On the rightmost corner of Mega Food Hall stands Miguelito's, the only food stall that sells…read moreFilipino cuisine. It's not fast food quality but the service is very quick and their dishes are pretty good. Looking at their menu, they've got the usual Filipinio cuisine suspects; Crispy Kare-Kare with Bagoong, Sisig, Chicken Inasal and Tapsilog. All those sounded drool-worthy, right? But there was one dish I simply could not pass up on - the Angus Beef Sisig. The Angus Beef Sisig comes in two sizes - good for one and the other that's good to share with another person. Although priced quite expensively for a food hall item (a solo plate costs 245 pesos while the Angus Beef Sisig Supersize is 320 pesos), I think it's a fair deal because the taste really delivers. My boyfriend and I shared a Supersize plate and being big Sisig lovers were overall impressed with the quality, taste and serving size of Miguelito's. Another must-try (although I have not tried it out myself but a friend has raved about it) would be their Crispy Kare-Kare. According to my friend, it's a really good version of the humble Kare-Kare. The meat was actually really crispy and the peanut butter sauce was delicious. I'm not a big Kare-Kare fan but with how my friend described it, I wouldn't mind taking a bite out of this dish one of these days. Miguelito's also serve halo-halo and sago't gulaman. Try it and see if their flavourful dishes measure up to your standards!

My friends from school love going here because its so friggin' sulit. You can have a full meal for…read more less than Php50. A full meal meaning: 1 ulam, 1 rice, unli sabaw. And if yer super kuripot like my friends, order half an ulam and 2 cups of rice lol. The Bicol Express is extra saucy so expect 1 cup of rice to be a bit bitin. Their food is mostly meat so vegetarians may feel a bit disappointed. What's nice is with the place is the amiable cook/ waiter/ owner. They're very accommodating to the point of allowing outside drinks in the premises. That day, I was feeling particularly alcoholic and thirsty so I decided to skip lunch altogether and grab 2 cold pilsens at Knot 4 Gains across the street. I was ready to down them outside Gayuma's entrance but to my pleasant surprise, they let me take the bottles in and nurse both for about an hour. Tapos yung pulutan ko unli sabaw. Panalo! One less star because they don't offer vegetarian options.

When I first saw the signboard for Perico's 2 I have to admit that a part of me probably burst a…read moregut laughing. They actually put the number two right after their name. It felt like it was the sequel to a movie or something. I dunno, it just felt really off and weird. Sorry kung mababaw humor ko. Anyway, Perico's 2, despite its name, is not the sequel to one of the better food canteens around Mendiola. It's actually their second establishment. Yeah, the place is so good that the owner was confident enough to open up a new one along the same area probably with little to no fear of cannabilizing each other's customers, figuratively speaking. The second Percio's is not as large as the first. It's a bit smaller, but oddly just a little bit cozier. Food is still good. I don't really see the difference between this and the first one if there is any.

Staple brunch spot after hearing a Thursday mass at St Jude. It is located near the university belt…read moreand expect a menu comprising budget meals for students. Food is truly affordable and tolerably good. Their famed Sisig changed its quality through time but still good enough for less than P100 with soup and drinks. Cheesecake is also available for P55/slice.

The first time I was able to try Grill Queen was on one of the most unconventional dates I had with…read moremy then-boyfriend-now-husband. I was bound for Cebu in a week and he wanted to take me somewhere different. So we headed towards Visayas Avenue is one of the few Grill Queen branches that had a decent dining area. His introduction was that this is the same food concept I'd find over at Salinas St in Cebu City (incidentally, I was staying at a hotel located beside one of those local barbecue places). I love the simplicity of the dining experience. Pick your raw food, they'll cook it for a good 15 to 20 minutes, get rice, get a bottle of soda and enjoy. Their barbecue is pretty good -- savory, tender, adequate size with about an 80-20 lean versus fat distribution. I love the grilled chicken, too. It's a big, juicy piece combining the thigh and leg part. My favorite though is the Cebu chorizo, this is their version of longganisa which is in small round portions and is available in sweet and spicy flavors. The only downside to dining here, the serving of rice is so small. It seems like they use an ice cream scoop to measure it. If you want a filling meal, go with two orders of rice.

I've tried Bai's Sinugbang Manok twice between years far apart and I could taste the improvement. I…read moreactually enjoyed its sauce and it comes with free, simple soup. I just wish the chicken was bigger. Buko Shake was really good! It tasted milky, wasn't too sweet, and pretty worth it considering the price and quantity. It was messy and overflowing but I do appreciate getting the most I possibly can.

