For food adventurers and explorers out there, a small street in Binondo called Carvajal Street is a…read moredestination that must not be overlooked if you happen to be in the area. I believe Binondo is best explored on foot so you can really take in all the sights, sounds and smells (both good, AND bad!). My boyfriend and I, after an hour or so of wandering around in search for fruits, finally ended up here. Since it's more line an alley than a street, it's easy to miss. Carvajal is lined up with eateries (a household name is Quick Snack) that have a LOT to offer, from classic Chinese cuisine, to traditional Filipino fares and other Asian cuisines. This street is also known for fresh produce! A huge variety of Asian fruits and vegetables are sold here in kiosks. Fresh tofu, tubs of fermented vegetables, some seafood and specialty food grocers can also be found here. Truly a foodie haven not only for those who love to eat, but for those who love to cook as well. Personally, I have not fully explored this small street thoroughly, but it's really worth mentioning. Take your time and see what each stall has to offer, and you'll never know what pleasant surprise awaits you.

Here's the thing about Carvajal Street: it's tiny as heck. I don't think it would even qualify as…read morean alley - an al fresco hallway, maybe. But this narrow street is where you can find some of the best restaurants in Chinatown. My personal favorite is Quick Snack, with their amazing fresh lumpia. A lot of people also come here for the fresh fruit stands, and the mom-and-pop groceries where you can get even the most obscure Chinese delicacies. Prepare to have your tastebuds invaded.

What it has going for it is its brand and name recognition. Mang Larry's has been an institution at…read moreUP for quite a while now. The order placement system is also very organized. The food order is properly itemized and priced in the printed order slip. It gets full very quickly nearing meal times. We had to wait a short while after placing our order at around 5:45 PM. Students, office workers, and tourists are the present diners when we ate there. What I did not like was the setting and service. It did come a long way now that it has a dedicated seating area and a covered roof compared to yesteryears when it was only a stand-up kiosk. It would have been nice if they went all the way and cemented the flooring and have chosen more presentable table and chairs. Durint the time we were present dining, we also overheard another customer having their order wrong. He ordered something around 20 sticks, but what came in the take-out bag was only around 16 sticks. It was a few sticks short. Lastly, do not expect to get good value when eating here. The small portions of food on the sticks are a little pricey and can add up quicky with just a few sticks ordered.

There is a reason why Mang Larry's is one of the most famous stalls in the UP Diliman Campus. It is…read morea small and humble cart near the Internatonal Center and the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, yet it manages to drawn in hordes and hordes of students and faculty. It serves a variety of innards and offal, which I think shows the ingenuity and the resourcefulness of our street food eating habits -nothing goes to waste. On the menu are different kinds of isaw or pig and chicken intestines, and other adventurous stuff such as pig ears, tripe, gizzards and liver. People would actually line up and end up smelling like the smoke from the outdoor grill, which goes to show how good the isaw is. I personally don't like isaw very much, and I have already shifted to my veg diet when I came to UP, but my friends swear by the quality of the isaw sold by Mang Larry's. A friend remarked that he wouldn't even touch any other isaw, unless he is sure that utter care was taken by the vendor in cleaning the innards. They say that the stuff sold by Mang Larry's taste fresh and clean, and free from that undesirable taste of chicken poop that any amateur isaw vendor wouldn't think of cleaning out thoroughly. Anyway, I heard Mang Larry was able to send his kids to college because of his trade, to which I say, well done! Excellent job, hardworking and charismatic Mang Larry!

When we were young, we would always have a cup of taho every day from the vendor that would go…read morearound selling in the village. Same goes with the milk vendor and the ice cream vendor in the afternoons. Today, the ice cream and milk vendors are gone, and only the taho vendor stands strong. Kuya Larry's taho is made fresh every morning and sells it street by street in our village. With the original vendor being his father and passed onto him, they already know the preferences of most of the villagers - less sugar syrup (arnibal), more tapioca balls (sago or bobba), or plain taho for some. He has serving sizes priced at PhP 10 for a small cup and PhP 20, but if you give your own mug or bowl, he even adds a few scopps more. Sometimes, we get even PhP 5 worth of taho for our bowl, and it seems like it should be worth PhP 10. We also pre-order soy milk sometimes which only costs PhP 100 for 1.5 litres or more if we give our own containers. In this way, we don't just get healthy, we also save the earth by reducing use of plastic.

Thursday evenings are lively here with an outdoor food market for the Filipino Happy Hour. Just…read moreoutside Glorietta 5, I "accidentally" happened upon the festival looking for unique nightlife.....and I found it. Anything you can manage to digest cones on a stick. Beef, chicken, baby squid with head intact. Yes, Ebiyaki, a Japanese indulgence. One can watch as the chefs cook up just about anything. Seating is limited but that is the convenience of shwarma in a stick.

