My favorite resto along Lilac!
5.0
Food 5
Ambiance 4
Service 5
Price 5
Ah, Mandi's Grill Grub! Goodness, where do I begin describing my love for this restaurant?! For me it's hands down the best dining place along Lilac Street when it comes to quality food & service! I've tasted everything on their menu already, even off-menu items actually! :)
For starters, one can have the sisig surprise - an epitome of the saying "looks can be deceiving." A lot of my friends' initial reaction to this dish was, "Isn't this JUST mashed potato?" and then they'd be surprised! Underneath the creamy, milky mashed potatoes is sisig, but it's not the usual kind of sisig. Mandi's version has grilled LEAN meat. Lean as in no fat! The milky smoothness of the mashed potatoes complements the meaty goodness of the sisig. This appetizer is so good, it could very well be a main dish! The meat content isn't so much, though, so if you want more meat, go for the sisig meal served in lettuce and comes with rice.
And now let me describe more of their meals! :) Each meal already has rice and drinks, plus most of them also come with a side dish: either mashed potatoes or coleslaw (I personally prefer the former as the latter is just ordinary, and I generally dislike coleslaw).
Grilled beef tapa: the flavor of the beef is not compromised as it already has a vinegar-y taste that’s perfect for tapa! Each beef piece strictly follows a precise measurement, allowing diners to easily eat the thinly sliced meat. This dish comes with scrambled egg, Mandi's salsa, and fried rice.
Tatlongsilog: In Filipino, this translates to "3 pieces of baloney," which are rekado (garlic), hamonado (sweet), and bototay (beef). They have a good mix of sweet-sour-salty-garlicky flavors.
Chicken Inasal or BBQ: Mandi's version of inasal is so good that I don't need any chicken oil to enhance its flavor! But if you want your chicken to be sweet, then go for their chicken BBQ. Either dish includes half a chicken, so what is sulit?!
Pork BBQ: Whenever I order this, I always have an extra order of rice. Okay fine, 2 orders of extra rice! Haha! It's that good! I especially like to partner this with garlic vinegar with chili!
Pork Adobo: Mandi's is also not afraid to experiment, so they came up with a grilled version of this Filipino classic. I thought the pork slices were going to be dry, but no!!! The vinegar-soy sauce marinade very much permeated the meat, making it a highly flavorful dish! There is a separate container for the adobo sauce, but there’s a good chance you won’t need it for the meat anymore (mix it in your rice instead!). Moreover, the adobo meat is topped with flavorful garlic (peelings and all) and chives, while the plain rice is topped with a sunny side up egg. SARAP!
American Rib: a meaty slab that is at least half a foot long! It’s almost like liempo, but much softer, making it a lot easier to slice and enjoy! No need for a knife! Each serving also comes with Mandi's fried rice, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes.
Pinaputok na Blue Marlin: This is wrapped in aluminum foil and upon popping it, you’ll be greeted by a very delicious smell! It has a very generous amount of Mandi's secret sauce, which can be a substitute for soup. I enjoyed eating this even without rice.
Grilled Blue Marlin: It’s simply good. Nothing fancy about it, just a buttery glaze, crushed garlic, and chives. It’s thick, huge, and good for sharing, but I know that I could eat an order all by myself haha! It’s so delectable that my stomach is growling as I type this! This comes with chili-garlic sauce and calamansi for a spicier and tangier gastronomic experience! An order of this is good for two because it comes with 2 servings of rice & 2 jars of ice tea.
Grilled BBQ Pata: this one's a good alternative to the usual crispy pata. It's soft and meaty, and the barbecue flavor isn't overpowering, plus it is topped with sliced apples. Good for sharing!
Grilled Arroz Valenciana: A whole chicken topped with Hungarian sausage slices, quail eggs, carrots, marble potatoes, parsley, and gizzards - paired with nutty Valenciana rice! Perfect for groups of 3-4 (or two really hungry foodies hehe). The Valenciana rice is so good even without the chicken!
Crispy Baby Back Ribs: Another favorite of mine from Mandi's! The ribs are topped with cheesy Bechamel sauce, parsley, bell peppers, and cashew! Best paired with their super creamy mashed potatoes! One order is good for 2 people! Or one hungry person haha!
Drinks: my favorite ones are the cucumber-calamansi and cucumber-raspberry!