The only reason I went in here was because it was right next door to Rap's Steaks and Cakes, and…read morethe latter was filled to capacity. I really had my mind set on Rap's Porterhouse Steak, but I had no choice but to relinquish that dream, because when Rap's gets full, they don't empty out until a couple of hours later. Fortunately, an old man by the door saw that I was about to cry and told me there was another place to eat close by. So, like a wizened spirit guide, he led me down an alley behind a salon, to small door with the word 'BAI' on it. Like a hungry puppy, I followed, and it was amazing. Bai's selection consisted of classic Filipino favorites with a Dumaguete twist, and they had choices for merienda, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Their signature dish is the Bai Sinugbang Manok, which they made with their own home-made sauce, and served with unlimited soup and rice, for only Php125.xx. Bang for your buck, definitely.

A carinderia often populated by students of nearby schools and residents of close subdivisions,…read moreJuncel offers a wide selection of Pinoy viands, affordable student meals and friendly service. My favorite would simply be their tortang talong. The eggplant is grilled, peeled then fried with egg. The smoked flavored torta goes well with plain rice, beef caldereta and a slab of their juicy grilled liempo (yum!). They are also famous for their adobo, menudo and giniling which cost only Php40.00 per dish. Dine at Juncel anytime of the day as they are open 24/ 7, great for quick late night stopovers, takeout, or early morning after-party hangout. Juncel has been patronized by locals since the 1990's and due toof it's success as a carinderia, they were able to expand their business and now offer Silogs, different sizes of pancit bilao and accept catering services for weddings, baptisms and birthdays too!

Finding solace and quiet is worth the trip to Blacksoup Art Café. The peculiar vibe is held and…read morehighlighted in the tables lines with photographs (most likely lomography photos) and the walls adorned with old, random posters like portraits of Salvador Dali and Frida Kahlo. As part of a food tour, my friend and I decided to have starters namely the kalabasa soup, the crab and mango roll, and the Blacksoup salad. Because the knew we were going to share the cup of soup, they even split the order into 2 cups so we didn't have to share from 1 - something we really appreciated. The kalabasa soup has clear broth, soft kalabasa, strips of basil, and some peanuts, which went well with the kalabasa. The crab and mango roll also had cucumber and lettuce along with it, wrapped in vermicelli wrapper, and had a dipping sauce of slightly sweet fish sauce. This reminded us of Vietnamese fresh spring rolls. We had the salad last and was very pleased with the contrasting yet complementing tastes and textures of the pomelo, nuts, adobo flakes, and the muscovado dressing. Indeed a lovely start to our food tour.

The first time I went here was when a friend of mine was to perform an acoustic set. The place was…read moresmall and there were a lot of people, but me and another friend managed to get a table of our own. I ordered the Porkchop with herbed salsa and rice and, my God, it was sooo good! I couldn't even converse with my friend because I was too fixated on my dinner. Other than the food, the place felt so chill, with the dim lighting, the live acoustic music, and the beer. It's a nice venue to hang out and drink with friends. Would definitely come back for more.

I hang out in Maginhawa StrEAT a lot, and when I'm there , I usually get my dinner at Saucy Food…read moreMNL because their approach to filling and satisfying food is simple: a mound of rice, a side of vegetables, crispy-fried fish, pork or chicken tenders slathered with a choice of sauce from their selections. I personally love the beer-battered fish with the kewpie and aioli sauce. I love the interesting contrast of the dish. The creamy battered fish is paired with a bright and summery sauce that makes the entire bowl a delicious and filling treat. It may not be fine dining, but it's not too bad for P100. After all, with the bulk of the stalls in StREAT selling light snacks or non-rice options such as burritos, burgers and the like, one cannot go wrong with a rice meal. Most people who think that a meal is incomplete without a mound of rice will surely find Saucy Food MNL an affordable choice. Aside from the good food, what keeps me coming back is the fast service. Everywhere else in StrEAT, one would have to wait about 15-20 minutes before the food is delivered to your table. With Saucy Food, the bowls will be delivered to you piping hot within 10 minutes or so. The staff is always friendly and they take the time to get to know their customers. The owners, Mark and Cheeno are hands-on in the operations, and they engage with their customers well.

I personally like rice bowls. They're quick, cheap and most of the time, delicious. You can even…read moreenjoy it while on the go. So when I chanced upon this place in the compound, and considering how famished I was, I was immediately drawn to its very inviting window. The girl on on the window smiled at me as she asked for my order. Since their sauces were named creatively, I had to ask her to describe the ones that caught my attention. I ordered pork strips with cackalacky (sweet and sour) sauce. It was served in a ceramic bowl with rice and stir fried vegetables.I was impressed with the speed of the service and how the staff were really nice and warm. However, meat was a bit dry and lackluster for me.The sauce was just so-so and made me wish I could've gotten something spicy. Even so, everything was friendly on the pocket. Students and yuppies waiting for the next payday can enjoy these cheap but special rice toppings and of course, the staff's smiling faces .