The choices to be had when it comes to street food in the Philippines are seemingly endless. While there may be a large selection for the more carnivorous diner, vegetarians have quite a few choices as well. So here is a list of my top 5 non-meaty street delicacies.

A street vendor grilling up a feast in Manila
Photo by Scott Allford

Coming in first place is a personal favourite of mine and an overall delicious snack or meryenda called Turon. This almost dessert-like snack is made from Cavendish bananas which are halved and then rolled in brown sugar. Then some jackfruit is added and it’s all rolled up in a spring roll wrapper. This little parcel of deliciousness is then fried in oil and some more brown sugar. There are also some different variations that I have discovered recently as well, one version has chocolate sauce injected into the centre and because you can never go wrong with bananas and ice cream, there is always turon al a mode. Prices vary, but you should be able to pick up some turon for around 10 pesos a roll.

Where you find turon you are pretty much guaranteed to find another tasty snack – Banana-cue. Banana-cue is like turon without the wrapper and jackfruit. Usually you will find it as two whole Cavendish bananas on a skewer. The bananas are friend and coated in brown sugar. These again can be picked up for around 10 pesos. Sadly, both turon and banana-cue tend to be more of a lunch time snack and disappear from the majority of street stalls once it gets dark.

Want a quick nibble on your way home? Then you can pick up some peanuts steamed in their shells or fried in oil. My favourites are the fried variety and they also come in chilli and garlic flavours, however, sometimes they can be a tad too salty. Depending on how many you get and how big the bag is they’ll cost you 5 – 10 pesos.

Boiled Peanuts
Photo by Scott Allford

Fried Peanuts
Photo by Scott Allford

Also if you’re on the run you can grab some Dirty Ice Cream. It sounds bad but it’s not really dirty. The name comes from the fact that it’s sold in little carts on the streets exposed to pollution and served without gloves. You can get it in a variety of unique flavours: ube(yam), queso (cheese), buko (coconut), and the usual chocolate or vanilla. You can stick with one flavour or mix it up. They also come in different cones: sugar cone, wafer cone, and I’ve even heard in bread buns. Prices will differ depending on how big your serving is.

Green Mangoes
Photo by Scott Allford

Lastly, we come to green mangoes which are not my absolute favourite because of their sour taste, but still quite delicious. These are simply unripe mangoes or Indian mangoes which are green in colour. They are usually cut in half and the seed is removed and then it is placed on a skewer. A generous helping of Bagoong (shrimp paste) is then applied and it’s ready to eat. You can pick up one slice for about 10 pesos.

All of these foods offer their own great tastes and with each street delicacy comes an interesting cultural experience that doesn’t usually get a mention in the in-flight magazines. So for your next meal, get outside to enjoy the sunny weather and grab some food from the street.

About to eat my first balut

The number one street food that the traveller will always be asked if they’ve tried by Filipinos would have to be balut. Eating Balut is an unofficial rite of passage for any traveller in the Philippines because when you tell a Filipino you have eaten balut you express that you are willing to experience Filipino culture. It took me quite a while to work up the courage to eat it as it sounds so disgusting. Balut is a boiled fertilised duck egg with a partially developed embryo inside. With my first balut I could see the beak and an eye socket but the second one had no distinguishable features. The way to eat it is to crack a hole in the shell, suck the juice out and then eat everything inside. I thought that the white of the egg would be the safe part but it’s really chewy, the best taste is actually the yolk and the chick, and you can feel the protein with every bite. You can find balut from street vendors for 10-20 pesos.

Delicious Kwek Kwek
Photo by Panlasang Pinoy

Another great street food surprise for me has to be kwek-kwek. This street delicacy is made from either chicken eggs or duck eggs which are coated in an orangey (food colouring) mixture of flour, baking powder, water, salt, and pepper then they are deep fried. After it has been deep fried you can eat it with vinegar, gravy, or with whatever sauce the vendor has. So get your kwek-kwek for 7-10 pesos. Tukneneng is the quail egg version of this snack and you will usually find 4 Tukneneng on a skewer for about 10 pesos.

