Highly recommended for all Balikbayans - best Kare Kare in the world. Do not leave Pinas without…read moretrying this restaurant. Why? They make their own peanut butter, a family recipe that only owners know how real Kare Kare should taste like. Service is world class!

Siomai House is your typical snack stall selling siomai and gulaman, simple and straightforward…read morethis tiny jewel unexpectedly serves siomai worthy of any high class Chinese restaurant. My sister and I are self-proclaimed Siomai House super fans, with a stall inside our local grocery we snack on these stuff on a weekly basis and they do not disappoint. The siomai at Siomai House is a mixture of both pork and shrimp making it extra tasty. The siomai is always juicy and tender, the texture just firm enough to know you're eating real meat but soft enough to make it glide down your throat easily. It is topped with the signature Pinoy toppings of calamansi, soy sauce, and chili oil. The chili oil in this place is commendable because it's both spicy and garlic-y with crunchy chunks of fried garlic scattered in the mix. Siomai house pairs their famous siomai with a sweet and tasty gulaman, a perfect pairing to the spicy and salty treat. Siomai House may look average but its flavor sure are excellent.

We were looking for some comfort food in the Jupiter. So it's a no brainer that they serve just…read morewhat we need. We started with the Roasted Squash Soup which was flavorful with a hint of tinapa. With the Herb Parmesan Fries with Aioli - Aioli wish I want more. The Come forth Pulpog, their best seller, (actually with the Parmesan fries sauce), is something I would go back for next time. The vinegar sauce isnt over powering. The Aaahdobo was also good. We ended the dinner with the Eton Mess for dessert. The mango was a bit sour though. Overall though I would definitely go back when I crave for comfort food.

Kuya J's is to the Philippines what Applebee's is to the states. If you're looking for Filipino…read morecuisine at a chain restaurant, Kuya J's is the place to go. Served family style or as individual meals, Kuya J's is a comfortable place to eat a hearty meal of some traditional dishes. In most restaurants, the waitstaff is attentive, but they also don't come around much to check on the table. It's more customary to wave one of the waitstaff down if you need something. They are always at the ready when you ask.

i gave you so many chances, i went several restaurants , deferent areas.. but, all the foods are…read moreprepared the same way, meaning need to step up.. and no matter what time you dine in they always have an item are not available.. example no halo- halo in the middle of afternoon , you guys need to make sure what you have on your menu are always available. the staff are always nice .. no doubt about it. i have to give you up Kuya J. couse' " J" now for me its a " JOKE "

Planet Grapes is currently one of the places I'm raving about…read more We were looking for a Filipino restaurant for around 15 people. We also wanted to take out a few foreigners for dinner. I tried looking around. Based on Planet Grapes' ratings, I suggested them. I was happy everyone else agreed. We went here on a Friday evening. I arrived a lot earlier and hung around first. I got to meet the manager. She was very nice and she conversed with me for a bit. They also didn't pressure me into ordering right away since they knew I was early and I was waiting for everyone else. When everyone arrived we ordered. We were all VERY HAPPY with our food that we just had to pass our dishes around and let everyone else try it. This was my first time to experience a restaurant where everyone was happy with what they ordered. My friend and I also purchased a reloadable card for the wine dispenser. We had a lot of fun trying different kinds of wine together with all the things we ordered. My experience was so good in Planet Grapes that I went back 2 days after and had dinner here with my family. My family absolutely enjoyed their food too. In 2 days, I got to try the following dishes: Chicharon with Tinapa Dip, PG Super Sisig, Chorizo Burger, Beef Tapa, Chicken BBQ, Chicken & Pork Adobo, Organic BBQ Pork Spare Ribs, Organic Pork Chop, Adobo Rice, and their Choco Collision. The Chicharon with Tinapa Dip was very interesting. Who would have thought chicharon went well with a tinapa dip. It was a very good and new twist to your usual chicharon. I enjoyed the Chorizo Burger as it was a very rich and flavorful chorizo patty. It was served with an egg too. I found it to be pretty filling as well. The Chicken BBQ is not your ordinary Filipino-style bbq. It was a bit spicy but the heat was really good with it. I absolutely loved it with the Adobo Rice. The Adobo Rice on its own was absolutely delicious! I even have plans of going to Planet Grapes for Adobo Rice and Wine. Hahahaha! If you want to share a dish, the Organic BBQ Pork Spare Ribs is a good choice. The meat was very tender and it practically fell off the bones. The sauce is rich and has a different impact from your normal bbq sauce. Not sure what they put in it but it's really good. We ordered this with Adobo Rice as well but it completely overpowered the rice. It pairs well with Garlic Rice. The Choco Collision, their version of a choco lava cake, was good. Not too sweet and the gooey chocolate the oozes out was delicious. Each bite I took made me want more! This place really left me raving about it. The food, the adventure of finding wine you like, the service, and the ambiance, all really gave me a very good experience of Planet Grapes. I also absolutely love how they made use of wine bottles for their chandeliers, used the cork for their napkin holders, and the wine bottle bottoms for decor by their bar.

I went to Planet Grapes for dinner with my Uncle. I had heard about it from my sister and…read morebrother-in-law, they told me they ate here a few times while they were on vacation. Planet Grapes is located at Shangri-La Plaza. It's interior is really nice and modern. You order your food on these tablets which is cool. I got a glass of their Paco Garcia red wine from Spain, it tasted pretty good and had great flavor to it. You can order the amount of alcohol you want to, I forgot the exact sizes but it was something like a sip, half glass, full glass or whole bottle. The was pretty cool since they don't really offer those options in the U.S. It makes it convenient if you want to go wine tasting and try out several options. For my meal, I ordered the Zucchini Penne Telephono Pasta. It tasted just alright. My uncle ordered the Fish and Chips and he enjoyed his food. Maybe next time I come back I'll just order a few wines and a cheese board. Great place to get your wine fix in the Philippines!

