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.

We were hoping to eat at a well-known barbecue joint on a Monday afternoon. After going through…read moremaze-like traffic in the metro, we got there only to find out that it was closed. We were nearly hopeless, 'til we saw a barbecue stall with a pretty good number of people waiting to get their turn at picking their orders. We parked immediately and waited for our turn. The barbecue man Mang Crom enthusiastically took a plate and handed it to us when it was our turn. For PhP99, my sister and I got 1 pork barbecue, 1 hotdog, 4 chicken intestines, 2 pig intestines, and 1 pig's ear. We took a seat at one of the tables between the several stores and waited for our order. Aside from the tender and tasty barbecued items, I liked the steady, relaxed vibe and it somehow reenergized us for our drive home.

He's located at the corner of the other "popular" bbq joint but Kuya Crom is where its really at!…read moreStarted off as a little stand by the tree and developed his way into a real BBQ stop! Awesome, personality and he's the only one cooking them at its finest. No other workers for him to cook which truly shows his passion in what he does. Ask for extra sauce, it's free unlike other places nearby.

I never really thought much of Daang Hari until a relative told me about a trunk sale happening…read morethere every weekend. So we decided to check it out and it has been one of our favorite hang out places ever since. There was nothing very special about the trunk sale; most the items being sold were the usual things you'd see in a bazaar, and some second-hand items. But one time we found some really interesting, Amazon-level finds. The sellers change from time to time so it's best to just check it out. The food bazaar has merits. It's not as big as your Mercato or Salcedo market, but it's good enough for food trips. They sell various street foods and native delicacies. Hubby likes buying the all-meat Vigan Empanada, while I keep coming back for the super cheesy nachos (100 pesos for a big plate!) and fresh dalandan juice. If you're into pre-loved goods and food trips, drop by the Evia parking lot. They're there every weekend.

Definitely the best. Its worth every peso spent. TRY it.... and tell me If I am wrong.read more

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.

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!

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

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.