Rocha's puto is really special and delicious. Actually it is one of my favorite places to get puto…read morein the world. The puto is chewy and cheesy. I could probably eat a whole box in one sitting. If you are in Marikina, I highly recommend buying a box or two! Next time I'm in Marikina this is a must visit for me.

First day of school. You will expect the students to talk about academic issues. But, surprise,…read moreRocha's Puto at Kutsinta made its way into the conversation. My classmate asked me where I was from and I answered Marikina. Quickly, she remarked: "I've been there. Dumayo kami to try Rocha's Puto and Kutsinta. You're famous for that, di ba?" And all the while I was thinking Marikina was famous for shoes! But, maybe, the palate makes a greater impact on the memory than the feet. Oh well, this is one time I am happy to be wrong. The puto of Rocha's is really quite good. Flavorful but not overly sweet. Soft and fluffy and never buhaghag. This rice cake from Rocha's is becoming a staple at meals served for family celebrations. So, next time, if you are going to a potluck party, you now have more options than just spaghetti, pancit or pizza. Visit Marikina and buy Rocha's Puto and Kutsinta. Marikina, the puto and kutsinta capital of the Philippines? Not bad.

Bringing home a pasalubong is very important in the Philippine culture. Your pasalubong need not be…read moresomething very big and expensive. It can be as cheap and simple as snacks and delicacies that one can munch on during merienda. Samu't Sari specializes in these products, allowing you to give a pasalubong anytime, anyday. Peanut kisses, lengua de gato, adobong mani, fish crackers, chicharon, Ilocos chicacorn, polvoron, pastillas, tart, peanut brittle, pili nuts, shingaling... Truly, this store brings to the city a taste of several provinces! No need to sit on a bus for hours to go to Baguio to have some peanut brittle. No need to ride a plane to fly in an airplane or board a ferry to have your share of pili nuts. Go to Samu't Sari where you can buy delicacies from different provinces in one go! My advice: Buy a significant amount of several items from this store and you can have your snacks for several days or even weeks covered.

Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of kakanin (sticky rice). Even though it's the Filipino dessert and…read moreit comes in a variety of styles and flavors, I just never got around to really liking it. I'd eat it, yes, but I wouldn't normally crave for it on a random day. But there is one kakanin I've been used to eating every since I was a kid - kalamay (rice cake with sweet coconut puree on top). And it's all because of Aling Kika's. Aling Kika's is a specialty food shop near our place. Ever since I could remember, my mom would bring home a box of kalamay. When she's looking for something Pinoy to give to our relatives, this is her go-to food item and she would always bring home one for the family. What is so good with Aling Kika's kalamay is how tasty it is. The sticky rice topped with latik (sweet coconut puree) is delicious when fresh from the refrigerator or when heated up in the microwave. It's sweet and filling, perfect with a some tea or a cup of Joe! Other than their kalamay, may second favorite food item from Aling Kika's would be their peanut butter spread. Although packaged under Aling Kika's daughter, Mely, their peanut butter just ranks so high up my list Lily's, Skippy's or any other peanut butter brand will never be able to measure up. Mely's Peanut Butter is so good, it doesn't last that very long in the house. It's sweet, chewy and packed with peanut flavour - it's the best spread ever, believe me! Other than those two, Aling Kika's also sell their version of coco jam, leche flan, halayang ube and anything you will ever need to create your own halo-halo. A trip to Aling Kika's may be quite challenging especially if you are not familiar with the place. But it's definitely worth it!

The best puto in town and probably the whole country!!! Soooo good, melts in your mouth. I eat it…read morelike peanuts.

Bought a couple of stuff here. The suman pinipig with buko is excellent. Highly recommended…read more However, I've tasted better puto pao, puto and pichi pichi. Staff is pleasant.

I wanted to experience a wet market, or palengke, in the Philippines. I've seen too many episodes…read moreon the Travel Channel of people in other countries at outdoor markets to not want to experience it. My cousin also told me that a scene from Bourne Legacy was filmed here. Some of my other cousins are disgusted by the palengke because it smells like fresh fish and meat and it's hot. Don't be a sissy if you're coming here. You will see butchered meat and fish right in front of you. There are stalls for anything and everything ranging from uncooked rice to eggs to seafood to vegetables to clothes to cooked food. It seemed as though most stalls had a specialization. The rice stall had so many varieties of rice. The eggs had so many cartons of eggs stacked above my head. The banana stall had millions of bananas. The seafood or poultry stalls had all parts of the animal butchered and displayed. It was amazing. Next door is a malengke that sells clothes, backpacks, shoes, and most of whatever else you can find in a swap meet in America. I wish I had the opportunity to eat freshly cooked food at one of the cooking stalls but it was getting hot in there. It was already uncomfortably warm at 10 am. A good time to go is early early in the morning before it gets too hot since it's an outdoor market with no air conditioning. Don't go here alone because if you're a foreigner and if you don't know how to blend in with the locals, then you'll stand out to them and the poorer ones might beg and follow you around. I went with locals so even though some people could tell I was a foreigner, no one bothered me. But they do stare. Gosh, one guy almost cut off his own fingers while butchering the meat and staring at me. Get used to people staring at you while you're in the Philippines.