Adidas
Photo by Scott Allford

Many Pinoy street foods have funny names which come from their shape or from what they are such as Helmet (fried chicken head), Adidas (chicken feet), or Walkman (barbecued pigs ears). A must try from these strangely named concoctions has to be Beta Max. This is curdled or dried chicken or pigs blood which is cut into little squares resembling a Beta Max tape. I’m not a big fan of eating blood as in the past I’ve had various types of boiled blood in other countries and it tasted like meaty chocolate mousse. Beta Max has a mild meaty taste but goes really well with vinegar or other sauces the vendors sell with it. I would definitely eat it again and for only 3 pesos a stick it’s not gonna break the bank.

Beta Max
Photo by Sidney Snoeck

On a side note, I have been warned about vendor’s sauces, while some vendors will dish up the sauce and give it to you, others simply have a jar filled with sauce that you dip your food into, however some people dip their food, then take a bite of their food and dip it in the sauce again. And we all know that no matter what country we are in we have to be careful sharing food with strangers if we haven’t had our vaccinations for Hepatitis.

Isaw
Photo by Scott Allford

Two of the most common foods you’ll find at street food stalls is Isaw, which is also called IUD (like the one used for contraception) and Squid/fish balls. Simply put, Isaw is barbecued chicken intestines on a skewer. I’ve had pig intestines in Korea and they we’re pretty bland but good with sauce and the same goes for Isaw. At about 5 pesos they make a good snack on the run. Squid balls or Fish balls are balls of squid/fish mixed with flour and a mix of other ingredients. They puff up when deep fried and like with most other Manila street foods they go great with the sauces on the vendor’s cart. They range from about 3-5 pesos each (Squid Balls) and 25 centavos a piece for Fish Balls.

In the Philippines I have travelled in luxury and I have also travelled as a backpacker. While eating great food in classy restaurants is nice, I have found that I have more memorable travel experiences when I eat what the locals eat where they eat it. Enjoying any of the street foods I have mentioned here is much more than a culinary experience as you get to interact with the people and experience what things are really like down at street level.

Part 2 of Philippine Street Food >

Lechon Cebu
Photo by 2rokbotoy

Starting off with one of the most famous and one of my personal favourites, in the Visayas on the island of Cebu you’ll find the super succulent Lechon Cebu. Recently Anthony Bourdain of Travel Channel show No Reservations fame commented on his love of Lechon Cebu, “It can now be said that of all the whole roasted pigs I’ve had all over the world, the slow roasted lechon I had on Cebu was the best.” And I would have to whole heartedly agree with him. Slowly roasted and turned for hours the meat is so succulent and the skin is super crispy. Be warned that the skin is the part favoured by many so be sure you get a piece before it’s all gone.

Heading over from Cebu to the Island of Negros a number of local delicacies await. First of all is the Famous Piaya which can be found at Bongbong’s Pasalubong Center in Bacolod City. It’s made with flakey wheat flour dough and stuffed with muscovado, and is kind of like the ultimate pop-tart. Another favourite which can be found all over the Philippines but originated in Negros is Chicken Inasal. It’s basically chicken marinated in a mix of vinegar, calamansi, garlic and annatto seeds. The chicken is put onto skewers and grilled and the smell that wafts from this delicious grilled chicken dish is amazing.

Ted’s La Paz Batchoy

Still in the Visayas but over in the Island of Panay in the city of Iloilo, make sure you stop by Ted’s La Paz Batchoy. While you can find branches of Ted’s in other locations around the Philippines, but the branch in Iloilo is the original and was started over 60 years ago in the La Paz market, Iloilo by Federico Guillergan, Sr. La Paz Batchoy is a noodle soup made with different variations of ingredients including: pork organs, crushed pork cracklings, shrimp, vegetables, chicken stock, chicken breast, beef loin and round noodles. It’s a really great meal for any time of the day and offers some really unique tastes.

