The drive through the Northern Luzon Expressway was pleasant, and we found ourselves in San Fernando earlier than expected. At the SM Pampanga, a sizeable crowd surged into the building, eager to get on with their shopping, while we leisurely strolled towards Mangan on the ground level of the building.
"Mangan" means "to eat," and is one word that is common to many Filipino dialects. It is also the name of a restaurant that serves well-loved Pinoy dishes popularized in Pampanga amid modern interiors. The restaurant in SM Pampanga is a franchise of Mangan & Co. Inc. with young couple Ian Tiongson and Diane dela Fuente-Tiongson as managing partners. Although the restaurant already has outlets in Glorietta, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Place Manila, and SM North Edsa, Mangan was opened in San Fernando to cater to the increasingly urbanized population there. With economic progress and busier lifestyles, Pampangos have less time to spend in the kitchen to prepare the delicacies that they crave for and enjoy.
Why are the Kapampangans generally known to be good cooks? The province was an important seat of Catholicism during the Spanish colonial period, and the region was a progressive sugar center, with an affluent society that traveled to Europe. Thus, the region’s cuisine has been greatly enriched by its history of a strong colonial and Spanish religious presence and a dominant bon vivant class.
To stimulate and satisfy the sophisticated tastes of important residents of that bygone era, Pampango cooks learned various methods to coax out the best flavors in food to suit urbane and European-influenced tastes. The cooking traditions were passed on through the generations and Pampanga cooking remains delectable to this day.
Mangan’s "Ispesyal na Handa" lists some of these traditional favorites: mouthwatering and tender lengua (or ox tongue) with mushroom (P190), lengua caldereta (P152), and embotidong bangus (or stuffed milkfish, for P181).
However, there are also local favorites like crispy pata (P350), kare-kare buntot ng baka (P200), sarsiadong tilapia (P114), and pinakbet (P71) on the menu. Likewise, the Filipino sour soup or sinigang is well represented by sinigang na babi (pork sinigang for P171), sinigang na ulo ng salmon sa miso (P157), and sinigang na sugpo sa camias (P238).
Traditionally, the Pampanga countryside was a rich source of wild fowl. In the interest of wildlife preservation however, the practice of trapping and eating wild birds is discouraged today. Thus, the quail in garlic pugo inadobo (P114) is commercially raised. This is a happy development, as the meat of domesticated quail is just as flavorful but infinitely tender and less stringy than its wild counterpart.
Modern fish farming methods, too, have ensured a steady supply of fish, so that the cook does not have to rely on what the fishermen catch in the winding Pampanga rivers. At Mangan, a whole section of the menu is devoted to bangus or milkfish, and the diner can pick his favorite from the following list: sinigang na bangus sa bayabas (P152), kinilaw na bangus (P62), bangus a la pobre (P129), bangus salpicao (P195), bistig bangus belly (P200), and others. That the bangus-eating diner is presented with so many choices is an attestation to the Pampango cook’s versatility and inventiveness. But then, Pampanga cooks are famous for their resourcefulness, and sisig is proof of this intrinsic talent.
Sisig is widely known as a Kapampangan innovation that makes use of the parts of a pig that would otherwise look too unappetizing if served in the natural form. By slicing the pig’s cheeks and ears into small, indistinct strips, and adding flavorful bits of liver, the diner can enjoy sisig without the trauma of biting into an entire pig’s ear or snout. The advantage of Mangan’s sisig ni Mely (P86) is that it is served in a regular plate, unlike the usual practice of serving sisig in a hot plate. One is able to savor the varying flavors and contrasting textures of the meats, without having to contend with burnt portions stuck on a hot plate. Sinful and delicious!
Looking through Mangan’s menu, I found that the most unusual entrée was the tapang damulag. Carabeef is not unusual in rural areas, but many city folk have not tried carabao steaks. Thus, they may want to try the rich, dark carabao meat in Mangan.
For those who only have time for a quick snack, merienda fare of bibingka with quesong puti and salted egg (P76) or an ube flavored puto-bumbong with muscovado and grated coconut (P71) is available. So are seafood pancit luglog (P90) and lelut balatong (P38), sweet rice porridge with toasted monggo beans.
"Instead of putting up a business in Manila, we decided on San Fernando because Pampanga is home," says Ian Tiongson of Mangan. His amiable and attractive wife, who is known in the entertainment circle as the singer Diane dela Fuente, has temporarily set aside her career to raise their young family. Equally, she enumerates the many advantages of living in Pampanga, foremost of which is the slower pace and more time for the family.
Would Pampanga residents opt for local cuisine at Mangan even if they could cook it at home? Ian and Diane Tiongson did not have to reply. Happily, the answer to the question was apparent as the lunch crowd of native Kapampangan speakers swarmed into the restaurant and ordered their favorite meals, while speaking to the waiters in the dialect. Clearly, the locals who know good regional cooking trust Mangan to stay true to the familiar and much-loved flavors that they grew up with.
For me, it was heartening to see that local franchises serving traditional favorites could hold their own against the fast-food giants. We have been taught that to achieve progress, we should patronize our own. Tangkilikin ang sariling atin. Perhaps, we should take our cue from the Kapampangans eating at Mangan, and start with food.