‘Funn’comes to Mexico town!
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO –- Rejoice, foodies from Mexico, Sta. Ana, Arayat, Candaba, and San Luis!
Your favorite and renowned Sto. Tomas town homegrown family resto and grill house — Funnside Ningnangan, Jr. — is finally in this bustling town, right along the accessible Jose Abad Santos Avenue in an easy-to-find spot at the village of Lagundi where the aroma and smoke of freshly grilled stuff whiffed through the air on a bright Saturday morning.
The eight branch and the first “junior” sized Funnside Ningnangan, it sits in a 2,500 square meter lot with a lot of parking space and room for expansion.
“Junior because it corresponds to the size and actual cost of establishing the resto, but almost close to our standard 3,000 square metersized grill houses. Still, you will find the same high quality cuisine and amenities Funnside is known for at really affordable prices,” said former mayor Lito Naguit, who operates Funnside branches with brother Sto. Tomas Councilor and owner Architect Jhong F. Naguit and partner Lee Manlapaz.
Funnside Ningnangan, Jr. offers a wide array of favorites — from grilled meat, dishes like bulalo, sinigang, chopsuey, seafood, salads, soups and one of its specialties, chicharon bulaklak – all flavored the Kapampangan way.
The Ningnangan, Jr. experience is completed by the restaurant’s native, open-air and “zen” style ambience.
“But the real concept in every Funnside branch is that food is always served right off from the charcoal-fired grill and stoves. And very important to us is that we don’t maintain or keep frozen food. Everything from the seafood, meat and ingredients are always fresh. So foodies will really enjoy their meals here with that smoky touch in the air. Of course, we also have ready meal offerings for those in a rush. But that too, is prepared on the day itself so you’re assured of high quality,” Jhong for his part, shared.
On top of the daily grill feast, Funnside also has free wifi and its giant LED centerpiece and TV monitors for entertainment.
Each Funnside branch, Jhong said, is usually manned by a crew of 60 to 70 food handlers and servers, mostly out-of-school youth whom they train specifically for Ningnangan operations.
“That’s the other side of Funnside. As part of our corporate social responsibility, we hire out-of-school youth who are underqualified for employment in other restaurants or food shops. That is why, we are able to give them decent paying jobs and better training for their future,” noted Jhong.
Welcoming Funnside Ningnangan, Jr. to Mexico town, Mayor Teddy Tumang said that it will be a benchmark for other investors.
“This is good news for us. With Funnside Ningnangan, Jr. now here in Mexico, I am sure other investors will follow suit as establishments like this contribute greatly to the economy of Mexico,” he said.
Other Funnside Ningnangan restos are in Sto. Tomas, Apalit, Angeles City in Pampanga, Tabang and Pulilan in Bulacan and Caloocan City.
Just like Saturday’s opening day where hundreds filled tables, thousands more can now savor the best of Funnside, as gastronomic fun has finally come to Mexico.