Da Grill Expert: Mang Inasal || A food and place journey. ✮

Along the street with buzzing vehicles passing by leaving you a dark gray sight of fuse. You are in Nabunturan. Looking up you will see cloudy blue sky and dark twisted wire whom where loud chirping birds sit and they will do the droppings. You are in Nabunturan. A stall, with a gigantic loud speaker on, you will hear the iconic phrase “pandesal init” on repeat. You are in Nabunturan.

In a particular place, where I ate a tasty cold dessert, infront of Panadero, beside Central Warehouse, I usually devour my favorite cold dessert at Mang Inasal. Mang Inasal, the Philippines' Grill Expert, is known to customers as the brand that delightfully serves Ihaw-Sarap food and Unli-Saya experience since 2003. From a Hiligaynon word for Mr. Barbecue, Mang Inasal was established on December 12, 2003 in Iloilo City by Edgar “Injap” Sia II. I grew up knowing Inasal is like some kind of grilling or barbecue but in chicken version. I must admit that my comfort food is chicken. Going back, Mang Inasal don't just serve grilled chicken but they also serve different kinds of delicacies like palabok, sisig, etc and most iconically their Halo-Halo. 

Digging through, Halo-Halo was originated from the pre-war Japanese who lived in the Philippines. I did think that Halo-Halo originated here, in the Philippines, as this dessert is a significant dish for foreigners when they have been asked what is their favorite Filipino dessert. Halo-Halo is a cold dessert, it comes with different beans, jelly, fruits like banana, jackfruit, macapuno, crème caramel, plus the creams to make the mixture a tasteful one, most especially it comes with an shaved ice, and the ube flavored ice-cream on top.

This significant dish called Halo-Halo, would not be called by its name when it could not be mixed. Halo-Halo's creamy, milky taste is significant to us Filipino when it is mixed because this time you will get to try its heavenly taste. When it is not yet mixed, as you can look through you will always appreciate its look, it is colorful as the different varieties of ingredients were there to serve their purpose. You will see the color white, green, red, purple, yellow. Base on my experience it is always served on a transparent cup or bowl either made of glass or plastic, as you are enable to look through it.

Whenever I devour the sense of taste of the Halo-Halo I always do a lowkey happy dance. Halo-Halo tasted sweet as the ingredients will be mixed well, when you mix it, it will turn to color purple because of the ice cream or the ube halaya. Causing for this food tasted so well, you are able to taste creamy, sweety goodness because of the crème caramel. Halo-Halo will stand out well for this weather that it is so hot. As it will be refreshing and fulfilling to eat. Halo-Halo is the best and it is delectable.

Other than the place itself, it almost feels like a home, especially when me and my mom, and my brother eat there, together. We usually go to Mang Inasal when my mother's mood told her so or just a token for our achievements. Halo-Halo never missed in our order menu as it will never be a complete eat in Mang Inasal without their Halo-Halo, it will always be a perfect combo to any dish they have. Halo-Halo may be cold, but it never disappoints to warm my heart.

For you fellow big eaters, for you fellow availer of free extra rice, never forget going back again at your local favorite branch of Mang Inasal, as it has “nuot ihaw sarap!”