Crisano “chickens out”

by Robbie Pangilinan

In American English, to “chicken out” means to become scared and not want to do something. No, popular PBA cager Alex Crisano is not scared, nor is he hiding from something. Nowadays, he is just enjoying dining out feasting on chicken inasal, his favorite Ilonggo dish. And for him, the best chicken inasal is none other than Mang Inasal.

“What I like about Mang Inasal is the way they marinate the chicken,” says the 6’7” PBA star. Mang Inasal, the fastest growing quick serve restaurant in the country today, takes pride in its secret chicken recipe that comes all the way from Iloilo where Mang Inasal started severl years ago. Owner Edgar “Injap” Sia II, though part Chinese and Japanese, made sure that Mang Inasal serves food that are distinctly Filipino.
New York-born Alex is proud of his Filipino blood—particularly his Ilonggo heritage. And he is glad that Mang Inasal brought his favorite home food to almost any place in the metro. Mang Inasal now has more than 200 branches nationwide and aims to have 500 branches by 2012. It has captured the hearts of diners because of its delicious and affordable meals and of course, because it is truly Pinoy.
For Crisano, Mang Inasal deserves a 10. “To the bone,” he says. Every time he eats at Mang Inasal, he feels he is back in Iloilo, enjoying home style cooking. The tattooed Crisano can be seen doing “kinamot” (Ilonggo term meaning to eat using the hands) whenever he eats chicken inasal. But grilled chicken is not the only offering of Mang Inasal. They have sisig, bangus, and sinigang, and even Pinoy versions of spaghetti and burger. Their thirst-quenchers and pampalamig like sago’t gulaman, mais con hielo, saging melt, sorbetes and halo-halo are also must-trys.
Crisano, a father of three, would want his children to also eat at and enjoy Mang Inasal when they come to the country. The three are now in the US studying.

Besides offering delicious dishes to its diners, Mang Inasal is also proud to employ local suppliers of its main ingredients as well as other economic ventures and activities that gain benefit from having a Mang Inasal branch in the vicinity.

Alex Crisano believes in Mang Inasal’s tagline: “... laging mabilis, laging masarap, at laging abot-kaya” and is confident in admitting that he is indeed a “chicken”—a chicken inasal fanatic that is. #