The merry mix of Mang Inasal and Mark Bautista

About six years ago, two gentlemen from the South dared to take their chances in the metropolis called Manila.

Before the launch of their first branch in Metro Manila, Edgar "Injap" Sia II, the man behind Iloilo’s famous Mang Inasal, was understandably cautious. Sure, their existing branches were a big hit in the Visayas, as fellow Ilonggos could not seem to get enough of their scrumptiously moist and juicy, tender and tasty barbecued chicken, meats and seafood. But would the ever-evolving palates of Manila folks accept Mang Inasal as well?To Sia’s pleasant surprise, Mang Inasal was eagerly embraced by Manila foodies.

Courtesy of www.MARKBAUTISTA.com

And today, Mang Inasal has become a culinary force to reckon with. Both by word of mouth and aggressive marketing communications efforts, the Visayan favorite is now a Metro Manila hotspot too.Sia says: "We have 160 branches to date. The first in Manila at the Mall of Asia was actually the 18th branch of Mang Inasal. We’re going six years this coming Dec. 12. For this year, we hope to have a total of 200 branches and another 100 next year. In the next five years, we are aiming for 100 branches a year nationwide."

Sia believes that this success can be attributed to many factors which come together to make a totality - affordability, a distinct Filipino flavor, the unlimited rice offerings, the strategic location of branches, and the dynamic brand build up that creates favorable awareness for Mang Inasal.

At just about the same time that Sia was preparing for Mang Inasal’s Manila debut, one young man was gearing up for his own conquest of the nation’s capital. Mark Bautista grew up in Cagayan de Oro with his father Darni, mother Susan, three other brothers and a sister. Bautista recalls how even at an early age, he and his siblings were taught the value of hard work. Their parents never spoiled them and made sure that they understood responsibility by dutifully performing household chores. It was also from his father that he learned humility and grace. The older Bautista always had a ready smile, even for strangers.

When his father was unable to continue working as a seaman due to health reasons, Bautista decided to join a singing contest to help with the family’s financial obligations. His second prize win at the show "Star for a Night" catapulted him to greater heights in the entertainment industry. Today, he is a popular showbiz personality, a mainstay of the star studded Sunday noontime program "ASAP", with a string of musical hits to his name, and a blooming film career.

Never in his entire life did Bautista dream of such a success. All he wanted was to help his family. He remarks: "Today, I am overflowing with blessings. I recognize how valuable these opportunities are and I am making the most of them. I also acknowledge that the fruits of my work are gifts from God and I am thankful and glad to enjoy them."Fortune smiled at these two unassuming gentlemen who, by sheer hard work and a humble attitude, attained their goals and dreams.

And as if serendipity sought out two like minded individuals to complement each other, Mang Inasal has partnered with Mark Bautista to take the message of good food and family celebrations to more and more Filipinos nationwide.Sia observes: "I think we have some similarities. Mark also started in 2004, the same with Mang Inasal.

Like Mang Inasal, Mark is very unassuming but he has stayed in the entertainment world for quite some time already and he’s doing well. And we feel that Mark, like Mang Inasal, has a very big potential, coming into the next few years as they slowly unfold."

For his part, Bautista says: "Mang Inasal is very hard working, they give it their all, they are persistent and aggressive. They want to succeed in the industry. And that is also what I see in myself. "Today after six years, the two gentlemen from the South are more inspired than ever. All their efforts are paying off, giving credence to the principle that hard work, patience, honesty and faith in God make the best formula for success. And when at times the road may seem so rough and long, just keep walking and working and who knows, the dream may be closer to fulfillment than you think.

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Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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