As soon as night settles in this place comes alive…read more I only was able to get video of the night life here, but it's a really cool market to find deals on shoes or clothing or just about anything. Half the market is street food vendors-- a variety of things from kwek-kwek, day old chicks, balut, corn on a stick, etc... you get the drill.They also have things like vendors with congee and noodles. There is such a condensed variety of foods here. I found a lot of what was being sold fairly reasonable or cheap, but it was really cool just seeing the market in action. It's not a place just to go sightseeing, however. I can't stress how packed it is and you can easily lose your group if you blink. It should also be noted to keep your bags and valuables close to you, I imagine this would be a good place to pick-pocket. While I don't know of any reports related off the top of my head, I just believe it'd be better safe than sorry since it's a practical sensory overload being in the thick of it. In a nutshell, it's gritty and people aren't overly friendly, but they're there and it's an interesting place to explore. If I was a local, I might not venture here a lot, but every once and awhile it would seem like a good place to find a deal.

What it has going for it is its brand and name recognition. Mang Larry's has been an institution at…read moreUP for quite a while now. The order placement system is also very organized. The food order is properly itemized and priced in the printed order slip. It gets full very quickly nearing meal times. We had to wait a short while after placing our order at around 5:45 PM. Students, office workers, and tourists are the present diners when we ate there. What I did not like was the setting and service. It did come a long way now that it has a dedicated seating area and a covered roof compared to yesteryears when it was only a stand-up kiosk. It would have been nice if they went all the way and cemented the flooring and have chosen more presentable table and chairs. Durint the time we were present dining, we also overheard another customer having their order wrong. He ordered something around 20 sticks, but what came in the take-out bag was only around 16 sticks. It was a few sticks short. Lastly, do not expect to get good value when eating here. The small portions of food on the sticks are a little pricey and can add up quicky with just a few sticks ordered.

There is a reason why Mang Larry's is one of the most famous stalls in the UP Diliman Campus. It is…read morea small and humble cart near the Internatonal Center and the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, yet it manages to drawn in hordes and hordes of students and faculty. It serves a variety of innards and offal, which I think shows the ingenuity and the resourcefulness of our street food eating habits -nothing goes to waste. On the menu are different kinds of isaw or pig and chicken intestines, and other adventurous stuff such as pig ears, tripe, gizzards and liver. People would actually line up and end up smelling like the smoke from the outdoor grill, which goes to show how good the isaw is. I personally don't like isaw very much, and I have already shifted to my veg diet when I came to UP, but my friends swear by the quality of the isaw sold by Mang Larry's. A friend remarked that he wouldn't even touch any other isaw, unless he is sure that utter care was taken by the vendor in cleaning the innards. They say that the stuff sold by Mang Larry's taste fresh and clean, and free from that undesirable taste of chicken poop that any amateur isaw vendor wouldn't think of cleaning out thoroughly. Anyway, I heard Mang Larry was able to send his kids to college because of his trade, to which I say, well done! Excellent job, hardworking and charismatic Mang Larry!

I was visiting family in Taguig last weekend and we decided to hit up the McKinley West Food Truck…read moreFestival on a whim--best spontaneous plan ever. The place was buzzing but not overcrowded, with so many trucks lined up it was hard to choose! We grabbed killer tacos from one of the Mexican spots, some insane loaded fries, and finished with that creamy Mio Gelati pistachio gelato that honestly ruined regular ice cream for me forever. Everything was fresh, portions were generous, and nothing broke the bank--most stuff under 250 pesos. The sunset view over the open space was stunning, super chill vibe with music playing, and parking was a breeze with tons of free spots. We stayed way longer than planned just people-watching and eating. Please keep this going permanently, it's such a fun spot! Five stars, no question.

In its first month, I had hoped for the Food Truck Festival to extend or stay in the Westside of…read moreMcKinley forever. Thankfully, the food trucks are here to stay until the 13th of December - which is a good compromise! I still wish for it to be a permanent fixture so we have something going on in McKinley! When I did a quick tour of the area, the food sold at the festival didn't go over P250. That's pretty reasonable and more reasons to pig out! There's a variety of food selection from burgers, gelato, Filipino, Mediterranean, American and street food. Recently, there's an addition of Japanese and Mexican food trucks! Seriously though, I only come here for the gelato by Mio Gelati (P100 for a premium cup) but I always end up getting more than what I came for. I'd have Lamb Biryani from Shawarma Bros (P199), Bacon Cheese Burger from Malcolm's Deli (P150) and Chili Garlic Wings from Bag Wings to name a few. There are live performances as well (although I've never actually seen one). I make sure to come here as soon as it opens because the view is absolutely beautiful. Since McKinley West hasn't started most of the construction in the area, there's so much free space! You also have a view of the Essensa Towers as the sun sets. Parking is far easy as well! They have 500 parking spaces all for free!

The barbecuing starts at around 5pm-6pm, It might sound a little late but that's how it is with the…read moresmall bbq stalls that put up and take down their stall everyday. I'm sure you have one in your village or somewhere near you and you know what I'm talking about. And that you also have your favourite one. It wasn't until recently that I gave the new kuya bbq a try because we had one for a very long time but it's been almost a year now and he hasn't been showing up, a lot of people have told me that the original bbq guy transferred. ANYWAY, I got a little of everything like isaw manok, dugo, bbq, etc. and the price was fair, I mean it was like the usual bbq charge. If you're going somewhere else or if you have something else to do you can just pay up and come back for it later (don't forget to tell him you're coming back). The bbq was actually good and the isaw tasted clean, he also really made sure that I had my big bag of vinegar which was cute even though I didn't want any since we had some at home. If you're in the area, why don't you drop by?

When we were young, we would always have a cup of taho every day from the vendor that would go…read morearound selling in the village. Same goes with the milk vendor and the ice cream vendor in the afternoons. Today, the ice cream and milk vendors are gone, and only the taho vendor stands strong. Kuya Larry's taho is made fresh every morning and sells it street by street in our village. With the original vendor being his father and passed onto him, they already know the preferences of most of the villagers - less sugar syrup (arnibal), more tapioca balls (sago or bobba), or plain taho for some. He has serving sizes priced at PhP 10 for a small cup and PhP 20, but if you give your own mug or bowl, he even adds a few scopps more. Sometimes, we get even PhP 5 worth of taho for our bowl, and it seems like it should be worth PhP 10. We also pre-order soy milk sometimes which only costs PhP 100 for 1.5 litres or more if we give our own containers. In this way, we don't just get healthy, we also save the earth by reducing use of plastic.

Okay, it's been nine months since I first reviewed Pioneer Street Market, and yes, the place has…read moreshaped up nicely. There are more than a dozen food concessionaires in the compound, and they are amazing. We now have hipster coffee, roast beef, homestyle tapa, paninis, peri-peri chicken, shawarma, tapas, sate babe, burgers, and so much more! Ang saya-saya! I just hope that people flock here as I would hate to see this go. The response from the public has been awesome though.

I work just in front of the Pioneer Street Market so I've ventured here several times, and I have…read moreto say that this is every organic person's haven. Inside Pioneer Street Market in an array of fresh goods. From colourful fruits to leafy vegetables, all-organic baking needs ingredients to healthy juices, PSM has it. They have several stalls inside that sells these plus a bunch of other healthy eats you health buffs will definitely enjoy. Right outside Pioneer Street Market is a mini-garden shop where they sell a few plants. This instantly caught my eye because I've been meaning to try planting and find out if I've got the green thumb or not. I saw a few plants that I had to stop myself from buying. There was the Plant Candle Top, Bonsais and my personal favourite, the Milflores. And the best part is that they're relatively cheap! (Well, I actually don't know how much plants are but for 120pesos per pot of Plant Candle Top, I think it's a steal!) Pioneer Street Market during the weekdays don't have a lot of stalls or they're not as filled up unlike their weekend markets. So if you do plan to visit, I suggest stopping by on a Saturday or Sunday so you're sure you'll find something to purchase.

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.

Must visit if you're in the area on a Saturday morning. This market is held every Saturday morning…read moreat Jaime Velasquez Park in Makati. The market offers a wide variety ranging from Fresh produce, fruits , local Filipino snacks, seafood & a ton of food vendors. I loved the pumelo & went back to buy more. It gets busy so get there early. There's so much to choose from and wanted to try a little if everything. It's a great spot for a snack or lunch. Many vendors offer free samples. There are tables to sit but you can find a seat in the park to enjoy your food. I had a great time here. They also sell beautiful fresh flowers.