The owner and staff are really, really nice, so dining here is never a dull experience! I always feel like a VIP! Moreover, the place is adorned with vintage tin signs, cans, and also toys. What I hope Mandi's could improve on, though, is their space because sometimes, it gets too cramped and the smell coming from the kitchen sticks to the diners haha (not a bad smell naman).
For starters, one can have the sisig surprise - an epitome of the saying "looks can be deceiving." A lot of my friends' initial reaction to this dish was, "Isn't this JUST mashed potato?" and then they'd be surprised! Underneath the creamy, milky mashed potatoes is sisig, but it's not the usual kind of sisig. Mandi's version has grilled LEAN meat. Lean as in no fat! The milky smoothness of the mashed potatoes complements the meaty goodness of the sisig. This appetizer is so good, it could very well be a main dish! The meat content isn't so much, though, so if you want more meat, go for the sisig meal served in lettuce and comes with rice.
And now let me describe more of their meals! :) Each meal already has rice and drinks, plus most of them also come with a side dish: either mashed potatoes or coleslaw (I personally prefer the former as the latter is just ordinary, and I generally dislike coleslaw).
Grilled beef tapa: the flavor of the beef is not compromised as it already has a vinegar-y taste that’s perfect for tapa! Each beef piece strictly follows a precise measurement, allowing diners to easily eat the thinly sliced meat. This dish comes with scrambled egg, Mandi's salsa, and fried rice.
Tatlongsilog: In Filipino, this translates to "3 pieces of baloney," which are rekado (garlic), hamonado (sweet), and bototay (beef). They have a good mix of sweet-sour-salty-garlicky flavors.
Chicken Inasal or BBQ: Mandi's version of inasal is so good that I don't need any chicken oil to enhance its flavor! But if you want your chicken to be sweet, then go for their chicken BBQ. Either dish includes half a chicken, so what is sulit?!
Pork BBQ: Whenever I order this, I always have an extra order of rice. Okay fine, 2 orders of extra rice! Haha! It's that good! I especially like to partner this with garlic vinegar with chili!
Pork Adobo: Mandi's is also not afraid to experiment, so they came up with a grilled version of this Filipino classic. I thought the pork slices were going to be dry, but no!!! The vinegar-soy sauce marinade very much permeated the meat, making it a highly flavorful dish! There is a separate container for the adobo sauce, but there’s a good chance you won’t need it for the meat anymore (mix it in your rice instead!). Moreover, the adobo meat is topped with flavorful garlic (peelings and all) and chives, while the plain rice is topped with a sunny side up egg. SARAP!
American Rib: a meaty slab that is at least half a foot long! It’s almost like liempo, but much softer, making it a lot easier to slice and enjoy! No need for a knife! Each serving also comes with Mandi's fried rice, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes.
Pinaputok na Blue Marlin: This is wrapped in aluminum foil and upon popping it, you’ll be greeted by a very delicious smell! It has a very generous amount of Mandi's secret sauce, which can be a substitute for soup. I enjoyed eating this even without rice.
Grilled Blue Marlin: It’s simply good. Nothing fancy about it, just a buttery glaze, crushed garlic, and chives. It’s thick, huge, and good for sharing, but I know that I could eat an order all by myself haha! It’s so delectable that my stomach is growling as I type this! This comes with chili-garlic sauce and calamansi for a spicier and tangier gastronomic experience! An order of this is good for two because it comes with 2 servings of rice & 2 jars of ice tea.
Grilled BBQ Pata: this one's a good alternative to the usual crispy pata. It's soft and meaty, and the barbecue flavor isn't overpowering, plus it is topped with sliced apples. Good for sharing!
Grilled Arroz Valenciana: A whole chicken topped with Hungarian sausage slices, quail eggs, carrots, marble potatoes, parsley, and gizzards - paired with nutty Valenciana rice! Perfect for groups of 3-4 (or two really hungry foodies hehe). The Valenciana rice is so good even without the chicken!
Crispy Baby Back Ribs: Another favorite of mine from Mandi's! The ribs are topped with cheesy Bechamel sauce, parsley, bell peppers, and cashew! Best paired with their super creamy mashed potatoes! One order is good for 2 people! Or one hungry person haha!
Drinks: my favorite ones are the cucumber-calamansi and cucumber-raspberry!
The owner and staff are really, really nice, so dining here is never a dull experience! I always feel like a VIP! Moreover, the place is adorned with vintage tin signs, cans, and also toys. What I hope Mandi's could improve on, though, is their space because sometimes, it gets too cramped and the smell coming from the kitchen sticks to the diners haha (not a bad smell naman).
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