It's without a doubt that Zuellig Building, standing at the intersection of Makati Avenue and Paseo…read morede Roxas, is the hippest and most attractive building in Makati to date. I've always admired its exterior and often wondered how could I take a peek inside. Thanks to Laza Food Plaza, a food court located at the second level, I don't have to send application letters to companies holding offices in the building just to experience its ambiance. The Laza Food Plaza lives up to the upscale reputation of Zuellig Building. Its interior design is modern and truly world-class. The limited number of food stalls did not dampen my excitement about spending time there. After going around the food court area, I noticed a few familiar names like Starbucks, Malcolm's, Green Tomato, and Lola's Kitchen. I also saw a couple of interesting stalls, namely New Bistro Deli and Noodle & Co. I tried Lola's Kitchen's Menudo and Paksiw na Tilapia. And from Pinoy Sizzlers, I ordered sizzling squid. The food was good, just as what anyone might expect in other office cafeterias. But the ambiance is reason enough to come back to Laza Food Plaza. By the way, they have an Acoustic Night every Friday at 6:00pm.

I spend Saturdays chasing a few letters to go after my name at that Big Blue campus along Katipunan…read moreAvenue. Since old habits die hard and cramming for school is still my thing, I have to make the most out of my one-hour lunch break. We all know how difficult it is to proceed to doing anything with an empty stomach though. Thank goodness for the nearby Institute of Social Order (ISO) Canteen that's right across my building, which makes me maximize my time. Aside from the convenience, the food is really good too, while maintaining its "cafeteria price." There always is a wide array of choices. Some of my favorites include the beef kaldereta, burger steak in mushroom sauce, and bistek tagalog (Filipino beef steak). I also find it pretty cool how the brown rice is available. The ISO canteen is spacious, clean, well-lit, and is relatively well-ventilated, with very amiable staff and management. If I'm not on the usual rush and cram mode, I momentarily take my mind off course material by watching TV through the cafeteria television that usually has sports on. When I'm done chasing my three letters in the institution I'm in, I'll definitely miss the ISO canteen and its good and affordable food.

Don't tell anyone but the main reason why I come to Food & Art Galerie is to get inside GT Tower…read more The building is one of the structures in Makati that has a great interior design. I'm particularly interested in their main lobby which has an unmistakable Gothic look, with dim lighting and angular metal trusses. Bruce Wayne would surely feel at home. Food & Art Galerie is the building's food court at the 12th floor. The area has a pretty interesting aesthetics as well. When it first opened a few years ago, it really looked like an art gallery with colorful chairs and tables, lounge areas, and several art fixture for customers to admire. One food stall that keeps up to the artsy tradition of the place is City Bites, whose main décor is a front-end of a vintage car hanging on its wall. The interior of the food court has depreciated a bit and the newly added stalls have made it looked cramped, but Food & Art Galerie is still a good place to dine in because it has a wider array of food choices compared to other office cafeterias. Whether you want bread, omelet, Filipino or Korean food, and even vegetarian stuff, you will find it here. I usually eat here during my meatless Mondays because of the Salad Bar, a create-your-own salad kiosk. There's also C Verde, a stall by Big Chill that caters to vegetarians. Of course, meat lovers are not left out in the cold. Stalls like Oh! My Lechon will surely satisfy mouths craving for pit-roasted pork at a reasonable price.

There are plenty of fastfood diners and restaurants in and around Salcedo Village, but at my age, I…read moreoften prefer homestyle meals without me cooking at home. One place I go to for 'real food' is Kantineta in Paseo Center. This self-service canteen gets very busy during lunch time so it's best to be in line before 11:30am. And as if by some magic, most of the food items in the display counter are no longer available in the afternoon. The food here is delicious yet affordable, although priced slightly higher than the ones found at Jollijeeps in the streets. This is understandable because they pay for rent to provide a comfortable sit-down dining area for customers. Plus, their take-out containers are made from top quality biodegradable materials. Meals automatically come with soup and dessert for dine-in patrons. I usually order the Lumpiang Gulay, which is so big in size that it's a full meal on its own. The Chicken Tinola and Spicy Squid Gambas are regular items worth trying too.

The menu is well suited for Filipinos who like their home cooking dishes. Such as fish, veggies &…read moremeat.

Tapsilog we're not bad, but nothing spectacular neither. We also ordered sliced green mangoes, the…read morebagoong was also neither good nor bad. Service was meh. AC were insufficient to cool the place. Restroom was decently clean, but nothing fancy.

Breakfast was so delicious, we got the Spanish omelette, ham & cheese omelette and the classic…read morepancakes mmmmm so good. The omelette was creamy, cheesy and the vegetables were cooked perfect inside. The pancakes were fluffy and moist. The service was good, prompt and everything came out quick hot and fresh. I really enjoyed this breakfast.

