Mangan Restaurant Food Review: Serving the Best of Kapampangan Foods Daily

Whenever I think of going on a food rampage, Pampanga will always be at the top of my list. Kapampangans are known for not scrimping on ingredients. So when one gets an invite for a Kapampangan foodie event, of course, it would be a shame if I'd say no. I had a chance to review Mangan Restaurant in its Glorietta branch. I'm no stranger to Mangan as m family and I had visited its Robinson's Galleria branch before. I remember that's how I discovered my love for Burong Hipon (fermented shrimp and rice) which the Cabalens use for dipping steamed vegetables. I know it smelled bad but the taste was absolutely fantastic! 

Interiors are good, feels like home

Let me have a confession to make, it had taken quite a while before I was able to write this food review on Mangan. It had been difficult for me to write after my asshole of an ex boyfriend broke up with me. So to be honest, I lost track of time that I realized I needed something to propel myself back to life. Hence, I decided to revisit Mangan and savor the foods we were served once again. And in effect, aside from getting a happy tummy, I also had my heart felt better than before. No, I'm not saying I had a food binge. But yes, I indulged in good foods served at Mangan because i felt I deserved it. 

Among the foods served, I particularly enjoyed their take on Pancit Pusit. Its noodles went well with the squid ink sans the "fishy" taste. Thanks to the thinly sliced young kamias which left some subtle hint of sourness which served as palate cleanser. Plus don't forget the fried garlic as its garnish. 

The Pancit Puti was also fantastic! It's another showstopper. I couldn't help but imagine how simple noodles can work wonder because it is extremely flavorful despite not having its usual soy sauce. The chicken and the fried garlic does the trick here. 

Sisig is every Kapampangan's specialty

Of course, when we speak of anything from Pampanga, the sisig can't be left behind! Mangan also serves the Pampanga specialty and their version was also good. Traditional family staple like Kare-kare and Laing should never be left out. 

The putok-batok is another worth mentioning: Mangan had its Piyesta ng Pata featuring best-loved crispy pata served in three different ways: 

Original Crispy Pata, Patang Demonyo (served with spicy red chilis) and one crispy pata served with roll up breads called Pritchon Pata. 

For panghimagas, (desserts), nothing beats Mangan's Bibingka with salted egg and puto bumbong! Oh, and don't forget their Kapampangan's Tibok-tibok with latik! They bring you to dessert heaven in no time! What a great way to cap off your meal! 

Kapampangan dishes have cemented their place in Philippine cuisine. Kapampangans take pride in it and do their best to live up to it, perfecting recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation before serving their dishes to their guests. It’s no surprise then that many restaurants in the metro and nearby places continuously recreate such well-loved classics. 

Blogger Duane Bacon with Purple Plum Fairy at Mangan Glorietta branch

Blogger Ruth Dela Cruz and Purple Plum Fairy opens freshly made Puto Bumbong with Muscovado sugar

So the next time you'll visit Glorietta in Makati, make sure to drop by Mangan's branch.

For more info, visit their Facebook account at https://www.facebook.com/manganrestaurant. 

Mangan Restaurant branches:

Mall of Asia: 556.2783
The Annex, SM City North EDSA: 332.2320
Robinsons Place Manila: 256.9510
Robinsons Galleria: 470.6353
Glorietta 2, Ayala Center: 776.8475