I've had a lot of really good liempo in the last couple of years, but none of them as good as Mr…read more Liempo's version. They marinate it in some strong stuff so every bite is very tasty. The meat itself is tender and gives to bites easily so there's no struggle when you just want to relish really good pork pieces. What I really love about their liempo is how crazy crunchy they make the skin and how the fat melts in your mouth -- all without the taste of charred meat. Their lechon liempo is succulent and divine. It has the taste of lovely Cebu lechon with the feel of an Ilocos bagnet -- in the world of grilled pork that is really about as good as it gets. Don't forget to ask for their dipping sauce (vinegar with sugar, red peppers and onions.) It hits a home run every time!

Ok, ok. Mr. Liempo is part of a chain of charcoal broiled pork and chicken that can be found all…read moreover the metropolis. So what makes this one located at Russia street near corner Saudi Arabia, Better Living Subdivision, Paranaque City? There's even one located a few blocks away along the main thoroughfare of Dona Soledad Avenue. But here's the thing. My family loves liempo. And we've tried the other Mr. Liempo, as well as several other brands found in our neck of the woods. Believe it or not, there is a difference in taste. I know there isn't supposed to be. The whole point of having a chain of any food stall is the standardization of taste. But this isn't necessarily true. So we order from Mr. Liempo once a week on the average, either the whole chicken at P195 or a rack of liempo at P170. The place prides itself in being "Awarded as Most Trusted and Best Liempo of the Year 2012, 2013 and 2014." Fine with me, but they don't mention who gave them the award. Mr. Liempo also advertises itself as "bellyciously delicious!" I will not contest their claim. All I can say is that we will keep on buying Mr. Liempo on a regular basis for as long as we live in Better Living Subdivision. I give it the rare 5 stars.

If you like cardboard, this is the shiznit. Wedged in between two flat buns, a patty as flat as…read morecardboard should be able to satisfy your hunger. If you aren't satiated, no worries because you get another one! For just a little below Php30, you get two burgers because... buy one take one. If you aren't into flat burgers, The burger ng bayan offers a few more options like foot long hotdogs, cheeseburgers and even egg sandwiches for the ovo vegetarians. The only difference with this branch is its unpredictability. I'd go at any time, lunch, breakfast, merienda, early dinner and sometimes it would be so full I'd have to squeeze through just for the harassed cook / server to notice my waving hand. Sometimes, it would be absolutely empty that the cook would be bored out of her mind. And lately at times, it's been closed.

For those of delicate stomachs or who aren't used to the Filipino eating habits, street food in the…read morecountry may be a bit hard to swallow. However, there are various small stalls and fast food chains, and even convenience stores that manage to provide a "sanitized" version of local delicacies to the more discerning gut. One of them is Potdog. With a selection ranging from squid balls, shark fin siomai, crab meat on a stick, and other street delicacies, Potdog allows one to have a taste of the local Filipino dishes of the masses in the comfort of a shopping mall rather than in the streets with the cars and the jeeps and other modes of transportation giving one a feeling of caution that one shouldn't eat food there. Naturally, this isn't to say that the culture of the Filipinos is "dirty"; no, that is just how we manage to eat our meals in the busy life of the city, but this is to highlight that for those foreigners or young Filipinos who want to sample such delicacies without leaving for the streets also have the alternative to have them served in a more sterile manner, a trend which is growing in various shops and stores all over the country. So try Potdog if you feel your stomach is too sensitive for the real thing; it's cheap and clean and certainly makes you feel like you're part of the street culture.

Tuwing nadadaan kami ng kaibigan kong mahilig sa street food sa Potdog, hindi pwedeng hindi kami…read morehihinto at hindi siya bibili. Ganoon na lang siguro siya naaakit sa dami ng pagpipiliang 'tusok-tusok' na mas susyal ng kaunti sa karaniwang fishballs, siomai, at kikiam sa kalsada. Idagdag mo pa ang iba't-ibang klase ng sauce na pwedeng sawsawan. Hindi lang siguro ang kaibigan ko, pero karamihan sa ating mga Pilipino ay nakahiligan na ang ganitong klase ng pagkain lalo na sa kalsada. Tiyak na Potdog ang isa sa mga unang papasok sa isip na kainan kung nagahahanap ng street food sa loob ng mall. Bukod sa mga 'tusok-tusok' ay mayroon na rin mga rice meals (siomai rice) dito na nagkakahalagang P50.00 hanggang P80.00 kada order, yung iba ay may drinks na rin. Mayroon na rin mga snack pack tulad ng cirspy squid at potato wedges kaya siguradong mapapatambay at mapapafoodtrip ka talaga dito.

