Gelorific!

words by Yas Ocampo
photos by Gelo Reyes

Mang Larry’s was the second destination of our UP Food Trip, preceded by the Rodic’s foodgasm that we had had earlier that day. It’s not hard to find Mang Larry’s stall. One would either have to ask anyone within the campus where it is, not to mention the stall’s visibility from the Ikot/UP Philcoa/UP MRT jeepney routes, or in our case, since we stood right outside the UP Student Center, we simply had to follow the smoke trail, literally. The area is a short walk from the Student Center.

The stall of Mang Larry below a huge tree

Mang Larry’s is a pilgrimage site to street food aficionados all over Metro Manila. Within the UP campus stands a booth both nondescript and popular, located in front of the Kalayaan Residence Hall. Over the years, Mang Larry’s food stand has changed little that one would at first mistake it for those among the many food stalls all over the premises. But unlike the other stalls, this one has its share of a claim to fame. During our visit, there were at least 25 people falling in line at any given time at the ordering queue.

Frytz checking in at Mang Larry’s using Four Square

When we got to the area, there was already a long line of people from various demographics (mostly students in this case). After a short moment of looking through the glass display case where Larry’s foodstuff lay, we decided to fall in line immediately so that we would not run out of food from the selection.

We ordered various combinations of the selection of isaw (literally pork or chicken intestines grilled over an open flame), balunbalunan (chicken gizzard), atay (pork or chicken liver), goto, botsi, and pork barbecue. One of the highlights of this trip was Gelorific host Gelo ordering “two of everything” on the list, something we found both amusing and rare (since we could not order that much anywhere else).

Isaw

To the uninitiated, the selection could be a combination of strange, foreign, or, uhm, “new”, which brings forth this disclaimer: Mang Larry’s is one of the most sought after food places for these kinds of food because of the way Larry’s company of servers prepare the food before cooking. The food is not suspicious at all: cooking is done over an open grill in broad daylight (unlike the night timeisaw places all over the metro), and the isaw seems practically pre-marinated before the cooking.

The verdict: Mang Larry’s is a hit because of the preparation and the distinct taste of the isaw recipes not easily found elsewhere. Those planning to foodhop the stalls around the area should try Mang Larry’s isaw, discover the buzz for themselves, and experience “two of everything” in Mang Larry’s trademark sauces (either hot and spicy or sweet and sour). The trip is best had on an empty stomach.

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Gelo’s Note: This was a long overdue post. hehe. We had this food trip back in February 26. Enjoy!

Check out the other UP food trip posts:

• Rodic’s: The Tapa Specialists
• Restaurant of Choice (ROC)
• Chocolate Kiss: The Parade of Cakes