Rediscovering Pinoy Street Food at Mang Ding’s, Marikina

The Filipino street food scene is quite storied and vibrant, a showcase of the Pinoy’s creativity and resourcefulness.

Similar to the street food of other countries, many of its dishes came about as a matter of necessity. During the Spanish occupation, most of the prime cuts of meat were reserved for the colonizers, leaving the innards for the natives. And somehow, they made these “undesirable” ingredients palatable through creative preparation and cooking techniques.

At Mang Ding’s Pinoy BBQ, diners can rediscover these delicacies in a pleasant al fresco setting. Located in one of Marikina’s suburban areas, Mang Ding’s was named after owner Dindo Cleofas’ father. Together with his wife and co-owner Dotie, he has been operating this restaurant for over a year now, providing a cleaner and more comfortable way to satisfy the cravings of Pinoy street food fans.

My foodie friends from #WeLoveToEatPH and #SaanSaPH and I recently visited Mang Ding’s and feasted on its tasty offerings, which include:

BBQ Platter (Php499). Platters of assorted barbecue such as Pork BBQ, BBQ Chicken, Tenga ng Baboy, Gizzard, Chicken Tail, Isaw Manok and Isaw Baboy.

BBQ Liempo (Php155). Slices of pork belly marinated in salt and pepper, then grilled and chopped before serving.

BBQ Boneless Bangus Overload (Php200). Grilled deboned milkfish topped with tomatoes and onions.

Dinakdakan (Php160). An Ilokano dish similar to sisig which uses grilled liempo tossed in a mayo sauce with onions and green chilis.

Ensaladang Mangga (Php75). The local salad of chopped tomatoes and onions served with slices of greem mango and house-made bagoong (shrimp paste).

Ensaladang Dulong (Php100). Crispy dulong fish mixed into ensalada.

Sizzling Corn (Php145). Buttered corn kernels topped with melted cheese served on a sizzling plate.

And we enjoyed all these with a Beer Bucket (Php300), six bottles of our preferred drink, apple-flavored San Miguel Beer.

The MASARAP, MALINIS and MURA dishes, the comfortable surroundings and the warm welcome from Dindo, Dotie and their team made our meal very enjoyable indeed.

Fun fact: Part of the fun of eating street food is deciphering how they got their names. For example, Isaw (grilled pork and chicken intestines looped in skewers) got their name from the dip (“sawsawan”) that accompanies them, while Tenga ng Baboy (Grilled Pig’s Ear) is also called “Walkman” after the portable cassette players that were the rage in the 1980s.

Which story behind a street food name do you find amusing? Do share in the comments.

Mang Ding’s Pinoy BBQ is located at Block 3, Lot 13, C. Buenviaje Street, Santo Nino, Marikina City, open Mondays to Wednesdays from 4pm to 11pm and Thursdays to Sundays from 4pm to 12 midnight. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 917 1659872.

No time to hie off to Marikina for a taste of Mang Ding’s street food? Order via Grab Food today!

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I attended a food tasting event held here wherein food and drink items were served to allow us to sample the fare. These were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other Filipino restaurants:

• Abbiocco, Paligsahan
• Isla Sugbu Seafood City, McKinley Hill
• Chef Robert, Greenhills
• The Lechon Shop, Tomas Morato
• Angus Tapa Centrale, Tomas Morato
• Gerry’s Grill, Tomas Morato
• Luna J Filipino Gastropub, Tomas Morato
• Gerry’s Grill, SM Marikina
• Bacolod Chicken Parilla, Tomas Morato
• Classic Savory, SM East Ortigas
• Jaytee’s Tagaytay
• Buddy’s, Cubao
• Cabalen, Ayala Malls Feliz
• Limbaga 77, Tomas Morato
• Victorino’s, Tomas Morato
• Locavore, Kapitolyo
• Recipes, Tomas Morato
• Mozu at Ming’s, Tagaytay
• Siglo Modern Filipino, Tagaytay
• Conti’s, Greenbelt
• 13 Ubay Street, Banawe
• Ilustrado Restaurant, Intramuros
• Rico’s Lechon, Tiendesitas
• Fika, Capitol Hills, QC
• Sartin, Tagaytay
• Lazat, Tomas Morato
• Romulo Cafe, Tomas Morato
• Lobo Filipino Tavern, Poblacion
• Joliant, Tomas Morato
• Ombu Kusina, Tomas Morato
• Padi’s Point, Sumulong
• Padi’s Point, Upper Antipolo
• Padi’s Point, Tomas Morato
• Padi’s Point, Metro East
• Sisig Society, Fisher Mall
• Tapsi ni Vivian, Pasig
• Lola Cafe, Tomas Morato
• Pamana, Tomas Morato