Pastel Bread
Photo by Dave Ryan

Going south to Mindanao you will come across the island of Camiguin. While Camiguin is more famous for its lanzones fruit (which I didn’t like until I tried Camiguin Lanzones which were delicious), I fell in love with their pastel bread. This sweet bread with a gooey candied milk centre will win over any sweet tooth. Even though I do like my sweets, I could only eat a maximum of three in one sitting before my stomach was overwhelmed by the sugar in Pastel bread. They come in a variety of flavours but the original is a must have for any Camiguin visitor. While you can pick a box from the Benoni port or the Cagayan De Oro airport, you can also go right to the source and get a box in Mambajao, Camiguin.

Fresh Durian
Photo by Scott M. Allford

Finally in the province of Lanao Del Norte you can pick up a drink that you’ll never forget. In the city of Iligan you can pick up a delightfully sweet and flavourful Durian Shake from Iliganon. While many people have a hard time getting past the smell of durian (and it really does stink), the fruit itself is really tasty. It also seems that in Mindanao durian tastes better than anywhere else in the Philippines. The Durian shake is so sweet and super thick and Iliganon is a really good place to sit back, relax and enjoy.

Del Monte Golf Club meal with Pineapple Shake
Photo by Dave Ryan Buaron

For other famous foods in Mindanao you should make a trip into Bukidnon and the Del Monte Pineapple plantation. Here you will find some of the tastiest pineapples on the planet. At the Del Monte Golf Club in Manolo Fortich you can pick up a reasonably priced three course meal with a tasty pineapple shake. Also famous for food in Mindanao is the city of General Santos in the southern province of Sarangani. General Santos is known as the Tuna Capital of the Philippines and every September they have a Tuna Festival with a Tuna Culinary Contest where delicious tuna treats can be tasted by all.

While this is only a small sample of all the different foods you will encounter while travelling around the Philippines, they’re my favourites. I’m sure that on my future travels around these regions, new taste sensations which will truly delight the senses await. But in the end a great thing about the Philippines is that at the end of a long days travel, it’s really good to know that you can sit down to a truly delicious meal which is familiar yet exotic at the same time.

My first attempt at Pork Adobo
Photo by Scott Allford

The most common Filipino dish actually has Spanish roots. And every household in the country has its own version. Of course I’m talking about Adobo. This mix of bay leaves, vinegar, and soy sauce comes in so many different varieties and variations it’s impossible to list them all here. Out of the main three (Pork, Chicken, and Squid Adobo) Pork Adobo would have to be my favourite. Every kitchen has its own spin on this dish and you’ll be able to taste them all over the Philippines. In my house we do a gourmet version and add muscovado (raw sugar), Worcestershire Sauce, rosemary and thyme. So delicious!

Ilocos Norte Empanada
Photo by Dave Ryan Buaron

Heading to Northern Luzon, I had heard about the delicious taste of Empanadas in Ilocos Norte and was not let down. Inside is a mixture of egg, shredded vegetables and longganiza inside deep fried thin pastry pockets. The best thing to complement an Ilocos Norte Empanada is to dip it in a little Sukang Iloco (Ilocos vinegar), the taste is amazing. The best places to get your Empanadas are at Dap-ayan in Laoag City and Glory’s Empanada in Batac City, Ilocos Norte.

Bagnet
Photo by Dave Ryan Buaron

While in Ilocos do yourself a favour and pick up some Bagnet. This deep-fried pork is full of artery clogging goodness. It is possible to get bagnet in Manila but as it originates from Ilocos then that’s the most authentic (and cheapest) place to get some.

