customer Allan Mandia, an IT specialist from Santa Clarita, said he and other Filipinos will remain loyal to their countryman Pacquiao because "he's a down-to-earth guy, not just to those from his culture, but to everyone."
Arlynne Mandia, a freshman at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, whipped out her phone to share tweets from Mayweather's account, showing a picture of his jet and luxury cars with the words, "Welcome to my world." Then she scrolled down, sharing an old Pacquiao selfie captioned: "On our way to church. Have a blessed Sunday, everyone."
"He has great character. I've read and learned a lot about him," Mandia said. A relative on her father's side is Pacquiao's uncle, she said, so they hear stories about his intense training at the Wild Card, a Hollywood club, and his donations to the needy.
Pacquiao may be the underdog, given Mayweather's height and speed, but Devereux Shaw described him as "more skilled, with better sportsmanship." The rugby player from New Zealand said in her sport, "there are show ponies who do the fancy steps. And there are the smarts who see the whole game. I'm just gonna watch it for the hype."
Pacquiao, 36, is a two-term congressman in the Philippines, but he also spends time in Southern California when he is preparing for a fight. Aside from being a regular at Bahay Kubo, he often dines at Chinatown's May Flower Seafood Restaurant, where customers eagerly ask for his autograph.
"He never says no. He has a good heart. That's why God gives him good luck," says owner Ha Lu. Last month, the fighter gathered three generations of his family and Team Pacquiao trainers at the banquet spot, ordering dozens of platters, making sure everyone had enough. He doesn't eat pork, preferring Peking duck and lobster, Lu said.
Pictures of Pacquiao, Lu and her husband are displayed in every room. The couple even owns a framed replica of a championship belt, signed by their best-known customer.
Normally, business is bustling at this hour, but on this particular Saturday afternoon the place was quiet.
"Everyone is getting ready for the fight," Lu said. "Or they've gone to Vegas."
anh.do@latimes.com
