For some people, bibingka is a seasonal food. It's best enjoyed after Simbang Gabi during Christmas…read moreseason. But my love affair with bibingka does not end when the holidays are over. It's of my my favorite Filipino delicacies. Thank goodness for Bibingkinitan, I can enjoy my hot bibingka all year round. Of course, it seems too indulgent to finish one plate of bibingka all by myself. But Bibingkinitan serve freshly baked mini bibingkas, just the right size for one person, though I can finish a whole box (6 mini bibingkas inside) in one sitting if I don't control myself. I recently learned that they also have ube, pastillas, macapuno and even peanut butter bibingkas, but those are just seasonal. It's okay, I'm more than happy with my original bibingka, more butter and no sugar, please. I like bringing home a box of Bibingkinitan for an afternoon snack, but I also like eating it at their stall, with their special calamansi juice.

The nuns at the Good Shepherd Convent make THE BEST peanut brittles and ube jam in the Philippines…read more Whenever I people ask me what I want from the Philippines, I tell them to get me this peanut brittle. This was my first visit to the Good Shepherd store. It's got decent views of the surrounding farmland. The lady working the counter was very nice too, but unfortunately, they offer no samples. So if you wanna try ANYTHING, ya gotta buy it first. At least the majority of their items are cheap..

First stop for my Tagaytay trip, I had to drop by to get pasalubong and some delicacies here at…read moreGood Shepherd. Donations and some of the proceeds give to thescholars who work at Bahay Pastulan in Tagaytay. They have many specialties like their ube jam, alfajores, lugaw, pancit, choco flakes. Most of their sweets are excellent. The ube jam is so heavenly because they source their own ube - it is smooth, silky, not too sweet and creamy. I think their recipe is fresh grated ube, carabao's milk, sugar and perhaps butter. These is like addicting ube jam because you can eat it on a spoon or use it on any baking application. Menu here is diverse. 5/5. Ambience here is a steep hilly, so prepare for a cardio and leg workout. But it is so worth it! The mini kiosk on your left serve Filipino dishes like pancit, lugaw, puto and other cooked food while the big store on your right is where all of the signature sweet specialties are found like ube jam, jams, choco flakes, sampaloc, alfajores and other baked goods. 5/5. If you took your vacation on a weekday and in the morning. You will expect short lines. But it was Christmas season, so expect few customers buying boxes full of ube jam for secret santa and gifts. Service is organized and lady was nice. 5/5. If you were to bring some pasalubong back home. I suggest you buy the 900g ube jam in a plastic container, choco flakes, alfajores, sampaloc and other baked goods are great. But please don't buy the ube dimples - they were old and chewy - horrible from the product line. Get the lugaw and pancit - surprised but really good!

Sasmuan Delicacies is the perfect place to go to if you're looking to buy pasalubong for your…read morefriends and loved ones. I consider it as the home of the best-tasting Filipino sweet treats. They sell polvoron (powdered milk candies), yema, pastilyas, pili tarts, and many more. I often go here whenever I want to eat something sweet after lunch. I don't normally order desserts in restaurants because it's too expensive, so I often look for desserts in different food stalls that can satisfy my sweet tooth. Sasmuan Delicacies is best known for their milky and great-tasting polvoron. They use local and pure ingredients to produce their polvoron. They have a variety of flavors to choose from that everyone will surely love. They have Butter, Choco, Cookies and Cream, Ube-Pinipig, and many more. This polvoron just melts in your mouth and won't leave you gasping for air. If you're looking for sugary treats to satiate your craving for sweets, then head over to Sasmuan Delicacies.

Always the best stop on NLEX for pasalubong! Must try would be their pinipig suman with buko and…read morebibingka with leche flan topping. Sooooo good! They've always maintained their texture, taste and quality after all these years and price point is affordable. Whenever I'm back in the PH, I make it a point to get their suman! Yum!!

The best suman pinipig I have tasted thus far. I can't wait to taste all of their products.read more

Rocha's puto is really special and delicious. Actually it is one of my favorite places to get puto…read morein the world. The puto is chewy and cheesy. I could probably eat a whole box in one sitting. If you are in Marikina, I highly recommend buying a box or two! Next time I'm in Marikina this is a must visit for me.

