Super Yummy Lunch at Manang's Chicken

Let me just begin this post by saying this: I don't regret cheating last Sunday!

(Of course, I am referring to cheating over my Balik Alindog Program.)

So a few months ago, I wrote about the lunch I've had with the owners of Manang's Chicken and some members of the press. I was really the odd one out, but truthfully, I didn't mind because I was so curious about this new restaurant. (Of course, eating at Don Beppe didn't hurt either!)

You folks from Manila might have known Manang's Chicken and even became patrons. For us in Davao, though, it is a new name. A promising new name for us who love hearty homemade meals!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend its opening last November due to time conflict. Also, because I live quite far from Gaisano Mall (where the branch is, near The Peak!), I wasn't able to go during the following days and, well, weeks. Fortunately, they were kind enough to still extend the invitation. If they only knew how much I was looking forward to try their famous chicken!

Last Sunday proved to be a wonderful opportunity. We finally ventured out to Gaisano Mall and Manang's Chicken was our immediate destination. Let me tell you this: I regret not going earlier! I mean, I can still taste that chicken while I'm typing, which is a bad idea since I just finished working out. Ayayay.

Another thing I regret is not visiting Manang's when my camera was still working. Oh well, we got to work with what we have. So sorry for the low-res cellphone photos in this post - good thing the food was photogenic on its own!

Here are some photos we took last Sunday:

Friendly cashiers greet you at the counter. I think I took 5 minutes to finalize my order, and they didn't mind at all.

I finally decided to buy the bucket meal since I figured it would be cheaper than buying individual chicken meals. My sister was beside me and was telling me, "Anything, ate, basta chicken." Well, we're in the right place, aren't we?

You can read more of Manang's Chicken's story here.

Before the food came to our table, I was imagining how their famous chicken would taste. Would it be like a copy of Bonchon? We'll see.

After a short while, these potato chips arrived. We all love them! They were very crispy and quite thick at the same time. My choices of dip were Garlic Mayo and Cheese, and they were also great. The best part was the potatoes were not too salty. Yay!

Finally, the bucket of chicken arrived as well as my two choices of side dishes (macaroni and corn). I tasted the side dishes first before Yuri inevitably takes possession of them. They were yummy, too! I especially like how the macaroni salad tastes like the one my mom makes which is not sweet at all.

Suspense

I don't have a photo of the macaroni salad because a certain little boy, who shall remain unnamed, claimed it as his own.

And, finally, the chicken! It was delicious. Scrumdiddlyumptious. I swear everything was perfect. It does remind one of Chicken Bonchon, but the similarity ends at the appearance. I actually like this one better because it is more savory. Maybe it's the sesame seeds or the right amount of sauce? I'm no cook so I can't tell what exactly it is that makes their chicken so delish. What I know is that I wanted to eat the entire chicken until its very last morsel! #pataytayodyan

I'll tell you a secret: My dad was so in love with the sauce that he placed his rice inside the bucket and mixed it with all the remaining sauce. He almost made a hole with all that scraping. Ssshhh!

VERDICT:

Location: Quite far from home, but Davaoenos living near downtown will find the location convenient. Plus, even if you live far like me, trust me, the food's worth the trip.

Service: Absolutely no complaints at all! Everyone was friendly and very attentive. One of the staff played with Yuri when he was getting a bit malikot hehe.

Food: Oh my gosh, can I say yummy? Really really tasty food here. I can say that choice ingredients went into my food, which reminds me of my mom's cooking!

Look at how big the chicken is!

Price: Very reasonable. Our bucket meal cost around P600 (with additional rice already). That comes with 6 pieces of chicken, two orders of potato chips with two choices of dip,two choices of side dishes, a family-sized bottle of soft drinks, and 3 orders of rice. Sulit! There are also a lot of choices for solo diners, and there's unlimited rice! #lagotna

Con: Honestly, the only con I could think of was the lack of high chairs. Yuri did enjoy sitting on the adult seats, but I hope they offer seating options for little people in the future!

Oh, and I also hope a delivery service would be offered in the future! We will be the first ones to avail!

So that's how my fantastic lunch at Manang's Chicken went. If you're from Davao (or seriously anywhere with a branch nearby) and haven't tried it yet, you should! You won't regret it.

*Everything in this post reflects my honest opinion.

PS: We weren't able to try their desserts because one, I had a cold, and two, busog naaa. But do try their velvet sundae. Special flavors like Bibingka and Puto Bumbong velvet sundaes are still available. (See their menu here.) I'll surely try them when I come back!

Manang's Chicken is located on the 4th floor of Gaisano Mall of Davao, near the cinemas. You won't miss it!

Just in case you need more prodding: