A part of me has always wanted to relocate to Chinatown, and all my reasons are because of…read morefood--which are VERY valid reasons. This tiny store does a good job in carrying essential Chinese food products and other goods, making it very convenient for us who live here in the south. For the usual stuff, I get cheap dried shiitake mushrooms, noodles, and tikoy here. They also sell their own brand of chili garlic oil, which is AMAZING stuff and a steal at only Php 120 for a generously-sized bottle. They also carry other Asian items, too. There was this one time, I was intrigued by this dark brown solid square block that smelled SO GOOD. Turns out, it was a Taiwanese wintermelon tea block! Allow me to be proud of this discovery, as I've never seen anything like it, nor have I ever imagined tea as a heavy, hard block and not a tea bag. You dilute it in water using heat, and use it as a syrup to add to milk (in my case, I use soy milk) or just water, pancakes maybe, or whatever floats your boat.

Little Chinatown is a 10-minute walk from my house, or rather, from my parents' house. And since…read moreI've moved out, I've missed this store more and more. Their goods may be a little bit more expensive than other dumplings you could get outside, but these babies are worth it. Big pork and shrimp dumplings, with stuffing that you can clearly distinguish as being pork and shrimp. Chinatown is difficult to get to (and sometimes difficult to get out of), so it's nice having a satellite store that sells authentic Chinese goods. And when my folks come over, it's just like getting it delivered!

Sometimes, I'll eat food just for experience points. And that is exactly what I did for Bagneto,…read moreone of the restaurants located insid Z Compound, the hangout on Malingap Street in UP Village that's giving Maginhawa Street a run for its money in terms of the hipster hangout factor. That being said, who else, but a Filipino, would come up with the concept of turning bagnet, essentially double-fried pork belly, into an even more sinful dish than it already is? Aside from plain bagnet and rice (for the very cheap price of P135), Bagneto also serves up such cholesterol-laden atrocities such as Bagnet Sisig(!!!!), Bagnet Bicol Express, Bagnet Binagoongan, and even Bagnet Kare Kare! Maybe I was overreacting, but one teaspoon of the Bagnet Sisig made me never want to eat it again because I literally felt like it was death in a spoon. Delicious death, I'll admit. Because I'm a little bit more concerned about my health than some people, I don't see myself coming back here, unless I have a huge craving! And even then, I'll stick to plain, no-frills bagnet.

I recommend coming to Bagneto with a clean bill of health because this place serves up extremely…read morerich dishes that your doctor might not approve of. Located off Maginhawa St. inside Z Compound, Bagneto is one of those restaurants you'd want to try out for experience points. Everyone from yuppies to students eat at Bagneto so their price range is generally on the cheaper side of things. When I visited, I ordered the Kare Kare Bagnet just so it had a flavor component to it. In my head, the peanut sauce and the vegetables helped offset the double fried goodness of the pork belly. But while the vegetables didn't do much to make the dish healthy, the kare kare sauce was something thought of--as if made from mom's or lola's recipe that made it yummy and not out of a packet. And that for me is reason to come back and maybe try out their other bagnet recipes.

If anyone who knows me well will know that I am not a fan of ribs, maybe because I don't have a lot…read moreof good experiences with them. Most of the time they are tough to chew, and the meat strands get stuck between my teeth. Rub was nowhere near my dinner plans that day, but my wife, who didn't have a satisfying lunch, was craving for meat, so we ended up in Rub. Rub is always full, both the restaurant and the parking. It isn't my first time with this brand though. Good thing the guard was accommodating to accept our side parking. We did meet a line, but turnover was fast and we were seated right away. We ordered the family brunch (ribs + 3 sides), caesar salad, and ultimate fries and I enjoyed everything. The ultimate fries was like poutine on steroids. The generous serving of fries was topped with bacon, jalapeno, and pulled pork, and it was covered in cheese. It was actually filling, yet it was also fun to eat. The caesar salad came as a surprise to me because it had loads of shrimp popcorn in it that actually gave a crunch and added flavor to it. It was overly dressed as per my wife, but it was just right for me. The shrimps are fried but only with a light breading, so as not to be sharp. The ribs are very tender, saucy, flavorful, and fall off the bones. I also loved the sides dishes we ordered: Garlic Spinach, Mashed Potatoes, and Coleslaw. The dinner was worthwhile and it was worth the wait.

This is just a typical Barbeque ribs, nothing special about the taste, but the Java Rice makes…read moreeverything special. For me the java rice is more delicious than the BBQ Ribs. The texture, color, fragrance and taste of it is absolutely perfect. Infact it will make your hypothalamus explode and you will feel the heat of excitement. If you will go here, please be good to yourself and eat java rice...

Jus & Jerry's has been around for years. How many, I'm not sure, but I know for a fact that it's…read morebeen there since my 2006 graduate supervisor. And then some. Jus & Jerry's filled a void in chicken that was previously unmet in La Salle, at least until the Bon Chon showed up. Even now, I think it's one of the best places in DLSU to get some chicken. Jus & Jerry's has a really good soy garlic glaze - one that falls smack dab in the "kinda sweet but not too sweet" department. The soy garlic on their chicken kind of caramelizes and that's what gives it this really sticky, almost banana-cue-esque like texture on the outside.A particular favorite of mine (outside of the normal chicken of course) are the chicken poppers, which work really well with fries. Make sure to also try out their milk teas, especially their signature oreo mousse milk tea.