First day of school. You will expect the students to talk about academic issues. But, surprise,…read moreRocha's Puto at Kutsinta made its way into the conversation. My classmate asked me where I was from and I answered Marikina. Quickly, she remarked: "I've been there. Dumayo kami to try Rocha's Puto and Kutsinta. You're famous for that, di ba?" And all the while I was thinking Marikina was famous for shoes! But, maybe, the palate makes a greater impact on the memory than the feet. Oh well, this is one time I am happy to be wrong. The puto of Rocha's is really quite good. Flavorful but not overly sweet. Soft and fluffy and never buhaghag. This rice cake from Rocha's is becoming a staple at meals served for family celebrations. So, next time, if you are going to a potluck party, you now have more options than just spaghetti, pancit or pizza. Visit Marikina and buy Rocha's Puto and Kutsinta. Marikina, the puto and kutsinta capital of the Philippines? Not bad.

My cousins introduced me to this grocery to pick up some pasalubong before I left to go home. I am…read moreSO glad I got to visit Dolores! Chicharon galore! Not to mention all the sweet treats and filipino goodies I got to bring back home. Wasn't allowed to bring back chicharon due to the TSA guidelines, but I'm glad I got to eat it while I was visiting! My favorite was the made to order chicharon - I know..so bad for you, but SO freaking delicious!! Too bad they don't serve it with vinegar anymore. My cousin asked and the lady told us they stopped offering it, boo. Besides their chicharon, their barquillos & pastillas are worth a try/buy as well!

Bringing home a pasalubong is very important in the Philippine culture. Your pasalubong need not be…read moresomething very big and expensive. It can be as cheap and simple as snacks and delicacies that one can munch on during merienda. Samu't Sari specializes in these products, allowing you to give a pasalubong anytime, anyday. Peanut kisses, lengua de gato, adobong mani, fish crackers, chicharon, Ilocos chicacorn, polvoron, pastillas, tart, peanut brittle, pili nuts, shingaling... Truly, this store brings to the city a taste of several provinces! No need to sit on a bus for hours to go to Baguio to have some peanut brittle. No need to ride a plane to fly in an airplane or board a ferry to have your share of pili nuts. Go to Samu't Sari where you can buy delicacies from different provinces in one go! My advice: Buy a significant amount of several items from this store and you can have your snacks for several days or even weeks covered.

Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of kakanin (sticky rice). Even though it's the Filipino dessert and…read moreit comes in a variety of styles and flavors, I just never got around to really liking it. I'd eat it, yes, but I wouldn't normally crave for it on a random day. But there is one kakanin I've been used to eating every since I was a kid - kalamay (rice cake with sweet coconut puree on top). And it's all because of Aling Kika's. Aling Kika's is a specialty food shop near our place. Ever since I could remember, my mom would bring home a box of kalamay. When she's looking for something Pinoy to give to our relatives, this is her go-to food item and she would always bring home one for the family. What is so good with Aling Kika's kalamay is how tasty it is. The sticky rice topped with latik (sweet coconut puree) is delicious when fresh from the refrigerator or when heated up in the microwave. It's sweet and filling, perfect with a some tea or a cup of Joe! Other than their kalamay, may second favorite food item from Aling Kika's would be their peanut butter spread. Although packaged under Aling Kika's daughter, Mely, their peanut butter just ranks so high up my list Lily's, Skippy's or any other peanut butter brand will never be able to measure up. Mely's Peanut Butter is so good, it doesn't last that very long in the house. It's sweet, chewy and packed with peanut flavour - it's the best spread ever, believe me! Other than those two, Aling Kika's also sell their version of coco jam, leche flan, halayang ube and anything you will ever need to create your own halo-halo. A trip to Aling Kika's may be quite challenging especially if you are not familiar with the place. But it's definitely worth it!

If you're Pinoy, you'll understand that when you have a family or company party/get together, you…read moremust bring food that will satisfy and feed everyone...on a budget! Apart from the essential noodles (spaghetti or pancit) and meat dish (fried chicken or pork barbecue), a "kakanin" or rice cake dessert is also something to complete the festivities. For kakanin in a hurry, this is a good place to drop by. They have cassava cake, pichi pichi, and even leche flan. The prices are very affordable and they offer small or big serving sizes. I actually like their pichi pichi with cheese. They are bigger than the usual ones you get from other restaurants and cheaper too! :)