I will admit, the name makes it sound cheap. Manag's. It's the kind of name you'd expect from a corner carinderia, isn't it? But I suppose that's the feel that they were going for: somewhere unmistakably all-pinoy. For somewhere with that kind of vibe, this isn't the kind of place where you'd find the stereotypical adobo-sisig-bulalo combo because Manang's specializes in one thing: fried chicken.
And pretty good fried chicken at that.
Think of it as a local version of Bon Chon. I'm not kidding. From the soy garlic flavor profile to the sesame seeds, there's evident inspiration from Bon Chon at the very least. But if we can be perfectly honest here for a second, I'd prefer this place over Bon Chon for one simple reason: the flavor reaches the meat.
My one problem with Bon Chon is that once the skin peels off, that's it. The meat's pretty bland. It's really meant to be eaten with the skin. Thankfully, Manang's doesn't have this problem. Even if the skin comes off, the meat underneat is still savory and tasty. It does get a little tough and chewy when reheated though. Manang's also boasts its own in-house potato chips which are served in place of fries. These chips are great. Thin, crisp... there's no MSG there, or at least I don't think there is. If you can find one, give it a try. Don't get turned off by the name. (Not to mention, they have this delectable thing called a brownie sundae. Exactly what it sounds like and exactly as tasty as it sounds like. Tell me how many places have brownie sundaes.) read more