Located at the G/F of EGI Taft Tower, it became our to-go lunch meal while working in DLSU. Since I…read morejust graduated and still having the student budget mentality, we always make our way to spend our budget wisely then that's where we met Jus and Jerry's. I always order their noodle bowls because I love how generous their one serving is and the broth is tasty without the MSG feeling after. Their milk teas are also affordable. Whenever I have extra money, I partner my noodle bowl with a slab of chicken fillet because it only costs P99 definitely a steal! If you happen to be a newbie in Taft, please drop by Jus and Jerry's. Tables are full and lines could get crazy during peak hours so make sure to be there earlier or around afternoon.

The Amber's Original Pancit Malabon has become a staple in almost every birthday celebration in our…read morefamily. We even got to a phase when we would crave for that super tasty Pancit Malabon on an ordinary day and order a small bilao for merienda. That's how much we love those delicious rice noodles! If you haven't tasted this Pinoy favorite yet, let me tell you what you're missing. This Original Pancit Malabon is made up of chunky rice noodles mixed with thick and super tasty shrimp gravy and topped with shredded pechay baguio, plenty of shrimp and slices of egg. The Amber's Pancit bilao comes with a small pack of chicharon bits which will be sprinkled on the pancit to add more flavor. You get your food freshly cooked because the Amber's team only cook on demand. They give a lead time of 60 minutes to prepare and deliver your order. The good thing about Amber is that they usually deliver it way ahead of their specified schedule. By the way, the Original Pancit Malabon will taste even better when paired with pichi-pichi. Call Amber now and have a bilao of that uber yummy Original Pancit Malabon and a box of pichi-pichi with either freshly grated coconut or with cheese delivered right at your doorstep.

We had the Laing, Adobo, and modified pinakbet. They were very accommodating in our preferences and…read morerequests. The food was great and was tasty too. Desserts wasn't die for

I was visiting Metro Manila and as the old saying goes, when in Rome…read more.. So, during all the time I visited, I had Filipino food, whether at my family's house or while galavanting around. I dined at quite a few restaurants and these folks ranked high by my standards. So if you're on the fence whether to commit, do it and don't overthink it. I know you'll have a pleasant meal. So masarap. (I was so preoccupied in eating, I forgot to take photos.)

This was our go to place for lunch and dinner while vacationing in Manila. We love everything…read more Especially the dishes made with coconut milk. They were super delicious. We need to go back some more to try their other dishes instead of sticking with the ones we have been familiar with. No wonder this place was always crowded. They even occupied the outside space to accommodate more customers. Great place to dine and great service too.

I can't remember why I wanted to try this place. However, it's near Discovery Primea Hotel, which…read moreis where we stayed. Upon entering, two 'guards' were at the door. We had to flag someone to have our orders taken. The staff were either talking to each other by the front door or by the baarea. We ordered: Pinakbet, which was really good. Bangus in Yellow Bean Sauce. Just OK. Didn't taste deep fried at all. Not even crispy. Crab Omelette. I like this one. Went well with Pinakbet. Turon Kanin Club. They should just stick with plain bananas. The whole stuffing combination doesn't work. When the food was delivered, the server didn't even acknowledge us or tell us to enjoy our meal. To get our bill, we had to wave at the server who was all the way at the back. Very disappointed at the staff. Some of the food was very good. But, I can not recommend a place who treats their guests in such a way. There are many other great Filipino restaurants with much friendlier staff, such as Manam.

The place was nice and clean. The staff were nice and friendly. Chef Miggy took the time to talk to…read moreus and explained the menu which was really nice. We ordered the Dulang which is good for 2 persons with the extra order of baked bone marrow. Everything was delicious. It's like their food is an elevated version of some traditional Filipino food. We also got the Knicker for dessert which is like halo halo. Overall it's a very nice dining experience and I would definitely try to come back here soon.

It's not often I drop a five-star review, let alone in the Philippines, where I've spent more than…read moremy fair share of nights chasing the next great meal. But here we are. Palm Grill, you magnificent bastard, you've done it. Let's talk about Tiyula Itum. A dish born in the Muslim communities of Mindanao, this black beef soup isn't just food--it's history in a bowl. The blackened broth owes its depth to burnt coconut, an old Tausug cooking technique that adds an almost primal smokiness. It's rich, earthy, unapologetic. You taste the soul of Mindanao in every sip. And the beef? Slow-cooked until it surrenders. I let the waiter steer me toward the set meal--smart move. Tossed in some bone marrow for good measure, because when the option for marrow presents itself, you don't hesitate. The portion says "good for two," but let's be honest, I could have obliterated the whole thing myself. The restaurant itself is a clean, well-lit sanctuary in the middle of Manila's chaos. A massive glass panel separates diners from the kitchen, letting you watch the action while keeping your clothes mercifully free of kitchen fumes. The place was nearly empty on a Thursday night--criminal, considering what's coming out of that kitchen--but that just meant my food arrived fast, fresh, and steaming hot. This is the kind of meal that sticks with you. A dish you dream about, crave, scheme ways to return for. If you find yourself in the Philippines and you don't seek this out, what the hell are you even doing?