Ube bola bola and asado siopao!? First time trying them and man oh man! It works! Between the two…read morethough, bola bola was the clear winner. It did not need the sauce that came with it but a little hot sauce made it taste even better. The asado on the other hand was too sweet for my taste. Oh, and let's not forget their hopias. They're still as good as when I was in college ages ago. Can't wait to try my all time favorite dice mongo hopia. Service was really good too. I'm happy as a clam.

A must see spot in Chinatown. You really see how influential Chinese culture is in the Philippines…read more Hopia seems to be inspired by moon cakes. That same thin, flakey outer layer surrounding a rich, sweet interior. You can buy both hopia and moon cakes here. Even sugar free options! We loved the ube, pandan, and mongo. Love it here! Can't wait to come back!

BANANA-RHUMA/FILIPINO TURON YUMMINESS!!…read more FYI... current Yelp address (as of July 2026) is INCORRECT for the Manila branch! They apparently moved 2 years ago to expand the dining area. Current Manila location is: 1104 J. Barlin Street, Sampaloc, Manila 1108 Metro Manila, Philippines Turon is a Filipino dessert or snack, that is absolutely delicious! If I could, I'd eat it constantly! Brekkie, lunch, dinner and anytime in between LOL! Ripe Banana wrapped in a crispy thin Filipino lumpia (egg roll) wrapper is the basic premise. Every Filipino has their preference on what the perfect turon should be like. Mine? That would be an overripe Banana with a sliver of ripe jackfruit wrapped in super thin lumpia wrapper, deep fried and then lightly carmelized. BOOM! Taste Bud Heaven! Why would you come to Mang Tootz? Our Grab Driver didn't even know what this restaurant was, but their version of the Filipino Turon, Banana-Rhuma, is a YouTube sensation! When you do a YouTube search for "Turon Manila," a large part of that search is about Mang Tootz! So I wanted to claim it! Once we got the directions straight (found correct address on their Facebook page) it was an easy find. Good for drop offs, no street parking unfortunately. Friendly staff, lots of options for turo-turo. but I'm only here for one thing! Ok, let's eat! BANANA-RHUMA: Mang Tootz version of Filipino turon is smaller than what I'm use to in the USA. More a finger length size here rather than the hand length (or bigger) that is typical in California. We got our order fresh & hot and taste & flavor wise, it is DEELISH! NapakaSARAP! Thin lumpia wrapper is golden crispy with every piece. Love the caramelization with sesame seeds! Nicely ripened Banana and jackfruit inside is perfectly portioned for its size. No complaints here, worth a GRAB drive to enjoy! This was deliciously crafted. :) VERY EASY RECOMMENDATION! I did enjoy this style of Filipino Turon very much. My Bunso prefers more banana, so... to each his own! More for me!!! I would definitely make a return visit! Enjoy!

Good food with good ambiance lalo na yung banana thuma nila. :)…read more Service is 10/10 good staff and palaging malinis ang place.

Icebergs have always been a family favorite especially after dinner or lunch on a Sunday. It has…read morebeen around for years and definitely a place to have your ice cream fix. Sadly over the years their branches have diminished especially the San Juan branch that was closest to our home. All of us would order their Classic Banana Split which composes of three scoops of either Vanilla, Chocolate or Strawberry topped with peanuts, pineapple, cherries, whipped cream and two slices of bananas on the side. Funny how we all would order each one for ourselves and finish it all. They also have an array of other comfort dishes like their Chili Dog that combine with my Banana Split making it the ultimate combo meal. Expect this place to be packed especially during afternoons in the summer since they also serve Halo Halo as a top order among loyal patrons.

There are lots of ice cream places in Manila but they're usually stands or kiosks meant for just…read moreice cream. Icebergs is an ice cream parlor or better yet a dessert parlor. They sell loads of different flavors and combinations but they also sell a lot of food. As a starter, I definitely recommend the Country Fries with Chili Con Carne and Melted Cheese. They thick cut fries and succulent chili con carne tastes awesome! The melted cheese makes it even better. For the main course, I am loyal to their Chicken Cordon Blue. They make it so perfectly! The bechamel sauce tastes really good! Sweet and creamy. It's my absolute favorite in Icebergs. Another good dish is their Sisig! These meals come with rice and you can choose what kind from plain, garlic, green spinach, yellow corn, and brown!