While still in the far north of Luzon, I would like to mention the delicious Pinikpikan chicken dish you can find in Sagada, Mountain Province. However, for this dish, the chicken is beaten with a stick to bring blood to the surface and apparently improve the flavour. I had already eaten Pinikpikan before I fully understood how the meal was prepared and felt really sorry for eating my delicious lunch.

Boneless Bangus
Photo by lizza22

After enjoying the tastes of Ilocos you can continue south through La Union to the province of Pangasinan. Famous for the Hundred Islands this province is also famous for its food, the best of which has to be Broiled Boneless Bangus. Bangus (Milkfish) is the national fish of the Philippines, it’s not an overpowering fishy taste and not too heavy. In Pangasinan they can fry up some bangus for you that is so delicious that it will be a meal you won’t soon forget. The crispy fish breaks apart and melt in your mouth and is a true delight in every bite. There are many good places to pick up some broiled Boneless Bangus in Pangasinan, but a good place we stumbled across was right by the departure point to the Hundred Islands National Park at Lucap wharf. Before you leave Pangasinan don’t forget to buy the local sticky rice and coconut treat called Tupig. It’s kind of like the Bounty bars we get in Australia without the chocolate.

Sizzling Sisig
Photo by d2digital

Heading south-west another famous dish you will find in many places in Central Luzon is Sisig. Sisig is made from parts of a pig’s head and liver, soaked in vinegar and then seasoned with calamansi (native lime) and chilli. This delicious dish in its current style, was invented in Angeles City, Pampanga back in 1974 by Lucia Cunanan. So the best place to get a good taste of this tasty treat is at Aling Lucing’s restaurant in Angeles City, Pampanga. Either that or you can attend the annual Sisig Festival held in Pampanga in December.

Buko Pie
Photo by (o.0)

South of Manila in the Province of Laguna you will come across the delicious Buko Pie. Every time I pass through this province I have to pick up at least one. It is buko (coconut meat) strips in a pie. Not overly sweet or too savoury it is the perfect after dinner treat. The best place to get your Buko Pie from is the numerous Collette’s roadside stores. There are other brands but I think Collette’s are the best.

Bulalo
Photo by emilgp

Next to Laguna is the province of Batangas and here you can find the delicious Bulalo. This delicious beef, bone marrow and vegetable soup will satiate any hunger (also good cure for a hangover as I discovered once). You can find Bulalo in many different restaurants and malls across the Philippines but the best place is Leslie’s in Tagaytay, Batangas. There are other branches of Leslie’s where you can also pick up a huge serving of this dish for a good price.

Bicol Express
Photo by vancouvergirl

Heading over to Southeast Luzon you’ll come to the Bicol region. And the number one must have meal to have here is Bicol Express. Rumoured to be named from the train journey between Manila and Bicol this dish is made from coconut milk, shrimp paste or stockfish, onion, pork, garlic with a generous portion of spicy chillies and is slightly Malaysian in taste, but better. Sadly, you may have to search far and wide to find a good version of this famous dish. We found a really good one at Mrs. Doyet Garcia’s Lutong Bahay, a small eatery on Mercedes Road in Daet, Camarines Norte. Also while you’re in Bicol don’t forget to pick up some super yum Pili nuts from any of the roadside stalls.

After travelling from North Luzon right down into Southeastern Luzon and eating these delectable dishes along the way you will have gotten a good snapshot of the amazing tastes this island has to offer. Although there are more dishes I could mention this is a good start for any traveler and I don’t want to spoil your surprise when you discover other mouthwatering meals along the way.

Photo by eehgow

For the uninitiated, Manila is the epitome of urban chaos – the image that is always projected on the world’s TV screens. But like the Philippines, Manila is a place that is meant to be discovered- its true beauty hidden under several thick layers of years of colonial rule, turbulent politics, and national self-doubt. For people like me who have lived in this great city for quite a significant amount of time, Manila will always be a place I hate and love as passionately as the other. A relationship that one can only tag as, well, complicated. When I say Manila here, I refer to the thriving metropolitan area of about 19 Million people scattered in 17 cities and municipalities that composes the National Capital Region.

