"So what is this dish called?" I asked Chef Bryan of Kapeng Mainit. He goes "I don't know. Let's…read morecall it a Veggie Bowl." This is because he just whipped up an awesome meal for me on the spot. My family and I dined here for Father's Day, and he was nice enough to accommodate the difficult vegan (ehem... me). I really do appreciate it so much when restaurants try their best to accommodate the needs of their customers, because a lot of places here in Manila do just flat out say NO when they're being asked if it's okay to make a bit of changes to the dish so it can suit vegans. Not this place. He served me this really delicious plate of tofu and mushrooms, slathered with their own fishball sauce concoction/teriyaki sauce thing. It's served with some refreshing pico de gallo on the side, and perfectly cooked brown rice. GREAT MEAL. If you're vegan/vegetarian in BF Homes, do expect another place to add to your list of the few places with decent veg options in this neighborhood, as he told me that he is adding a vegan option to his menu soon! And it will be this "Veggie Bowl" They also do have kimchi rice! It's a small, charming place and is quickly gaining quite the following. Their meals come with a cup of local barako coffee, too.

Great late night delivery option since they are open late. They don't quite have an overload…read moreoption, but the egg and lechon kiwali option comes close. Lugaw is thick and tasty. Definitely hits the spot during drunchies

We loved the food... ordered from grab and delivered to our hotel. Lugaw was still hot and…read moreeverything was nicely packed. Portions are small but the price is cheap so you can just order more if you're hungry.

Pancit Houses can be seen anywhere in Manila. It's so popular it's almost available in every…read morecorner, heck they're sometimes in front or beside each other and whenever you're craving for one, you can always call to have it delivered. I recently went to my cousin's farewell party and the Pancit Malabon caught my attention because of how beautiful it was prepared, but the look was just an added bonus, it's the taste that makes me come back for more, and it was probably the best I've tasted so far. I just can't get enough of the sophisticated taste of their Pancit Malabon so I went to their restaurant the next day. It was a bit pricey than the other pancit houses that I know, maybe because the pancit was topped with lots of shrimps, chicharon and egg. I had lunch and also found out that their pork barbecue and pichi-pichi are to die for. I recommend the pichi-pichi with cheese, as the saltiness of the cheese complements the sweetness and creaminess of coconut-cassava ball. I recommend their bestsellers like fish fillet in tartar sauce, lengua in mushroom sauce and Golden fried chicken- yum! Their menu is all made-to-order so if you want to order, you have to allow at least 1 1/ 2 hour of cooking and preparation time for delivery and 45 minutes for takeout or pick up. Altogether, their food is delicious! I'll give two thumbs up!

I discovered Amber when I was still working in Makati. On some pay days when people in the office…read morewere feeling generous, we'd chip in to order a big bilao of Pancit Malabon or Spaghetti, and dozens of pork barbecue from Amber for lunch. Those lunches were fantastic. When I resigned from that job, I also said goodbye to Amber (temporarily). I was so happy when Amber finally decided to open a branch in Las Pinas. And while I don't eat or order there as much as before (we have great cooks in the family so we rarely order pancit or spaghetti outside), I'm still a big fan of their food and service. The cost of their food is slightly higher than the average pancit and barbecue delivery stores in the area, but it's no secret that they're really delicious. The pichi-pichi is soft but not squishy. It's so good, I can finish one order (12 pieces) by myself.

There's plenty of places to eat sisig in town, but not all of them is quite delicious as Aysee's. I…read morefirst had my taste of Aysee's in college, and when I returned, I was kind of surprised the place remained pretty much the same after all these years! What's good though is that the food remains unchanged as well since I first tried it. I was also shocked at how cheap our bill was considering we were four in the group who split a plate of sisig, beef steak and crispy pork! Their sisig is still good and it's very evident that there's some liver thrown in there. While I am not a huge fan of anything with liver, this one I really didn't mind. The size was also great for sharing and it was the crispy kind of sisig. Our next order which I really liked was the crispy pork. It was deep fried to perfection and the cubed pork is pretty large and came with a soy sauce with kamatis and onion dipping sauce that tasted really good. Even the skin was fried to a crisp, so I think the name of the dish really speaks for itself - crispy pork. Another sizzling plate we ordered was the beef steak - this was okay tasting, the beef was tender. We had settled to get this as there was no more tanigue steak left as we went pretty late and maybe the mad dinner rush beat us to it. Overall, Aysee's is still good as when I first tried it years ago and it's a really good place to get some pork dishes even late at night.

Aysee is located near Capitol Commons. Ask any Pasig local where to get the best sisig and without…read morebatting an eye they'll tell you it's Aysee! The place has been in this location since forever! This is THE place where I had my first Sisig! Plus points that it is a few minutes away from my home. It's not what you would expect of a restaurant. It's more of a "carinderia" type. It's small, cramp, and dingy BUT the food here is exceptionally delicious! Add in the fast and friendly staff and you have a winner! Do you agree that anything taste better with butter? Whoever thought of combining margarine with sizzling parts of a pig's face and liver is just pure genius! This is why Aysee's Sisig is one of the BEST Sisigs you will ever eat in Metro Manila! It's a heart attack waiting to happen but, how can you say no? It is just...sobraaang SARAAAP! The margarine enhances the flavor of the sisig unlike any other sisig I have tried. Other dishes that you MUST eat are the Papaitan, Sizzling Corn, the Crispy Pork and the Tokwa't Baboy!