Mercato has had quite the following since it started in BGC, these days, the food market finds a…read morenew home in the middle of the Makati CBD right across one of the busiest malls in the city. Found in the Dolphin Park (because they have dolphin statues there) and sanwiched between Glorietta 4 and 5, it's the most ideal after hours hangout for those who work in the area. The food fare found in the new Mercato is similar to its predecessor, shabu shabu, local street food and Filipino food abound. Cuisinier's barbeque pork skewers are also available for you to try. They're so good they were awarded the Tastiest Regional Specialty for Asia. Regulars such as Mio Gelati are also present here. The vibe is more picnic as opposed to food fair. Settled in a park with grassy areas to sit on, feel free to bring you banigs or sarongs when you're out with a group of friends. It may be loud, but it's definitely a fun place to hangout and eat.

If you ever worked or resided in this side of Makati, this particular jollijeep stall will…read moredefinitely ring a bell. They become heavily popular for their sisig recipe and I am here for it. I have always been a fan of this recipe (which is a top tier Pinoy food for me). There is usually a line during lunch hours which will make you wait for 10 minuts or more. They have a takeaway bag and or avail additional if you want to have it placed in a microwaveable container. Dine-in is served in a paper plate.

Ask any Pinoy what is a must try dish to eat when you're here in Manila and I bet they will say the…read moresame thing: Sisig! Every Filipino restaurant, even the fusion ones, must serve this dish! So, you'll have your high-end versions and also your supermarket versions that come out of a can (which are really not good! Seriously!). If I could, I'd eat Sisig every time I have a beer. But, yeah, for the sake of my heart, I hold back. Haha! Now, let's talk about Sisig sa Rada. This JollyJeep became popular on Facebook with the Makati lunch crowd. Their version of the sisig is made-to-order and prepared within 5 minutes! Every sisig order is fried in egg with sweet mayo on the side. For me, that's what makes their sisig yummylicious. The extra frying makes the sisig bits crispy! Also, the best part, a sisig meal is only Php54! Be prepared to eat standing and that you have to wait awhile during lunch hours. This sisig is flavorful, crunchy and fits everyone's budget. Definitely worth a try! Here's another tip: ask them to fry your sisig longer! :D

Howdy Yelpers. How's everybody doing this evening? Nasty Nathanial here and it's time for another…read more"Nasty" review. This one is of an interesting place called The Z Compound. As my friend would say, "it's a new concept." Alrighty. The Z Compound is a really local spot located within' Teachers Village in Quezon City. It is a combination of small restaurants/food stands located inside of this compound. I was first introduced to this place when a friend of mine in Philcoa took me there. The atmosphere is really laid back and purely local. I am all about visiting local grind spots when I am away from home. Especially when I am in a foreign country like the Philippines. I never can understand these foreigners who come here and only want to dine at these trendy restaurants in Makati. Shaking my head. If you want to get the real experience of the land your in you gotta mingle with the locals. Anyways, lets get to the food. Although it is sometimes difficult to choose what to grind on when I come here, my favorite is the Z BBQ. Oh yeah. When I'm hungry this place totally hits the spot. I will order my usual which is the BBQ chicken with rice and sisig. I highly recommend their sisig. There are a lot of good places to get sisig here in Metro Manila, but Z BBQ is the best. Just thinking about it is making me drool. Another groovey thing about The Z Compound is you can order booz to go along with your food. Hey, hey. Now I dig that. There is a spot that sells bottled beer and even a full bar where you can order cocktails. And like every place inside of Z Compound, it's not overpriced like what you'd find in snobby Makati. Good food and booz that is not over priced. How much better can it get? The people that work at these places inside of Z Compound are friendly. And I don't mean the kind of friendly where they are on your rear for a tip. They just make you feel welcome. Hey, that is the way it should be. So if you folks want to go get some good food in a place with a groovey atmosphere and prices that won't bust up your wallet, then I highly recommend that you give The Z Compound a try. I really should start doing commercials. Until next time, may the force be with you. Happy trails. NASTY NATHANIAL

While Maginhawa Street has been known as the top destination for food in Quezon City, the lesser…read moreknown Malingap also has its awesome offerings of restaurants and dining choices that could rival the Maginhawa restaurants that have long made it to plenty of blog articles and food reviews. One of the most remarkable additions to Malingap's food row is The Z Compound, home of the now popular names such as Samu Eats, Meshwe and Me Love You Long Time. The Z Compound was put up by proprietor and restaurateur Eric Cadavillo to serve as an "open foodcourt" for startups and small food businesses that are local to the neighborhood. Here, young entrepreneurs and food enthusiasts can put up their businesses and try their hands in establishing startups. The atmosphere of the place is very friendly to students and young people, and the place doesn't only serve food for the hungry hordes, but it also occasionally has fun and hip activities such as poetry readings, bazaars or garage sales, live music performances and other related events. The compound has a bit of a rebellious and anti-establishment vibe, and everything is pretty affordable, even for "starving" college kids. If you are looking for a place to relax in in the heart of Quezon City, The Z compound is a fun and bustling place where you and your friends can pick a table and order from all the stalls and kiosks within the compound. The friendly staff from the stalls will gladly bring your food to where you are seated. Most of the seating is al fresco, and the owners of the compound have recently reblocked the courtyard portion of the place to keep it from flooding during heavy rains. The place is easily accessible from PHILCOA station. Just take a trike to the compound. Most of the stalls close on Mondays or Tuesdays.