Being naturally at the crossroads of the East and the West, Manila offers one of the most vibrant, yet, underrated nightlife and the most varied cuisines in the entire Asia-Pacific. It does not come as a surprise that one can have a Filipino regional breakfast, a Malaysian lunch, and a German dinner in one day. The following list is just among one of my most favorite and highly recommended hidden gems for the traveling gourmand.

Som’s Noodle House

5921 Alger Street
Poblacion, Makati City
+63.2.757.8079
This unassuming Thai eatery along the margins of the swanky Rockwell in Makati serves the most delectable, no-frills, cheapest and most authentic Thai dishes in Manila. Dining al-fresco or inside its tiny air-conditioned room – this is not a place where one needs to dress up for an evening date although the succession of diplomatic-plated cars and BMWs parked along the street reflects the level of Thai dishes served here. I was never a big fan of Thai cuisine, which I thought pretentious and overhyped and undeserving of the haute cuisine status that most people accord it to be. Som’s Green Curry and its Bagoong Rice – (Rice sautéed in shrimp paste and served with strips of scrambled eggs, slivers of green mango and tapas) tells like it is: simple and really good. I don’t need an orchid on my plate or a dancing katoey to serve my Thai food.

Ziggurat Cuisine

Cor. Tigris & Euphrates Streets
Poblacion, Makati
+63.2.897.5179
www.zigguratcuisine.com
Tucked in the seedy streets of Makati’s red light district is Ziggurat Cuisine – home to excellent Indian, Mediterranean, African and Middle Eastern cuisine. The streets’ names where it was located are quite uncanny (Tigris and Euphrates are the two main rivers of Iraq) and the acronym for the cuisines that they serve is IMAM – a reference to an Islamic holy man. From Ethiopian Breads to Afghani Rice and Chicken Tikka Masala – the menu is extensive with explanations to its origins and ample description of the dish itself. While we prefer to dine al-fresco but, Ziggurat has dreamy, harem-inspired interiors – the lush Mesopotamian décor complements the sinfully exotic and insane flavors of its food. For the unwelcome notoriety of its immediate vicinity where respect flies out of the window, Ziggurat establishes itself as a place of cuisine respectability as the food connoisseurs’ destination for quality international cuisine.

Salcedo Weekend Market

Salcedo Village Carpark (inside Jaime Velasquez Park)
Salcedo Village, Makati

Salcedo Village Carpark is ground zero for international cuisine and organic produce in Makati. Started in 2004 with a few stalls, the Salcedo Weekend Market grew to become an exciting destination for budding cosmopolitan culinary adventurers. Once a hush-hush secret amongst Makati’s well-heeled from the nearby posh villages of Bel-Air and Urdaneta- the Salcedo Weekend Market became a place to find the most authentic international and mostly homemade dishes that you can find in the entire Philippines. From Portuguese seafood delights, to Turkish baklavas, to French crepes made by a chef from Bretagne, France to tasty Spanish Paellas and German wursts to name a few from the Eurozone. Asian staples such as satays, rendang and laksa from Indonesia and Malaysia, Kimchi from Korea, Hong-Kong style dimsum, Indian shawarmas are not to be left out, also a decent sushi and maki spread represents the Japanese. Homemade traditional Filipino recipes from the different regions of the country are well-represented – the Lechon Cebu that food guru Anthony Bourdain loves, the extra-spicy Bicol Express and fresh seafood flown the same day from the waters of Roxas City are just a few of what’s on display. Salcedo Weekend Market is held on Saturdays, a similar, albeit smaller version happens in Legazpi Carpark in Legazpi Village, Makati. You want kefir to go with your wagyu burger? Like Obama said, yes you can.