I was raised in a Filipino Chinese household and even though the way I was raised was more on the…read moreFilipino side, my tummy has always been tight with the Chinese side. That being said, you'll get used to certain snacks, delicatessen or whatnot. Which they'd also have at the Chinese school I went to when I was little. There was a time when I thought I grew out of it and in hind sight maybe it was just because we didn't have any stock and I didn't know where to get some aside from China town. I knew that there were shops in Greenhills but I wasn't familiar with the mall yet and I often get lost when I go on my own. When me & Greenhills became tight, I was reacquainted with my childhood snacks and were introduced to new ones! And oh my, the Fat & Thin products!!! Whenever I go there I would always go around the store and stock up and then after I would buy their delicious (I'm serious, you should try it!) empanadas. If you're not familiar with these snacks, you should try one of each I think it's more of a trial and error thing than a sure thing. But yes, you should!

If you've never been to Tin Hok Chinese Deli, it's time for you to go and try it out…read more At first glance, you might think it's just a Chinese supermarket that just sells hopia. Well, you're wrong. They have a little corner filled with Chinese snacks that they cook for you and you can eat it there. I always order their fried siomai. It's a bit pricey as it's priced at Php50 for three pieces, but the siomai is big and filling. They also have dimsum which you can take-out and cook at home. A few years ago, they started selling shakes. Sometimes they have all the flavors. Sometimes they don't. It's a hit and miss. Be patient though when ordering your dimsum. I suggest you order your dimsum right away, get the order sheet and pay for it. While waiting for your dimsum to be cooked, go around the shop and look at their other products. Be attentive though. They usually just shout the order that's finished cooking. So remember what you got.

There's no mistaking that the products sold at G-Stuff, a small kiosk located beside the chapel at…read morethe third level of Power Plant Mall, are environment-friendly. The green and white logo with a heart and a leaf floating from a human hand can only evoke that sense of love for Mother Nature. Last Christmas, I headed toward the stall to find a gift for my boss who's diabetic and into organic products. I asked the staff about the products that they sell and they told me that all the items in the shop are guaranteed to be environment-friendly and made from natural materials. I was also delighted to know that they support sustainability in local communities by sourcing many of their products from faraway provinces. G-Stuff sells products that promote beauty, health, and wellness. I bought an Ylang-ylang essential oil and a number of food products for my boss and his wife. I was surprised that the products they sell were very affordable even if they came in very attractive and high-quality packaging.

With all the commercialized and unhealthy products out there, its always a treasure to find concept…read morestores, no matter how big or small, that sell nothing but well-produced, sustainable, and excellent products. I admire the business model founder, Gina Lopez. Aside from being able to provide its customers with nothing but awesome products, their profits go to communities around the country. The Philippines have a lot of natural resources and people who have access to it. Unfortunately, a lot of these people live in poverty and don't have the financial means and advanced knowledge to help them produce and sell competitively throughout the country. So when a well-to-do entrepreneur comes and helps put forward the products of the small communities that do the best they can, I'm all for it. I'm a big fan of all of their health products such as the Herbal Rub, Oral Salts, Pulling Oils, as well as their food products. Prices can be a bit expensive but if you really think about the quality of the product and the fact that you are supporting a sustainable business community, its most definitely worth it!

Thursday evenings are lively here with an outdoor food market for the Filipino Happy Hour. Just…read moreoutside Glorietta 5, I "accidentally" happened upon the festival looking for unique nightlife.....and I found it. Anything you can manage to digest cones on a stick. Beef, chicken, baby squid with head intact. Yes, Ebiyaki, a Japanese indulgence. One can watch as the chefs cook up just about anything. Seating is limited but that is the convenience of shwarma in a stick.

Mercato has had quite the following since it started in BGC, these days, the food market finds a…read morenew home in the middle of the Makati CBD right across one of the busiest malls in the city. Found in the Dolphin Park (because they have dolphin statues there) and sanwiched between Glorietta 4 and 5, it's the most ideal after hours hangout for those who work in the area. The food fare found in the new Mercato is similar to its predecessor, shabu shabu, local street food and Filipino food abound. Cuisinier's barbeque pork skewers are also available for you to try. They're so good they were awarded the Tastiest Regional Specialty for Asia. Regulars such as Mio Gelati are also present here. The vibe is more picnic as opposed to food fair. Settled in a park with grassy areas to sit on, feel free to bring you banigs or sarongs when you're out with a group of friends. It may be loud, but it's definitely a fun place to hangout and eat.

A Pinoy breakfast is just not complete without Pan de Sal. And when we talk about Pan de Sal, we…read moreneed to talk about Pan de Manila. Stepping in where neighborhood-type bakeries can't hack it, Pan de Manila somewhat brings the neighborhood experience to the most urbanized of locations with their good, solid products. Admittedly, I've tasted better Pan de Sal in smaller, more intimate neighborhood outlets. Having said that, if you catch yourself in the middle of a city sprawl such as in Makati and Ortigas, you can count on Pan de Manila for better-than-decent Pan de Sal. This particular branch is noteworthy because it has a dining area, which is perfect when you want a nice quiet place to eat that stuffed Pan de Sal before heading on to work.

I've just had a crazy workout at the gym and I couldn't wait to get home to get something to eat…read more As ironic as it is right across my gym are rows of bars so while that didn't cut it for me, Pan de Manila's red, blue, and white sign was a godsend in my eyes. At 8PM there were no more lines, just a handful of people waiting for their hot pandesals. I, on the other hand had other things in mind. In the brightly lit counter sat a singular pesto pandesal and so I thought "must be good since its all sold out." Bagged and payed for, I indulged in my post workout meal. I don't know if it was the hunger talking but that pesto pandesal was good! With a sliver of cheese in the middle it definitely satisfies whatever it was my body was looking for. I wanted one more but hey, last piece. I went back another day for the same pesto pandesal but this time before my workout and surprisingly it was still good. So no, it wasn't my hunger, it's just a plain good piece of bread I'd definitely stand in line for.