Food was absolutely delicious. Had to stop here because our initial restaurant choice was closed. I…read moreloved how they had parking. Especially in the Philippines it can be hard to find parking. It was located conveniently behind the restaurant. There was great service and they made sure we got our correct order as there was 14 of us. My favorite was sinigang and the tapsilog. There was also a good amount of people there for the time of how early we were there. Very delicious and would totally go again!

This was my first meal in Manila. GoodAh! is open 24 hours, which is very convenient. At first, I…read morethought that the food here was extremely cheap, but after visiting other restaurants, I learned that the price was pretty average for this type of restaurant. We ordered at the counter, they gave us a number, and we sat ourselves. The staff then brought us our food when it was ready. We got the sinigang with bangus, grilled liempo (pork belly), sisig, pork chop, and some not so crispy pata (pork knuckle). The sinigang with bangus is a tamarind soup which featured a fried milkfish. Interesting combination I had yet to have. The various pork dishes were all OK in their own right, but I did not like the sauces on the liempo or pork chop. Unfortunately, the crispy pata was not crispy. It seemed like it was marinated in adobo before being fried, which gave it good flavor but kept it soggy. There are better places to eat in Manila for this price, although the AC was nice and strong here.

I've heard so many good stories about Rodic's but never really got the chance to dine here…read more Luckily, on a spontaneous Wednesday, my boss decided to take us to the U.P institution. Okay, so this branch wasn't really located inside the university campus, but close enough! So I had to order the tapsilog that everyone was raving about. First bite was yummy. Second bite was better. Third bite was even more delicious. I usually prefer tocino over tapa but this was clearly different. This hole-in-the-wall offered shavings of tapa marinated in a spectacular sauce. Their garlic rice was also yummy especially paired with their perfectly cooked fried egg. I found myself eating here again after two weeks because I was craving for their tapa dish yet again. Maybe I should try their original branch next time to see for myself how this famous tapsilog restaurant really started.

Rodic's is pretty much an institution since they've been a staple of the UP-Diliman community for…read moreover 50 years. You know you've made it as an establishment when you're included in trivia contests for freshmen every year, and Rodic's is clearly a permanent fixture in those events. It's a hole-in-the-wall diner, and you could easily say it's the city's most popular carinderia. Once you've eaten their tapsilog, you are bound to have that experience seared in your memory forever. PROS: Tapsilog with the tapa shredded a la floss on top of your sinangag and then topped with an egg. Mix it all together and let it take you to your happy place; Their other options, like the beef estofado and pork caldereta are a must-try too; Quick and efficient staff. CONS: It may be air conditioned, but somehow it's always so hot in there; Lunch or dinner rush makes the attendants occasionally forget the food you've ordered; Not what you could say a squeaky clean joint. TL;DR: You miss mommy's or lola's food and you want to stuff yourself sick for lunch or dinner. Let Rodic's soothe those yearnings.

Bagnet. Bagnet. Bagnet. It does bring childhood memories even though my parents NEVER fed me with…read morebagnet because they claimed it's not fresh whatever but I was able to taste them whenever I go to parties and fiestas in Vigan. Bagnet is a big solid piece of pork belly that is fried and refried...again,until every layer of the pig fatty part turns super crispy. It is a little bit similar to lechon but not the same. Not even close. I was at the door by 11 because they're supposed to open at 11 and oh I forgot it's "Filipino time" so I had to wait for another 15 mins.The staff were so apologetic and claimed,"It's Saturday". I didn't know what it meant really. About 10 of us were waiting for the same early lunch purpose. I ordered San Mig light and water and this nice young server recommended the kare kare bagnet for a first timer. I could have gotten the original but it's good the meat was not buried in kare kare sauce. Lunch special is a good choice for small-portion eater and that included a cup of rice and a small bowl of beef broth. Note:it was a real broth and not from the can or powder. On top of that,I opted for the okra salad and it was really cooked deliciously and perfectly with the sweet and salty bagoong(shrimp paste). I was impressed with the interior. I liked it a lot. They have all these vintage decors and furnitures. The staff were super nice and attentive. They had a guard that helped me get a cab and assist diners park their cars. Minus 1 star for my waiting time.Just because I value punctuality.

The Ilocos double-fried pork dish called Bagnet has made its mark in Manila over the last decade or…read moreso. But finding a place that serves the authentic Ilocos taste is surprisingly difficult. Check out 8065 Bagnet and you don't just get the original taste, you can have it 6 different ways. This artsy hole-in-the wall is owned by Allan Nadal (older brother to singer Kitchie Nadal). Whether you're into the sweet peanut sauce of Kare-kare or the spicy sisig, the salty binagoongan version, it stays true to the crispy, fatty favorite. The other versions include dinuguan, curry and spicy gata. The kare-kare version is my personal choice. The sweetness of the peanut sauce compliments that saltiness of the bagnet. You should also try their pastillas and their cinnamon roll. Great desserts after a great meal. This place in 8065 Estrella Street is often full for lunch, so plan to go early. They have orders that are good for two or individual budget meals. I prefer the budget meals when eating there with a group so you could really taste everything. I love everything about this place - the homey feel and the lovely decadent food.