Stone Lion Food Haus

Carvajal Street
Binondo, Manila

Binondo – Carvajal Street
Photo by webzer

At its best, the tiny alley where this restaurant is located is dirty, aged and daunting – but teeming with good Chinese restaurants that are usually conspicuously hard to find in a metropolis with a sizable ethnic Chinese population. Called Ho-Sua-Hang, Hookien for Umbrella Alley, by the Filipino-Chinese community – the street does have an intimate appeal and gritty charm. The street is actually one of the little known streets of Binondo – Manila’s Chinatown. The more famous street is Escolta which is Manila’s former financial district (and where young Imelda Marcos worked as a saleslady) and of course, Ongpin – the busier main street of the area. Binondo is recognized as the oldest Chinatown in the world – established in 1594. Aside from the traditional Filipino cuisine that’s being offered at Stone Lion Food Haus – one should try the spicy salt and pepper squid (a definite must-try), beef broccoli and their own version Yang-chow fried rice. One should not miss Eng Bee Tin for their yummy hopia and tikoy and their restaurant – Mr. Ube in Ongpin for a very good bowl of Laksa. Part of the earnings from your meal goes to supporting the local fire volunteer brigade. Ube is Tagalog for purple yam – which explains in part that while the rest of Manila had red fire trucks, Chinatown has a purple one – donated by the owner of Mr. Ube.

Mang Jimmy’s

Balara (Near University of the Philippines-Diliman),
Quezon City
+63.2.927.2909
I could not remember when the last time I went to Mang Jimmy’s was, but I could still vividly remember how succulent and amazing the food was. If you are on a tight budget and around the University of the Philippines-Diliman area – head to this stark and down-to-earth grill place. For people who are unabashedly addicted to rice- the restaurant offers refillable rice. If there are three of you, three dishes gets you another dish for free! Sizzling sisig (that famous dish from Pampanga) and Sizzling Squid are the best amongst the bunch. The place can be quite crowded and parking can be a problem during lunch as students from UP, Miriam and Ateneo de Manila University check out this place.

Travel Cafe

Greenbelt 5, Legazpi Street
Legazpi Village, Makati
+63.2.7292233
www.travelcafephilippines.com
Booking your tickets and learning about the different Philippine destinations has never felt this haute. Designed as a Travel Shop which provides up-to-date information about the Philippines with onsite travel bookings assistance and an attached a restaurant come café that serves Filipino fusion cuisine in its menu – the Travel Café provides a more relaxed, highly internationalized concept of the Philippines. An active supporter of the Fair Philippine trade organic coffee, it lists down the Philippine Civet Coffee (Kape Alamid) – one of the rarest and the most expensive coffees in the world, as one of its core beverages, served with the traditional Filipino breakfast bread- the pan de sal. The Philippine Civet Coffee is a blend of the country’s finest Arabica, Exelsa, and Liberica beans and can fetch as much as $600 a pound in the world market. This type of coffee comes from sweetest coffee cherries that are precisely chosen by free-roaming civets in the deepest part of the Philippine forests. This is then fermented inside the civet’s digestive tracts and excreted as whole beans. The coffee is smooth, clear and sweet-tasting. After a cup of this coffee, I walked past by Starbucks, and I could not help but felt sorry for those people lining up and buying crap coffee. Travel Café also promotes North Luzon Arabica from Mt. Province and Benguet, Liberica Barako from Bulacan and Batangas, and South Mindanao Arabica from South Cotabato.

Rufo’s

4736 Kalayaan Avenue cor. Salamanca Street
Poblacion, Makati
+63.2.899.4207
This is the place to go to after a hard night of partying, conveniently tucked in an almost secluded area; the place offers rest and somewhere for sobering up- forget Embassy’s overpriced cafeteria. Sizzling sisig, fried danggit and of course the tapas are the piece-de-resistance. The service is amiable and fast, and the food, what can I say… hmm… after a night of finishing almost a bottle of vodka, throw your diet out of the window because the garlic rice, tapas and danggit and sisig just feel heaven. It was so good I almost had an orgasm. (Just thinking of it, just makes me shiver!) Price wise, they are priced wisely. Just perfect, no complaints there! If you are tired of the usual McDonald’s fare after parties, Rufo’s is the best place to be, before hitting your bed or someone else’s! (Just make sure you gargle Listerine to take away that garlicky breath!). Rufo’s does delivery, but I’d recommend you just head to the restaurant itself – the quality of delivered food is quite inferior compared to the one fresh from their kitchens.

