Artichoke Adobo
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Aling Banang's... Where Volume Counts
Key Words: Food
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| Now this place is highly recommended... at least by my friends. I, on the other hand, don't quite get it. See, the first Aling Banang's is a walk away from my top-secret Shell Gas Station (Where they sell the cheapest unleaded in Metro Manila - usually almost a peso cheaper than regular price... but that's another story altogether) and one morning, I was feeling quite adventurous. I parked right in front of the little hole-in-the-wall restaurant and took pictures of the facade. Excitedly, I ordered their specialty and was pleasantly surprised that it was a good-sized serving of Pancit Bihon which they sell at 30 Pesos. So I got back in my car, drove to Globe where I needed to hold my office that day, sat myself down at my desk, unwrapped my pancit and took my first bite... |
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| My mom makes better pancit, and she's not that great a cook (except when she makes Tapa and Pastel... yum). It's not that the bihon tasted bad. It was just that it did not taste good either. It was... normal. Which would've been okay given that it costs only 30 Pesos, but the hype got me. The pancit bihon was definitely a disappointment. I might have ordered the wrong thing, though. Aling Banang's can boast of 9 branches in and around the Manila, QC, San Juan area. It has become a franchise that any other local carinderia will be hard put to match. I would think it's success would be based on repeat customers and not on hype. Maybe I should've ordered their two other specialties: Tapsilog and Halo-halo. Hmmm... I should order those next time. |
Aling Banang's is a phenomenon to me. A single N. Domingo carinderia which has successfully branched out and gained popularity by word of mouth. Wouldn't we all love to have that. But if I were to sit the old Aling down, I'd give her tips on how to make better pancit bihon.
Price per meal: Between 30 to 50 pesos
Pancit Bihon Pros: Big serving at a very cheap price. Lot's of artery choking litson cutlets.
Pancit Bihon Cons: Bland to my taste.
Pancit Bihon Rating: @@ out of 5
# posted by ManongGuard @ 7:00 AM 