Just being here with all the plethora of food choices. In a setting right out of a movie, what more…read morecan you ask for. Considering you're in Makati a bougie neighborhood pricing is actually reasonable. They have everything, so I'm just going to tell you what we have. Puto bong bong made infront of you and Illocos empanadas fried fresh are the standouts. Just come here and take in life.

If you ever worked or resided in this side of Makati, this particular jollijeep stall will…read moredefinitely ring a bell. They become heavily popular for their sisig recipe and I am here for it. I have always been a fan of this recipe (which is a top tier Pinoy food for me). There is usually a line during lunch hours which will make you wait for 10 minuts or more. They have a takeaway bag and or avail additional if you want to have it placed in a microwaveable container. Dine-in is served in a paper plate.

Ask any Pinoy what is a must try dish to eat when you're here in Manila and I bet they will say the…read moresame thing: Sisig! Every Filipino restaurant, even the fusion ones, must serve this dish! So, you'll have your high-end versions and also your supermarket versions that come out of a can (which are really not good! Seriously!). If I could, I'd eat Sisig every time I have a beer. But, yeah, for the sake of my heart, I hold back. Haha! Now, let's talk about Sisig sa Rada. This JollyJeep became popular on Facebook with the Makati lunch crowd. Their version of the sisig is made-to-order and prepared within 5 minutes! Every sisig order is fried in egg with sweet mayo on the side. For me, that's what makes their sisig yummylicious. The extra frying makes the sisig bits crispy! Also, the best part, a sisig meal is only Php54! Be prepared to eat standing and that you have to wait awhile during lunch hours. This sisig is flavorful, crunchy and fits everyone's budget. Definitely worth a try! Here's another tip: ask them to fry your sisig longer! :D

The Farmers Market in Quezon City is one of the oldest, largest, and most revered markets in both…read moreMetro Manila and the Philippines. I went just to sightsee and thought it was pretty wonderful, a giant, colorful open air market absolutely teeming with life. The place was huge, with what felt like hundreds of vendors selling fish, meat, and produce in tightly arranged stalls. There were lots of people and the occasional cat, and we tourists were in the minority--I think almost everyone else was there to buy or sell food. The produce looked fresh, and there was a robust seafood section. We'd visited the Navotas fish port that morning, and I gather that a lot of the fish caught there make there way to the Farmers Market. We stopped by the food court and picked up mango and green mango shakes at the Fruitas stand. I'm sure we missed out on other excellent eats, but those shakes were delicious. I'll bet you could spend quite some time exploring this Farmers Market. I enjoyed my visit and would recommend the place to anyone living in or passing through Metro Manila.

Seriously old world. Even though much more organized and clean than what I remember. Old world open…read moreair market. Open air in that there are no walls so even from the middle you can see the outdoor city streets. There is a ceiling covering the entire market so no food or person will be exposed to the sun and/or elements. The place is huge like at least one city block. Every vendor is its own business, so every stall you go to you will have to make a payment. Also able to haggle if you have any skill for it. I do not but natives...it's in their blood. No card transactions either straight cash, and actually have smaller bills so to make giving change easier. When I said old world, I meant old world! Place is also sectioned off...vegetables in one area, fruit vendors in another, beef, poultry, eggs, fish and shellfish are all grouped by their product. A little overwhelming for me but if you shop here regularly then I suppose you can figure out which vendor works for you, then you can establish a relationship. No shopping carts or even baskets. So bring your own bags. We only brought 1 bag and after buying more shellfish than what we came for, my aunt and I went to the house wares area and bought a small plastic bucket to put our bags of seafood in. We put all our produce in the bag I brought. The nature of the market will give first worlders fits. Nothing is refrigerated and is just sitting out in open air. Even seafood and meats like beef and pork. Just sitting or hanging in open air, and that air is not cool or temperate. Lol. I got a little queasy a few times but it is just how certain countries have been doing it for centuries. Sure there are modern grocery stores here that will rival any grocery store in the US or Europe, but I wanted to see one of these again before my trip ended. It just is in more in touch with regular people, people who are living their daily lives. That is what I wanted to be a part of. Whilst putting down food for my family, I was also able to help another put food on theirs. An exchange I can smile and feel good about. 5 Old World Stars!