Barcino’s

Unit 101, Forbeswood Heights, Rizal Drive,
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City
+63.2. 468.5942
Chic and comfortable with distinct Iberian undertones, Barcino’s is my ultimate choice for real after-dinner conversations over decently priced, yet excellent Spanish wines (priced between PhP450-PhP900). Similar bottles of the same vintage would be priced triple in another wine place nearby. The wine bar is a two-story affair in a newish apartment building block in one of the fast rising modern residential and business districts in the country – The Fort. The tapas are quite lovely and just right and a heady night with good company as well as the affable Spaniards who run the place and their equally-friendly staff makes Barcino’s one of the most charming and trés elegant wine bars in Manila.

M Café

Greenbelt 4 (across Ayala Museum)
Makati City
+63.2. 757.6000
Popular with the lunch crowd from the nearby offices of multinational companies off Ayala Avenue, M Café (Museum Café) has steadily built a reputation as a very important nightspot for the hip expat crowd of Makati. Off from the busy areas of Greenbelt 2 and 3, M Café boasts of excellent fusion dishes and cocktails. The Roti sampler wasn’t too bad at all, and unfortunately, they had to take out my favorite Adobo with Foie Gras off their menu. The desserts are equally as sinful – one should not leave M Café without trying their crème brûlée in imaginative flavors – of which chili and garlic are my favorites. Without flinching a single facial muscle, I can definitely proclaim that M Café has the best Lychee Martini in the entire country. They also offer nice champagne brunches every Sunday at very affordable price. And before I forget, prostitutes from nearby Club Havana in Greenbelt 3 are given the coldest shoulders here. Photo by santos

Swagat Indian Cuisine

119 FCC Building
Rada Street, Legazpi Village
Makati City
+63.2. 752.5669
www.swagatindiancuisineph.com
Probably the single most authentic Indian restaurant in the Philippines, Swagat, has created a very loyal following since it started its restaurant business in a basement of my apartment building over 5-6 years ago. After the persistent nagging from their customers, Mr and Mrs. Sanjay and Komal Khanchandani, finally moved Swagat to its current location. The restaurant is small but clean, and all the dishes are exclusively prepared by Mrs. Khanchandani herself, in an almost auteur-like fashion (although her husband sometimes takes over in extremely rare occasions). True to its Indian roots, the restaurant has an extensive Indian menu (a mix of all the different regions of India). I would go for Chicken Tikka Masala (I guess by now, you would have noticed that I am addicted to Masala), or Murgh Tikka (Tender skinless boneless chicken marinated in a blend of ginger, garlic, yogurt & various spices , toasted & sautéed w/ butter & cream.) matched with Vegetable Biryani. A cool glass of lassi made out of rosewater is perfect to balance the spiciness of the Indian dishes and their mouthwatering and famous- kulfi (chunky and super-creamy homemade pistachio ice-cream) to cap the night of delicious debauchery on my tastebuds.

The Runners-up

• Mandarin Oriental Hotel – Best Breakfast Buffet
• The Shang Palace, Shangri-la Makati – Best Peking Duck
• The Spiral, Hotel Sofitel Philippine Plaza – Best Views of Manila Bay
• Le Souffle, Top of the Citi – Best Makati Skyline View
• Café Caruso – Best Authentic Italian Fine Dining
• Handle Bar – Best Value off-the grill steaks
• Max Brenner – Best Chocolate-inspired Bar
• Cyma – Best Greek Restaurant