It was my former boss and good friend who introduced me to this food kiosk that sells dumpling and…read morerice combos. Since then, Paotsin has become my inexpensive source that will satisfy my dumpling cravings. As Paotsin stalls are constant fixtures in leading supermarkets, we can conveniently enjoy our usuals right after doing the groceries. I would always have the Steamed Sharksfin with Hainanese Rice and order fresh buko juice to go with it. My husband would often get the fried version of my meal and sometimes add a bowl of the same dumpling with Laksa soup. Once, I tried having Lemak rice with my steamed dumplings but realized that I prefer Hainanese over it. I would sometimes get steamed Crab Wanton or its fried variety as they taste better with my rice. I don't get to enjoy the crab dumplings that often because they get sold out whenever I dropped by. If you haven't tried it yet, grab a meal at Paotsin to get a taste of their dumplings, Asian Chicken and Tzipao.

I'm a big fan of coconut water, coloquially known as buko juice, because I find that there is…read morenothing more refreshing than ice-cold coconut water - hopefully fresh from the shell - on a sweltering summer day. I usually buy a cup everytime I see a vendor on the street, but this sometimes ends in disaster (read: diarrhea) so I was genuinely happy when I found out about Buko Loco. I actually met the owner, who also owns Fruitas, when we introduced them to an investor who wanted to bring their brand abroad. Hooray for Filipino ingenuity and entrepreneurship!

Coconut water, or more commonly known as buko juice, is one of the most popular beverages here in…read morethe Philippines. Not only is it refreshing, it's also really healthy. They are often sold by street vendors who cut them open with machetes in front of customers. Its sweet and salty taste makes it different from other drinks out there. I used to love Buko juice as a kid, but when I experienced Diarrhea (ewww) after buying buko juice from a street vendor near our subdivision, I just stopped. Ever since then I started hating any juice or shake that has the word coconut in it, but everything changed when I first tried Buko Loco. Buko Loco came from the developers of Fruitas. Just like Fruitas, Buko Loco added a twist to your typical coconut water. You can add pandan, milk, and caramel to your buko juice to make it more interesting and flavorful. With the scorching heat this summer, one big gulp of Buko Loco's buko shakes will definitely make you feel cold and refreshed for the rest of the day.

There are sooo many takoyaki stalls in Manila now and most are actually watered down versions of…read morethe Osakan street food favorite, but a few of the stalls hit some good marks, like "Takuyaki"! This stall sells a Filipinized version of the dish but it's still delicious in itself. Instead of the diced octopus from the original dish, this one has bits of squid (maybe it's cheaper) and assorted vegetable shreds cooked in batter, but in the same signature round balls. Then it's topped with a sweet or spicy sauce, mayonnaise, and some chicken/fish/pork floss as toppings. There's no Japanese mayo, green onions, or bonito flakes, but it works! It's great that this Takuyaki stall also makes fairly big sized takoyaki balls as compared to the others in the market and the filling is really "siksik." It's one of those great easy yummy snacks for when you're waiting around in a mall. Easy on the pocket too!

I'm a big believer in snacking. We always have food of some sort at home, and I think it's healthy…read moreto eat and keep your metabolism going every three hours. Though I've only just recently learned to stop eating after dinner at eight pm, it's been working well for me so far. That said, it can be a difficult thing sometimes to find something that's nutritious and good to eat so I try a lot of things sometimes when I'm in a mall or on the go someplace, and thus I got to try Plato Wraps. It's actually a pretty simple idea behind their food--just a press-toasted tortilla folded in half with some form of savory filling inside it. It's basically a sandwich with a "twist," I guess? It's not ingenious at all, but on the whole, it's pretty okay. I have a dislike of mayo, though I can take it when it's a sandwich spread, and the ones they use with their fillings are good enough to take away from that mayo taste.I think the major thing going for them health-wise is that they actually include a little veg into their small meal, which I think is great enough, and they actually have a completely veggie option too.

Plato Wraps has such as strange name because they don't actually serve wraps. They serve cheap but…read moregood panini. For P60, you can get one that is filled with some savory things like ham & cheese or chunky chicken. They come in two sizes: medium and big. The panini itself is thin but holds up well to the amount of filling they put. I like that it becomes crisp when they heat it up. They say they bake their own wraps, so that must be why these don't taste like the commercial ones you'd find in a supermarket. Their wraps are available in regular, pesto or wheat. Get wheat if you want the healthier option. It's great for a quick snack that's pretty easy to eat. I just hope they come out with new and more exciting flavors because they already have the good base panini, they just need to really make a big push for innovation to get more customers to try the food. Maybe introduce some Mexican flavors with pulled pork or add another vegetarian option with roasted eggplant? The day they come out with edgier flavors, I'd be one of the first in line to try it.

This a Barkada choice to start…read more Happy Tables upgrades the growing market for food parks to a restaurant level quality food, happily categorising themselves as a restaurant park. True enough they do deliver on that promise and the only aspect they haven't fulfilled is the air-conditioning, which is actually in the works, but not as immediate as I would imagine. Shawarma Pizza (318 PHP) A 12 inch pizza topped with their homemade sauce and generous topping of cheese, veggies and ground meat. The dough is soft and is thick enough to hold hefty toppings. A great choice for an appetiser while waiting for your food or friends to arrive.