Home Cooked Kapampangan Food in Makati at Apag Marangle

Looking for an authentic Kapampangan food restaurant is hard for some that miss home because Kapampangan food is known for its rich flavor and savory sauces so knowing one that is in Makati is definitely a foodie adventure to try. 

Apag Marangle or “hain sa bukid” in tagalog is a well known restaurant in Pampanga already so when they opened a new branch at Park Square Makati I immediately went it to get a taste of some authentic Kapampangan food I once enjoyed as a kid during Summer. 

Unbeknownst to many, my late father had a lot of friends that are true Kapampangans and when we visit them I remember seeing a lot of food in the dinner table because Kapampangans are really good in cooking savory dishes for the family and Apag Marangle didn't let me down on that. 

I was already huffing and puffing because I was late but I was thankful I was still able to make it to see the main dishes that were being discussed by the owners. And mind you there were a lot of dishes that were served. Here were the some that I was able to try. 

Pindang Damulag or Carabeef Tocino is actually one of their best sellers. Carabeef is actually Carabao Beef, and I know it would sound so shocking but yes in some parts of the country the mighty Carabao can also be eaten. The texture is so much different from the normal cow beef and also with each bite there is like a sweet and sour taste and I can't pin point what it really taste like. 

Ningnang hito or grilled mudfish looks quite intimidating but the taste is phenomenal. I don't know what or how exactly do mud fish taste good even though when you see them alive they look like they will eat your hand if you touch them. The taste is mild and sweet and if you add it with the sauce it compliments it a lot and if you don't like mud fish you would love this with the sauce. 

As for the veggies, we had the pepasingong Gule ampong taguilo or Steamed vegetables with fermented shrimp or rice dip with tamarind sauce. If you noticed, its a common practice that they add an extra kick with their dips to make the flavor of the food stand out more. I absolutely love their steamed vegetables because its hard to exactly know when it is good to serve it with. 

Nasing Marangle is actually their all in one rice meal. You can say its like fried rice, but compared to the usual fried rice these has more veggies such as ampalaya and sitaw. And also it has huge chunks of meat in it so just with this you are good to go. 

Pepalukluk Manuk or seated chicken. Seated chicken is actually a traditional way of cooking in which it takes about six hours to complete making a batch of this so if you are planning to try this make sure to be there once Apag Marangle opens because they only cook a limited amount per day. 

The taste is really good and its not very greasy because its been dry steamed for a while. Their sauce with this meal is home made and you will know because compared to the commercially made, their sauce has bigger pepper corns in it. 

Tokwa't Baboy with Liempo. Its basically the usual tokwa't baboy with an addition of Liempo or pork belly. Compared to other ways of cooking this dish, this has more color because of the vegetables that were added in the dish. The taste is not too salty even if it has a lot of soy sauce. 

We were also served sisig! I love their sisig here because its not hard to chew and also its quite juicy. 

And as a welcome refreshment we were given some pandan water which is one of my newest favorite infused water because the taste is very light and refreshing which is perfect this Summer season. 

And for something new to experience, we enjoyed our feast through a boodle fight!

 

The food that I featured in this review are the ones that I really loved. There is one last dish that might give you high blood pressure, but its something worth trying for - Taba ng Talangka! I don't have a picture of it unfortunately but if you add it in your dish its like adding something extra to it. 

If you really do have high cholesterol and blood pressure, I wouldn't recommend it to you because I don't want you to have complications. 

Overall my experience eating Kapampangan food at Apag Marangle does make me remember my summer vacations in Pampanga. Kapampangan food is one of the best that offers all kinds of dishes with a unique twist to it.

If you want to try these out, you can visit Apag Marangle at Park Square 1 in Makati.

Much Love!

xx Alice