When it comes to food, other than taste, presentation is key! Binalot is not some fancy place to…read moreget great Filipino food but it's very casual. Their prices are very affordable and budget friendly. It's name already explains what it is and how it's served. Most of their meals are served wrapped in banana leaf! It just makes everything taste better. The longer you leave it in their, the better the food tastes. It's pretty cool how the thought of this because this idea is not new. People in the past have been doing this and they use banana leaves as a plate. I love their Beef Tapa! Once you open your wrapped meal, it comes with rice, salted egg, and tomatoes. It's very good! The salted egg is the best! It goes well with the meal. I like mixing mine in rice. They have other good things in the menu and I can't wait to try them real soon!

My siblings and I had scheduled a siblings night out. Which just meant that we'd go out and eat at…read morea new food place. This time we decided to try Army Navy's Burger+Burrito. It was conveniently located in the Fort and had accessible and ample parking; the two things that I look for when going anywhere. The place felt very comfy. There was a minimalist theme to their decorations but it still gave that chill-homey vibe. Nothing flashy or extravagant and not to dull and boring. Just the place to have a fun sibling's night out. My sister, being a calorie conscious person, ordered the single patty burger. My little brother wanted to show off and ordered the double patty burger. I outshined him when I told the cashier I was getting the TRIPLE patty burger. I was also a bit surprised myself but what the hell, this place had "Burger" in their name so I was banking on the fact that it was their flagship meal (which they are very proud of). The patty was well seasoned. I liked their burger but I felt that I should have requested for veggies in mine. I guess I like my burgers not too meaty tasting by adding the texture and lightness of veggies and tomatoes. I also got to try their burrito. I didn't get to taste it that much because I was already so full (bad decisions, I mean burger+burrito right?) I found it very tasty, especially with the zing the lemon added. Yup, this place can fill you up and tickle your taste buds.

Really good Filipino-American-Mexican fusion fast food. Having been born in the Philippines, raised…read morein California, and travelled multiple times extensively in Philippines and Mexico, I consider myself a bit of an expert compared to most when it comes to food. This is as good as it gets in the Philippines. Love Filipino style Mexican food. The burger is equally good, that is priced fairly, and a good size (since most other Pinoy fast food establishment portions are kid-meal size).

UPSCALE FILIPINO FOOD... SARAP!…read more Looking for a place for a team dinner for my son's volleyball team, manam café in The Podium, with reservations, easily accommodated our group of kids and the parents as well! Located on The Podium Mall ground floor, close to the ADB Ave. entrance, to the right side (right side of Rolex Store) after entering the mall. Hostesses had big smiles and had such welcoming interactions when we checked in, it felt like we just arrived at a family party! Looks to be a popular place as all the tables are full, and a pretty good queue to be seated. Menu items are easily explained by the servers, as the menu is not so informative. Popular items are pointed out which coincides with Yelp reviews from other manam restaurants. We left the boys to their own devices and we picked some yummies for our own table! Sige, kain na tayo! (Let's eat!) HOUSE CRISPY SISIG (Large): This came out sizzling with a delicious aroma! Mmmm! Great start! The flavor is perfect, not as spicy as is typical in the U.S., but the crispiness adds a nice texture without any gummy fat pieces. This dish did not last on the table! CRUNCHY SALT & PEPPER SQUID (Large): Perfectly prepared squid! Crunchy batter with the squid not overly chewy at all! Large serving was perfect for our party of 6 to enjoy! CRISPY PANCIT PALABOK (Large): This is Thee Showstopper here! LARGE, heaping high serving of Crispy Pancit Noodles arrives with a delicious concoction of shrimp & squid underneath. Our server, Kurt, then pours the Palabok Sauce onto the noodles and you watch the noodles melt before your eyes! Such a cool visual! Since this was a large serving we got a second pouring of Palabok sauce, which I think might have been too much sauce, as there was no crispy noodles remaining. Nonetheless, it was still a very tasty version Palabok. Also no leftovers for this dish! Next time, though, I'll ask not to mix mix so much ;) PORK BELLY BICOL EXPRESS (large): Their version of this dish is Yummy! Not as spicy as what I'm use to in California, but that worked for the family I was dining with, which allowed everyone to enjoy the dish and not just me lol. Not a heavy sauce version here, just enough to coat the pork belly but not enough to soak the rice. Love the slivers of Calabasa, too! Got my sons to love this dish like me, sooo... well done! CHICKEN INASAL SKEWERS (Medium): Skewer Meat is on the smaller side. More stick than meat, nonetheless, this is a perfect Keto friendly dish. Luckily I'm not in keto at the moment, or else I woulda had to order the Large version. Medium size comes with 4 "sticks." Meat is flavorful and succulent and a great way to front load your meal with protein! MANGO + POMELO + SAGO SHAKE: My selection for refreshment. Comes in a very tall glass and is absolutely DEELISH! Mango is the primary flavor with chunks of Pomelo all throughout the shake for a nice balance. Sago is soft but not mushy. Very tempted to get another to go if I wasn't so full! STRAWBERRY (no camias) SHAKE: Son was hoping for a little taste of home and "strawberry" caught his eyes. Since he didn't want the distraction of another flavor, we were able to bypass camias mixed in (maybe next time?) and he loved it! VERY EASY RECOMMENDATION! Nom Nom level is high! Filtered water was served here. Soda products are by the can. Dishes come as they are prepared, not all at once. Kurt & Christian were our primary servers and they really took care of us attentively. I can see why this is a popular spot at The Podium Mall! Enjoy! We sure did ;)

