Inside the maze of toy and clothes stores on the 3rd level of Shoppesville Arcade one can find several food kiosks. My favorite food place is a home-style eatery the tenants fondly call Manang’s. That is not the store’s actual name but almost everyone has christened it Manang’s.

Manang’s is a family-run business. Manong, the head of the family, cooks the dishes at home. His two eldest children, both young men, help him prepare the day’s menu. They cook a wide variety of viands for that day’s feast. Manang is not a cook but does make a great fruit salad and helps in packaging the food. They usually arrive at their food kiosk at 12 noon. It’s fun seeing them arrive! It’s a family production number. The sons come in carrying huge cauldrons of soup, a bag full of individually-packed viands and rice, then the parents Manang and Manong come after. They immediately set out plates, utensils and napkins for their eager customers.

One serving of ulam is individually packed. If you’re eating at the food kiosk (which has a limited number of seats), you can have your food heated. If you’re having it to go, they will place it in a bigger plastic bag along with your order of rice. They serve a variety of viands. Our favorites are their Pork Chop, Sinigang na Baboy, Inihaw na Baboy, Ginataang Isda, Sauteed Ampalaya, their merienda Pancit, fruit salad, avocado shake. The rest of their feast is undoubtedly scrumptious but these are our top choices. My husband and I eat at Manang’s at least once a week so we’ve sampled most of their cuisine. Mmmmmm.



The service is consistently good. Manong, Manang and their kids are very pleasant and they take good care of their customers. The lunch crowd is usually a mix of tenants and shoppers. When the flow of customers isn’t that heavy (which is unusual), Manang takes the time to sit down with the diners and engages them in a wonderful conversation. I enjoy these moments.

If you’re in the Shoppesville area, do try visiting Manang’s. Just go straight to the 3rd level of the Shoppesville arcade. If you’re familiar with where Giordano is, go one more floor up. Go up the right staircase and just go straight till the end. You’ll find Manang’s corner. Think you can find it? It’ll be very much worth the trip. If you get lost, you can ask one of the stores where Manang’s is and they can point you towards the right direction. Enjoy!