Something happened yesterday that made me, well, love Manila even more. I was coming out of my bus…read moreon my way home from work, dropping off my stop at Makati Avenue corner Buendia, when I noticed tons of people with cups of dirty ice cream. I decided to look for the source and walked up to the dirty ice cream vendor. It ordered the P20 cup (of course) with all three flavors - avocado, mango, and cheese. Little unusual combination, but nonetheless it's a nice break from all the chocolate ice cream I eat all the time. Wow. Just, wow. Kuya Nilo's dirty ice cream might just be the best of its kind I've ever tasted. There was just something about it that made me, I dunno, think about when I was a kid and I used to love when the ice cream vendor passed by our house. The ice cream was of course made in the Filipino way, which you could discern from its unique texture and consistency, but the flavors were absolutely fantastic. The flavors tasted like home - you just get the feeling that the fruits used here were bought fresh from the market. This is Filipino ice cream making at its finest. In case you were wondering, kuya changes his flavors daily. So you could run into Melon, Ube, or Dalandan flavored ice cream the next time you go there. I asked Kuya Nilo, the owner of the stall, why his ice cream tasted so good. He says that it's because it's his own recipe - he makes it in a slightly different way from all the other ice cream vendors out there. He has a specific "timpla," that he's been making every moring since he started. In what way this is, I'm not sure, but whatever it is certainly elevated this particular vendor. He's been doing this every day for the last 15 years; so the next time you stop by this particular corner of Manila, make sure to watch out for Kuya Nilo's cart.

Finally got to try some other dishes which includes the following that I liked quite a lot: beef…read moresalpicao, and tapsilog, glazed pares wings (though I definitely would recommend the sriracha mansi wings over this). I also got to try their sizzling tinola which was the only dish that I liked a bit less than the others probably due to the meat seemingly having the flavour of boiled chicken (isn't much), then breaded, fried and served with gravy. Ambience: Good, spacious and well lit. Designs were unique and brings character. Taste: Great, not your typical pares house for sure. Presentation: Great Value: Great, good bargain Service: Great, their wait staff are attentive. Overall: Great, will definitely visit again and try the other dishes that were sold out.

Been hearing a lot about this hole-in-the-wall restaurant that serves Filipino street foods like…read morefishballs, squidballs, and even pares. We often visit the place but found no place to park because of the always-filled Bugis across the street and the pub beside it. Tonight, I guess, is our lucky night. Rapsadoodle comes from two words: rapsa or sarap (delicious) spelled backwards, and doodle (a kind of art by writing scribbles), which is visibly displayed on one side of the wall. Most of the scribbles are pick-up lines and hugots that resonates the Filipino's way of love and comedy. OPMs are played in the restaurant which gives you a Filipino vibe. As for the food, they are neatly presented and clean, which kind of takes out one concern on food sanitation and safety as compaired eating it on the streets. Here are some of the things we ordered: - Beef Pares (Php85) - the classic street food rice meal of beef stew and rice. The meat is tender and the sauce is thick and sweet. A really good pairing with rice, which is unlimited. The sauce and rice is already considered a good meal. - Fried Chicken (Php150) - fried chicken quarter cooked like Max's and served with rice. I am not sure if it's just psychology that once rice is colored yellow, it implies that it is a kind of fried rice. Thus, I was looking for salt which I couldn't find. It was colored plain rice after all. The chicken is juicy but bland, but maybe dependent on the ketchup-vinegar-Jufran-like sauce. - Balls Platter (Php99) - unlimited option is available but I feared I would be too full to try anything else. The platter is composed of fishballs, squidballs, and kikiam, and served with an unli manong's sauce. The sauce is on the sweet side, but my favorite manong near my office still has a better sauce. As for the balls, I like the kikiam better because of the taste and texture. I can hardly taste the flavor of the fishball until I devoured the last few pieces. - Siomai (Php40/5 pcs) - they also have an unli version of this. Siomai is okay. Meaty, but most of its true flavors are covered in the sauce. - Bibingka Waffle - the best part of what we've ordered. I did not expect it to be this good. Soft and moist bibingka-like waffles served with a creamy ice-buko-style coconut ice cream and garnished with condensed milk, dessicated coconut, and brown sugar. An explosion in the mouth, this might be the one dish I will come back for. Overall, food is affordable and is great for students or people with a budget. It is clean so you can eat without worry. I was actually having a hard time deciding on what grade to give. For the taste alone, I would give it a 2.0. However, some factors were to be considered: how often can you eat pares and fishballs at an air-conditioned room? +.5. The bibingka waffle is really something special, +.5. With the rates of inflation and constant-rising of prices, this restaurant offers value for money dishes,