OMG! MUSHROOM CREAM PASTA!?!! SARAP!!!…read more All my Bunso could rave about after his first trip to play Volleyball in Philippines with the 2025 Fil-Am Select team, was his visit to the Mary Grace Cafe. He got blessed with another invite to play again with the team in the Summer 2026, so where do we go first for our first family meal in the Philippines?!? MARY GRACE! Luckily, there is a Mary Grace Cafe in the Robinsons Galleria on Level 2, that is connected to our hotel, so an easy stroll to get to! The cafe is spacious enough for maybe 100 people. Hostess is friendly and seats us immediately. Staff is attentive and our order arrives in a timely manner! Kain na!!! VIGAN LONGGANISA & KESONG SANDWICH: My older son loves longganisa, so breakfast all day is his jam. But longganisa in a sammie?!? He was locked in on that! Sandwich is a good size, longer than 2 hands of a 6ft 21 y/o. Although we are use to "Pampanga" style in Cali, this Vigan version is also quite flavorful. So tasty, that he demolished it before I could get a bite! Belly rubbing satisfaction! MARY GRACE MUSHROOM CREAM PASTA: We got the shareable size, with prosciutto cuts added in, based on the Bunso's recommendation. Kid wasn't lying, this was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Sauce amount is perfectly balanced with how much noodles are on the plate. Truffle flavor is pronounced but not overwhelming and the creaminess is delightful. This was so good, we got an order to go for later. AND... he came back 2 more times to eat this as his post game meal. Definitely a family fave! PASTA AMATRICIANA with ITALAIN MEATBALLS: I ordered the solo size and was expecting this to be a version of "Filipino Spaghetti" but I was wrong. This was a version of Bolognese that was perfectly crafted. Hearty red sauce that had a robust flavor without being acidy or tart. The meatballs were a good size that helped distribute the meat in most bites of noodles. The meatballs were moist and tasty. Solid dish! MARY GRACE TANDEM: Mary Grace Hot Chocolate is not the same as what you'd typically find Stateside. This has a pronounced dark chocolatey vibe and thicker consistency. We tandemed it with a grilled cheese roll to start and that disappeared too quick. We then ordered a grilled ensaymada and could not decide which was better! Great premeal indulgence! Mmmm! VERY EASY RECOMMENDATION! Nom Nom level is HIGH! We returned multiple days and loved what we ate. Staff is attentive and friendly. In a Mall with a multitude of eating options, Mary Grace stands out! Enjoy!

This restaurant missed the mark for me. All I wanted was Filipino comfort food. The dishes served…read morehere are more of a Filipino fusion. It's Filipino dishes with unexpected twist. It was decent but not what I was looking for. The place decent and well lit. Nice servers but the noise level was kind of high.

3.7 disappointed by the special palabok that was a little salty and the tiny shrimp in the…read moresinigang. The flavor was delightful though for both the regular and wintermelon sinigang. Would have loved it if it was all natural and not powder. As for the service... avoid during busy days and hours. We had to wait more than 30min to order.