Eat at 8pm. The tacos were still delicious. The chicken fried not so good just bland since it…read morelacked seasoning or salt.

Every day on my way to work, I pass by Time Square Food Court at the ground level of Pacific Star…read moreBuilding in Makati Avenue. But I hadn't really found the courage to visit the place up until today. Judging from its facade, I always thought that it's one small and crowded establishment with limited choices of food. Boy was I wrong on both counts! While the place looks small from the outside, it actually has a big dining area and there are around fifteen stalls that offer different types of food and treats. Some of the kiosks that I'm already familiar with are Pot Dog, Resty's Roast Beef Carving Station, Dairy Queen, Cobo Milk Tea, World of Chicken, Reyes Barbecue, and even Chowking. Plus, a Good Day convenience store also operates within the food court. The seating capacity at the ground level of the establishment can be limited, but there's a mezzanine floor that can accommodate more customers, even up to a hundred (maybe more) by my estimation. The area is large enough that Time Square Food Court can be rented for private functions such as conferences, corporate parties, seminars and reunions. The restrooms are also located on this floor.

When you work and live in Salcedo Village, you're never far away from an establishment that offers…read moreaffordable home-cooked meals. There are a number of food kiosks -- fondly called Jollijeeps -- scattered all over this side of the Makati Central Business District. The problem is that not all Jollijeeps follow strict sanitary procedures, if you know what I mean. So if you are a bit squeamish but still interested in saving money on food, you can try eateries like FrissPoint, located at the corner of LP Leviste and VA Rufino. This foodstop can be quite busy during lunch time so be sure to arrive before 11:30am if you want to dine in there. Sure, there are several tables, but during peak hours it can be difficult to find a vacant spot. FrissPoint's main canteen is open Mondays to Saturdays, 10:00am to 8:00pm. They also have a bread outlet around the side along VA Rufino. It's open 24 hours except on weekends. Other than the eatery and bread shop, FrissPoint also has an Internet cafe and a travel agency inside its premises.

So you think it's just Floating Island and the chain restaurants where you can dine at the Makati…read moreMedical Center (MMC)? Guess again. They have a canteen on the ground floor that also serves non-hospital employees. A canteen is a canteen is a canteen, yes. But if you're on a budget and find yourself hungry while in MMC, it's good to know you can eat where nurses and doctors also eat. They serve a variety of viands (depending on the day) with rice, pansit, spaghetti, baked macaroni, salads, desserts, and sandwiches. There's also hot brewed coffee here for P80 or less, as well as fresh soy milk and chilled taho. Not bad. Not bad at all. I'm sure it's all going to be improved, too, because the last time I was at MMC, the canteen was under renovation. Looking forward to the changes!

The Makati Med cafeteria holds about a lot of bittersweet memories in my childhood (as sappy as…read morethat might sound). Back when my sister had encephalitis, this cafeteria had been a hangout-slash-waiting room for me and my little brother. My auntie would bring us here, treat us a few snacks as the doctors do procedures to my eight year-old sister upstairs. I've seen how this place transformed to the cozier cafeteria that It presently is. And it has only improved. Some hospital cafeterias are filled with a lot of food franchises, but not this one. Its heart (and the selling factor) is still MMC's cooked rice meals, which promotes balance diets than most food places in the hospital. And it has been that way for more than twenty years now. They serve different menus three times a day. You can never get tired of the viands here, because it will change each time you decide to eat here. I think the only franchise I love here is the juice stand, Buco Loco where you can buy fresh fruit juices. My favorite bottle to pair my in-hospital cooked meal is the melon bottled juice. Their instant coffee (nescafe) is little bit overpriced though, so best to bring your own.

When my sister still worked near the Pacific Star building along Buendia, she discovered a nice…read morelittle cafeteria hidden in the mezzanine area of the DBP building As you may already know, most of the dining establishments in Makati are ridiculously expensive, and it is not easy to look for places to go and eat at when you are on a tight budget - either you have to rough it out in street carts or Jollijeeps, or you just have to bring your own "baon" to work, which turns into a lousy (and sometimes, spoiled) mush of congealed rice and ulam come lunchtime. After she discovered the DBP Canteen, we would go and have our lunchtime "dates" in there because it is easily one of the cleanest and most comfortable cafeterias I have ever been to. Just like any food court, the place has a small catering service that mostly caters to DBP workers. I think the lunches for employees of the DBP building may already be subsidized in part, that's why the food from the concessionaires are so cheap. I don't even know if the place is open to the general public, but we always somehow just walk in. There are also other booths to buy from, like the Fruitas smoothie place or the Wendy's kiosk. You should check this place out if you are trying to save some money. It is near most of the workplaces in Makati, and it is convenient because the food is hot and delicious. You also have plenty to choose from because they would usually prepare several different kinds of viands.