Anyone from the South would know who Mang Raul is. Why won't they, Mang Raul serves only the best…read moreihaw-ihaw in the South. Established way back in 1996, Mang Raul's serves the usual array of Filipino ihaw-ihaw staples such as barbecue, isaw, adidas, tenga and hotdog , all drenched in Mang Raul's sweet red sauce. Everyday, Mang Raul's is packed with people for their ihaw-ihaw fix so be sure to come as soon as soon as they open or order in advance.

I won't lie but the bbq here is heavenly. Yes, I live around the area but it's really divine. You…read moreneed to be super early to get a taste of their bbq, The sauce is awesome, really yummy! There's this one time we tried eating there at around 8pm and we are like number 56! Wow and people still come and take orders even the stocks are nearly replenished! So tip for you first timers, drop by the place in a weekday, preferably around 3pm and make sure to plan it in a week where people has no "sahod" so you could enjoy eating without the hassle of actually waiting for 2 hours! Another good thing here is that you can order in advance and you get to pick up the bbq after a while or so. We did this like 3x since we host christmas dinners at home. I love Mang Raul's and I know you will too!

Another one of the stalls that caters sells food near my local church. Lea's barbecue tends to big…read more It's a bit more expensive than other barbecues, but at least they make up for it in terms of serving size. It's P20 each. I never worry about buying from them since I'll definitely get my money's worth. Aside from the barbecue, they also sell hotdogs, and other assorted dishes of a Pinoy flavor. If you want something to pair with rice and are too tired to cook, then I suggest giving this place a try since they usually sell stuff like adobo and a lot of other things that Pinoys tend to pair with rice. Lea's is my second choice among the local ihawans (grill) near my church. One, because it's right next to where I usually go to, and two, I know buying here will leave me with no regrets since again, their barbecues tend to be the biggest.

We were hoping to eat at a well-known barbecue joint on a Monday afternoon. After going through…read moremaze-like traffic in the metro, we got there only to find out that it was closed. We were nearly hopeless, 'til we saw a barbecue stall with a pretty good number of people waiting to get their turn at picking their orders. We parked immediately and waited for our turn. The barbecue man Mang Crom enthusiastically took a plate and handed it to us when it was our turn. For PhP99, my sister and I got 1 pork barbecue, 1 hotdog, 4 chicken intestines, 2 pig intestines, and 1 pig's ear. We took a seat at one of the tables between the several stores and waited for our order. Aside from the tender and tasty barbecued items, I liked the steady, relaxed vibe and it somehow reenergized us for our drive home.

He's located at the corner of the other "popular" bbq joint but Kuya Crom is where its really at!…read moreStarted off as a little stand by the tree and developed his way into a real BBQ stop! Awesome, personality and he's the only one cooking them at its finest. No other workers for him to cook which truly shows his passion in what he does. Ask for extra sauce, it's free unlike other places nearby.

Baliwag's Lechon Manok has been in this country longer than I have. It can trace it's humble…read moreorigins all the way back to Quezon city back in the middle of the 1980's. From there, the franchise slowly built itself as one of the go to for chicken cooked rotisserie style. If you're from the United States, you can sort of look at this as Kenny Rogers except you can only order for take out and not dine in. Anyway, Baliwag's Lechon Manok has been present in some of the most momentous moments in my life. My grandfather's wake had their chicken, so do a lot of birthday's, Christmas parties and so much more. Their chicken and liempo (grilled pork belly) will surely satisfy the taste buds. Never met anyone who ever tried a bite and not ending up eating more than they should. They're also easy to find since there are so many of them around the Metro.

I'll go straight to the point with this one because there's no need for dilly-dallying when talking…read moreabout the restaurant that serves the best chicken barbeque and java rice combo in Manila.... Reyes Barbeque!!! I think that this place deserves accolade for serving really good food at really good prices. There's a big disparity between what you're paying for and what you're getting these days and so far, Reyes has not veered away from that. They just do it so well. Their Boneless Chicken Barbeque set which comes with java rice, atchara and peanut sauce is DELICIOUS aka party-in-the-mouth aka could-be-better-than-sex aka this-is-the-bomb-yo aka this-is-why-you-are-fat. Okay, no need to say more. That was already a mouthful. I know you've eaten here because you can find this fast food restaurant everywhere. And really, it doesn't matter which branch you go to, you'll still get an orgasm from eating their barbeque.

This is my best Liempo dish ever. If ever they have this place here in the U. S. I'll be a regular…read morecustomer. My daughter could finish one order of their Liempo by herself. That's how good it is. Great recipe and generous servings. Mabuhay

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.

You don't need a whiff from a joint to enjoy the food over here. All you need is a hefty appetite,…read moregreat company and a couple of beers to knock it all down. My ol' dining neighborhood has done it once again- a new spot has just opened and it's a lungful of....fun. I'd say fun because that's what the Smoking Joint is all about. It's a young, hip place backed up by a fresh menu and it guarantees to keep you coming back for more. For first-timers, start with the pulled pork. Roll it, poke it, pass it to your mate and enjoy every bit of it. Have a side of macaroni and cheese while you're at it and then end it with an apple pie ala mode. Oh, and you don't have to worry about breaking the bank whenever you're at The Smoking Joint, a fiver is enough for two.

I grew up eating barbecue in the USA and this is by far the best. Definitely recommend. Perfect…read moreamount of smoke balanced well with flavorful high quality meat. A lot of love and care goes into this food and it shows. The fried donuts reminded me of beignets in NOLA and the "Key lime" is a great cleansing finish to a wonderful meal.

There are different versions of empanada here in the Philippines; several types are available in…read morethe Metro and in each region have their own preferred fillings and toppings, but the best one I've tried so far is located in the Province of Ilocos. Ilocos empanada has several ingredients such as green papaya, mung beans, whole egg, a piece of their famous garlicky Ilocos longanissa and enveloped in a crispy shell case made of mixed flour and crushed annato seeds to add crunch to this delectable empanada. The good thing is you don't have to travel twelve hours from the city to have a taste of Ilocos famous empanada since Victoria's Empanada de Iloko brought it here in Manila. Sample this dish while it's hot and crispy and although Victoria's version is more peppery that the ones in Ilocos, just add Sukang Iloko and that would balance the taste and get that authentic Ilocos empanada taste.

You won't have to travel all the way to Ilocos if you're craving for some Ilocos Empanada…read more Victoria's Emapanada de Iloko sells Ilocos Empanada that is close to the real thing. You may choose from a variety of the empanadas based on your liking. If you want it with the complete ingredients, they have the Special Empanada. If you want one or two of the ingredients taken out like the egg or longganisa, they also have options for you. All their empanadas are made to order so you're sure that it's freshly cooked. For just Php 50, you already have an Ilocos Empanada to satisfy your craving. Service is pretty fast as well so you won't have to wait that long.