Mangan restaurant Bacolod: A new Filipino restaurant with original Pampanga recipes has recently opened in Ayala Malls Capitol central Bacolod. Mangan is a Kapampangan phrase that translates to “Let’s Eat” in English.
We visited Mangan a few months after its opening to check out the Filipino food. Many of our relatives who visited Mangan in Ayala Malls recommended it to us so we decided to give it a try. After all, Pampanga is known throughout the Philippines for their famous dishes. So here’s our review of Mangan. Did we like it? Read on!
Mangan is located on the first floor of Ayala Malls Capitol Central. It’s a smallish restaurant, certainly not as big as its other branches in Manila but still it is very pretty inside. The interior is very minimalistic yet elegant.
Mangan got very crowded soon after we arrived. It took awhile for us to get our order. Fortunately, Mangan gives out free kamote chips as appetizer so we snacked on that while waiting for our food.
We got the traditional Filipino favourite – Kare Kare with oxtail. It’s a popular dish because of the chewy texture of the oxtail meat which goes well with the peanut sauce, vegetables and fermented shrimp paste.
We’re gourmands and whenever we order Kare-Kare we absolutely must pair it with Crispy Pata! We ordered Mangan’s Patang Demonyo. It’s like regular Crispy Pata but it has a megadose of chopped bird’s eye chili to give it a spicy zing.
We were so full after that epic meal so we paid our bill and walked around Ayala Malls Capitol central for about 2 hours before returning to Mangan – this time for merienda!
This time we had Mangan’s famous bibingka with queso de bola and salted egg along with Pancit Pusit for merienda.
Mangan’s Bibingka comes in 2 sizes, the Mini size and the regular sized one which turned out to be quite heavy and substantial. The bibingka was like a cake – but with a thicker texture. There was a nice flavour interplay between the cheese, the salted egg and the shredded coconut.
Our favourite Merienda at Mangan is their excellent Pancit Pusit. This dish is composed of vermicelli noodles with squid ink, topped with chicharon, squid and slices of kamias.
If you’re looking for calamansi to add a citrus taste to this pancit dish – you won’t find it at all. Instead, take a big spoonful and include a slice of kamias. Yes, this sour fruit takes the place of calamansi!
The kamias is sliced thinly and you can really feel the crunchy texture. It gives the dish a delicious sourness. Way better than any calamansi. Bravo Mangan! What a great idea! We’re stealing this idea for the next time we make pancit.
Overall we liked Mangan Restaurant. The food is good and the place is a bit classy. It’s perfect for a nice power lunch when going shopping at Ayala Malls Capitol Central
Mangan is located at Level 1, Ayala Malls Capitol Central, Bacolod City, Negros occidental
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manganrestaurantbacolod/
Telephone number: 09338158571
The Bacolod Food Hunters did not receive any incentives, freebies or payment for this review.
The Bacolod Food Hunters 
0 comments on “Mangan Restaurant: Elegant Filipino Food in Ayala Malls Capitol Central Bacolod.”