Manang's

Where it can be found:
Ateneo

Type of dining place:
cafeteria style

Type of food served:
Filipino

Upside:
Cheap, good service

Downside:
Bad location hinders smooth air circulation so the area is always, ALWAYS hot. It’s also so popular among the students that the place is jam packed during lunchtime. Their inihaw (Manang's specialty) is served only during lunch.

Budget for 1 person:
less than P100 (but the price of their food may have gone up so prepare P150, to be safe)

Must try:
the barbeque!!!

Honest recommendation:
Manang’s never fails to serve great barbeque!!! The meat (yes, unlike other places that serve barbeque, Manang’s actually has meat in them) is always tender, juicy and cooked just right. The servings are fair so you get your money’s worth (read: student friendly). They are also very generous with their condiments so you can season your food away (which I recommend you do sparingly because the food is already delicious). Manang’s only serve the barbeque during lunch time so you better go there early or else you’ll be fighting the students for cutting the line or for hogging the benches/chairs and tables. They still serve viands and rice in the afternoon but only if there are leftovers from lunch. The place also serves other Filipino dishes, such as daing na bangus, which I hear is also good (haven’t tried it because I always make a beeline to the barbeque whenever I’m there). The only draw back is the place’s size and location. The area is small (they’ve renovated it to accommodate more people but it’s still not big enough) and it is cramped near the covered courts, tennis area and the PE office so the air is almost always warm and stuffy (due to poor air circulation). Plus, they serve their best food at noon. So the heat of the day plus the crowd plus the bad location equals to a really, really hot (literally) dining place. If you don’t feel comfortable sweating while eating, then bring a fan. Trust me, you’ll need it.


***THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MANANG’S: Since Ateneo is at Katipunan, I’d just like to give high praises to Martha’s Kitchen, one of the best places to eat at Katipunan. Of all the restaurants I’ve ever been to, this is the only place that made me feel like I am eating at the breakfast table/ kitchen of someone’s home (it’s that warm, inviting and homey). It has been gone for around four years now and I am still grieving its loss.