Heavenly Bites brings pares to Sugar King Park

Heavenly Bites is located at Sugar King Park in Chinatown.(MARK RABAGO)

Local foodies are expected to make a beeline toward Sugar King Park with Heavenly Bites’ recent introduction of the ubiquitous Filipino street food called pares.

Pares, also known as beef pares, literally means “to pair” and is  Filipino-style braised beef stew that comes with garlic fried rice, and a bowl of soup. It’s also offered as a noodle dish.

Beef pares is Filipino-style braised beef stew that can either come with rice or with noddles. (MARK RABAGO)

“We are introducing pares into our menu to add more variety in the food we serve to the customers. It’s a new taste for everyone to try. This new menu item includes beef, fried rice, and soup for a complete meal to satisfy everyone,” said snack bar owner Lherie Galvan.

And since it’s a very hearty and complete meal, Heavenly Bites’ loyal customers have raved about the addition of pares in the food stall’s everyday menu. 

“They are surprised by the sweet and savory flavor of this new item. It’s actually like an asado dish. Our customers come back for more to satisfy both their hunger and their cravings,” added Galvan.

Aside from the new blockbuster item, Heavenly Bites has also added potato twister to its menu and the crispy snack has been an immediate go-to food for teenagers that regularly patronize the business.

Heavenly Bites’ potato twister comes in two flavors—cheese and sour cream onion.

Along with their longtime surefire hits like shawarma, barbecue, and deep fried Oreos, Galvan is confident that their new items like pares and potato twister will again put Heavenly Bites on the food map of Saipan.

Asked how Heavenly Bites has dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, the entrepreneur said they just waited it out and is glad that tourists are gradually coming back to the island.

“The pandemic has caused a halt with the tourists coming and it has made it difficult to be a part of some events, but now that the pandemic has come to a slow, there are many more customers who are coming out to see what’s new since the pandemic occurred.”

She also thanked the NMI Museum for hosting a new event that helped small businesses like her thrive.

“Friday at the Museum has given us an increase in recognition. The event has been able to boost our outreach for customers to give our food a try.”

The astronomical rise in ingredients for food the past few months, meanwhile, she admitted has been a challenge.

“We’ve dealt with the rise in prices of ingredients by increasing the price of our menu items slightly.”

Heavenly Bites opened in June 2021 after Galvan decided to go into the food business after losing her job in the hospitality industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Heavenly Bites is open from 11am to 7:30pm at Sugar King Park, Wednesday-Sunday. Tuesday they’re open only until 4pm as they also have a stall at the night market of Marianas Lighthouse from 5pm to 9pm. They can be reached at (670) 286-2370, heavenlybites670@gmail.com, Heavenlybites670saipan on Facebook, and heavenlybitesspn on Instagram.