Is there any item you are looking for that is not available in this people's market? Probably not…read more Chances are you will find it in one of the innumerable stalls that form part of this complex. Vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, eggs, native delicacies, spices and condiments of any kind, seaweeds, shellfish, kitchen wares, plastics, footwear, clothes. Name it! The Marikina Public Market has it. As a tribute to its versatility, this public market is often quoted in radio reports about market prices for the day. Fortunately, these goods and products come at affordable prices, too! This market is really quite big that you can make your entry into it from various points of the city. You can enter it from the riverside, from Sumulong Highway, from Shoe Avenue, and from W. De la Paz. There may be some difficulty at first but, as soon as you get accustomed walking around the area, you can navigate your way through the intersecting streets.

Michelle's Putong Ube is definitely a must try ESPECIALLY when it's FRESH. When it's not, the taste…read moreand texture really change. One time, I bought Michelle's Putong Ube from a reseller, not directly from the shop and I found the puto to be less tasty and drier than usual. I really have a hard time choosing which one my favorite is. I like the ube and I like the cheese. Well now I don't have to choose anymore because they just made the best thing ever - ube puto with small cheese squares on top. Omg. This is like a gamechanger. Two amazing things in one. I ALWAYS get this now. Other flavors they have: Putong Ube, Putong Queso, Putong Pandan and Putong Mascobado

Super fresh meats, fish and seafood and chicken. Also vegetables are very fresh with a great…read moreselection. Prices are fair and competitive. A fairly clean wet market. Cooked foods and desserts are very good to great.

One of the cleanest markets that I've been to that is situated in metro manila specifically in…read moreQuezon City. I love how they cater to different needs of the buyers. But I love their food stalls the one facing Dapitan Arcade. This is where I buy big bilaos of California maki at a very affordable price. Their small bilao will cost P200-300 good for family size and the biggest bilao ranges from P750-800 only and can feed almost 25 people. There are also some stalls selling Filipino dishes and kakanin good for to go. The only that's hassle is here is when during peak hours it is hard to find parking because of traffic and a portion of the lot is allotted to shuttle services. The best time to come in is 10AM after all the hustle and bustle are done and all the food stores are open.

This new place just opened a few weeks ago, but has been quite popular in the area already! There's…read morealways a lot of people, considering how simple the food is. It's literally street food, so expect your favorite isaw and kwek-kwek but at a bit of a higher price. Cos duh it's not actually from the street haha. Not too expensive though! And you're sure it's clean hehe. You get to enjoy the really nice interiors while you're at it. They have popular street/snack foods from other countries too like your malaysian satay, japanese yakitori, mexican nachos, thai "pok-pok" wings... Could have more adventurous stuff though. I'd love for them to adapt those streetside kebabs from queens in new york!! Or have actual persian kebabs, haha. Here's hoping they expand the menu! Promising little place. Worth a visit when you're in Lilac! Drop by here after shopping at Empire upstairs. ;)

I've been waiting for this restaurant to open for a few weeks now and when they finally did, I was…read morenot disappointed. They boasted of having the freshest ulo-ulo in town so naturally the first thing I ordered was an oldie book goody: sinigang na salmon. The order was good for around 2-3 people (depends on how much you eat). The fish tasted very fresh and well-cooked. I'd also like to point out that they actually used sampaloc instead of the typical broths which was just a real hole-in-one for me. I also tried their seafood lumpia - which is basically a tuna wrap but it tasted really good! Despite the enormous sign in front of the resto, the place itself is quite quaint. It adds to the home-y feel of the place - sort of like coming home and finding out your mom's cooked your favorite dish! Check 'em out now! You won't be disappointed!

If you love eating fish then this place will fulfill your fish cravings. Great service. They served…read moreus a sago drink but it tasted different from how sago should taste like. Although the cups were cute, I might consider an alternative drink. The food came out at a fair time. The atmosphere and interior design of the restaurant was clean and classy. Definitely great for parties of more than one.

Got the Hokkaido mix…read more Amazing. Just order that. You'll be happy. Seriously everything they offer here is too expensive but more than worth it. My advice, sneak as many samples first then get more than you need to buy so that you can share with people you'd die for.