Eating in Manila

Written by Viator, October 2012

RECOMMENDATION Keywords:
Cultural Experience, Good Place to Drink, Good Place to Eat, Popular with Locals, Tip - What to See & Do

One of the tough decisions to make while in the Philippine capital is deciding where to grab a decent bite -- not for lack of decent establishments, but by having to narrow them down. For a town that just ten years ago had little appeal in the way of good eats, Manila has taken a positive turn and is well on its way to becoming a dining mecca.

For great native dishes that also go well with a western palate, first and foremost try everything that comes off a Philippine grill. Marinated for days, spiced fish, chicken and pork can be grilled to a variety of specifications. On West Avenue, Grill Talk offers local favorites featuring garlic, pepper and soy sauce marinades (to name a few) that taste and smell wonderful.

If you are not up for barbeque, most local restaurants will have the following favorites. A bit sour, you will be surprised by the sinigang na hipon (sour soup with shrimp), fried lumpia (a variation of fried spring rolls) or a more basic palabok (simple noodles and egg).

There are also a number of local desserts, some purely in fruit form, such as locally grown mangoes, jackfruit, or fermented coconuts, or in a more exotic fashion -- such as buko salad, a mix of coconuts, fruit and delicious sweet cream.

As to not rule out any one restaurant, we recommend perusing the Rockwell neighborhood of Makati and the famous Bonifacio High Street in Metro Manila.

For the adventurous diner, there is one popular food, which, though quite delicious, is a little tough to swallow. Balut is a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled and eaten by sucking it out of the shell. Common street food in the Philippines, locals enjoy the bone-crunching texture and salty interior of this dish as a regular snack.

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All Eating in Manila Reviews

Reply by Viator, February 2013
Doing what: Cultural Dance Show with Dinner in Manila

the experience was great but once again and this is typical for the hilippines I paid to much because I am a westener. My philippino bf got working and investigated if we would have booked locally through the pinoi connections we would have paid far less but that is the philipines all over.

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