From hand crafted chocolate off the beach to tasty marinated grilled meats, here's where you can go, and what you can do whenever you're here in the Philippines

Review: In a Beach Off Manila, Follow the Chocolate

Words by Miguel Ortega, Photos by Tarish Zamora

Guide: Manila’s Chinatown Eats to Welcome in The Year of the Rat

Fresh into a new decade, Chinese New Year is fast approaching. As Manila bids farewell to the Year of the Pig, what better way to embrace the Year of the Rat than sampling different Chinese eateries around Binondo, Manila’s Chinatown.

Guide: Eating Your Way Through Manila’s Mobile Street Food Vendors

Commuters and pedestrians in Manila have it tough with the traffic. But there is a silver lining. It comes in the form of street food vendors who provide a respite and sometimes, a destination for urban travelers.

Late Night Guide: Cebu, Philippines

Cebu is known for many things, good food, a wide range of family friendly activities or even solo, we bring you a guide on what to do in Cebu in a day, from smoky grills to mini golf.

Wow! Philippines

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Wow! Philippines: Chicken Relleno

When the Philippines celebrates Christmas, they cannot go without the Chicken Relleno. A golden crispy chicken that’s first deboned then stuffed with a blend of lip-smacking meat and sweet fruits like raisins. Served cold or hot, it’s delicious all year-round, especially at Christmas at the trendy city of Makati’s Romulo Café.

Wow! Philippines: Cansi

If you’re struck by a hunger for hot beef stew, you’ll want to be at Sharyn’s Cansi House, just an hour flight from the Philippine capital of Manila. The deliciously sour beef shank soup appeals with its fragrant sourness and acidity. But that’s not its only flavour. Poke into a juicy sweet bone marrow and the star, meltingly tender beef shank.

Wow! Philippines: Empanada

It’s not a curry puff, but it’s quite close really. Known as Empanada, you’ll want to grab a hot one at Emma Lacson’s Delicacies, where it’s made to secret perfection. A flaky, crossiant-like shell wraps tasty meat, egg, raisins and more. It’s said you won’t just stop at one.

Wow! Philippines: Hamon De Bola

When it comes to the eve of Christmas in Philippines, also known as Noche Buena, Hamon de Bola is a definite must-have on the Christmas table.

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Wow! Philippines: Piaya

What’s crunchy on the outside, and meltingly sweet all over? Well the name’s Piaya, a Filipino pancake that’s packed with muscovado, or roasted sugarcane that’s a delicious delicacy in Silay city. Take a bite of that just offthe Philippine sugar capital of Bacolod, right at the attractive heritage zone of Balay Puti.

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Wow! Philippines: Piaya

What’s crunchy on the outside, and meltingly sweet all over? Well the name’s Piaya, a Filipino pancake that’s packed with muscovado, or roasted sugarcane that’s a delicious delicacy in Silay city. Take a bite of that just offthe Philippine sugar capital of Bacolod, right at the attractive heritage zone of Balay Puti.

Home Cooked Philippines with Anton Amoncio

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Home Cooked Philippines with Anton Amoncio: Bicol Express

Not to be mistaken for the name of a train - Bicol Express, straight from Manila, is an intensely stewed coconut-milk pork belly dish that really is just heaven in a bowl.

Home Cooked Philippines: Sopas

If you think your chicken noodle soup's too basic, try dropping plump smokey sausages in it. Then, you'll see why this Filipino Sopas recipe is the only chicken noodle soup recipe you'll ever need.

Home Cooked Philippines with Anton Amoncio: Chicken & Pork Adobo

It's believed that no two Filipinos cook Adobo the same way. What’s true though, is that this vinegared chicken and juicy pork belly recipe is lip-smackingly tasty and a delicious double-act!

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Philippine Food

If you find yourself in the Philippines, you have to try the different types of local favourite foods. Filipino food is an amalgamation of the country’s rich history and culture. Combine the traditional cooking methods with the diverse background of influences, Filipino cuisine offers simply delectable and delicious food.

The flavour profile of most Filipino food dishes combine a variety of salty, sour and sweet notes. Some of the key ingredients used in Filipino food recipes include garlic, calamansi, and annatto - seed from the achiote tree that has a peppery flavour. You will also find that many Filipino foods have a common combination of sautéed tomatoes, onions and garlic as the starting base.

Similar to many of the other cuisines in Southeast Asia, Filipino food almost always has rice as a staple. Rice is usually served steamed with meat dishes or with broths. Sometimes, rice flour is used in making traditional Filipino desserts, from rice cakes to coconut rice puddings.

Filipino Culture: Street Food And Snacks

A big part of Filipino food cuisine is in its availability and variety of no-frills street food and snacks. The coconut juice, soft tofu topped with dark sugar syrup and deep-fried fish ball snacks are only some of the choices you will see around Manila. ‘Balut’, a fertilised duck egg, is one of the most popular Filipino street snacks you will come to know. Aged for approximately two to three weeks and kept warm, ‘Balut’ is a type of street snack that peddlers sell to commuters - both local and tourists. Other common Filipino street food delicacies you will find are the pork cracklings and fish crackers. The Asian Food Network covers all the favourite street food finds you can look for in the Philippines here.

The ‘Chicken and Pork Adobo’ is, without a doubt, one of the signature Filipino food dishes you will come across. Well loved by many, the chicken adobo is cooked using soy sauce and cane sugar vinegar. Adding bay leaves and using black peppercorns will enhance the sauce of your chicken adobo. For an easy weeknight dinner, the chicken adobo is a popular Filipino recipe that you can try. It is easy, distilled down to a few steps and can be enjoyed with fluffy, steamed rice.

Filipino food packs punches of flavour through its use of ingredients and clever combination of spicy and sour flavour notes. The ‘Pancit Buko Guisado’ - sautéed coconut noodles - are not actually noodles but long fresh strips of coconut that has been stir-fried with fresh vegetables and meat. Shrimp is often used in this recipe.

Try making one of our Filipino recipes at home for a change and be amazed at how easily it yields a satisfying and delicious dinner!

Easy, Quick Filipino Food Recipes

Our collection of loved Filipino dishes and desserts are crystallised into easy-to-follow, guided recipes with photos and videos. For a truly unique taste profile of Filipino food, you have to try some of their street snacks and locally-sourced ingredients - these give the dishes that special kick in flavour!

Tag us on Instagram when you make your version of these special Filipino recipes at home!