It’s been a year and a half into the global pandemic, and we are just now feeling some loosening of the many restrictions.
With the Metro Manila recently de-escalated to Alert Level 2, kids are now allowed out of doors, emerging from more than a year of being stuck at home.
With Christmas just around the corner, extended families are surely looking forward to the time they can all gather together and catch up.
I know just the perfect venue for such gatherings: Mang Ding’s Pinoy BBQ in Marikina.
Let me tell you why:
1. Going there is like being welcomed into a family home.
Mang Ding’s is located in a quiet neighborhood in Barangay Sto. Nino, Marikina.
Restaurant owner Dindo Cleofas inherited his father’s (the original Mang Ding) love of grilling and wanted a restaurant where he can continue his father’s legacy as well as have a place where he can relax and chill with friends. Together with his wife, Dotie, he converted their home’s garden area into an outdoor dining space where he can serve customers his specialities, hot and fresh from the grill.
The space is shielded from the elements by a roofed pergola and surrounded by lush greenery, most of which were planted and nurtured by their family.
This open-air dining area is well-ventilated, equipped with fans to keep the air circulating and the surrounding plants adding refreshing color and coolness to space.
Walking into Mang Ding’s feels like visiting your favorite tita’s house; it’s a place where you feel right at home.
2. It can serve as your kids’ introduction to Pinoy comfort and street food.
A few months ago, I brought my parents here for dinner and upon seeing and tasting the familiar Filipino comfort food served to us, both my mom and dad waxed nostalgic about the dishes they grew up with. They regaled my daughter with stories about their foodie adventures back in the day.
If your kiddos are the “just fry me a hotdog, Mommy” type, it may be high time to introduce them to the simple yet sublime joys of good, down-home Pinoy cooking. You can be sure that lolos, lolas, titos and titas will waste no time in telling stories about their own experiences with Pinoy comfort food during your family party, and will help instill among the little ones healthy respect and appreciation for our culinary heritage.
You can count on Mang Ding’s to bring to the table an array of MALINIS, MASARAP at MURA dishes such as:
Ensaladang Talong (Php75).
Sizzling Tokwa Special (Php160).
Quarter Leg Chicken BBQ (Php150).
Boneless Chicken BBQ (Php180).
Isaw Manok (Php20).
BBQ Platter (Php575).
Boneless Bangus Overload (Php265).
Pompano (Php380).
Grilled Pusit (Php425).
Tuna Panga (Php485).
And if the children still want the hotdogs, longganisas and fried chicken that they’re familiar with, you can still accommodate their requests here, and even give them a sweet treat for dessert.
Grilled TJ Jumbo Hotdog (Php50).
Grilled Longganisa (Php55).
McJolly Pakpak (Php225 half kilo | Php400 kilo).
Belgian Chocolate (Php150 slice).
Since good food help spark great conversations and great moments, your fam is in for a memorable experience when you hold your get-together at Mang Ding’s.
3. You can enjoy its tasty dishes at home.
The fun doesn’t have to stop after the get-together. You can bring home the yummy Pinoy BBQ at home with you, thanks to this handy box. For just Php599, you get fifteen sticks of Mang Ding’s signature barbecue and isaw served with grilled corn as well as calamansi and siling labuyo for the dipping sauce.
On the other hand, if your family opted for a virtual reunion, you can still partake of the same meal during your Zoom party by sending them Mang Ding’s Ready-to-Grill Pinoy BBQ packs (basting and dipping sauce included) that they can cook at home in a jiffy.
These include, among others:
Liempo (Php360/500g).
Pork BBQ (Php600/20pcs) and Isaw Manok (Php460/20pcs).
Chicharon Bulaklak (Php325/500g).
So whether your clan decides to have a physical get-together or a virtual party over the holiday season and beyond, Mang Ding’s is surely your best bet!
Mang Ding’s Pinoy BBQ is located at Block 3, Lot 13 C Buenviaje Street, Barangay Santo Nino, Marikina City, open for dine-in, pickup and delivery on Mondays to Thursdays from 11am to 9pm and Fridays to Sundays for 11am to 10.30pm.
Reserve the venue now for your clan gathering or book a table for lunch, dinner or drinks by calling +63 916 2853031.
Disclosure: Together with fellow bloggers, I attended a food tasting held at this restaurant. Food items served were not paid for by the attendees.
Jellybeans in the City 