Best restaurants and what to eat
Filipinas
Manila is the historic culinary heart of the Philippines, where Spanish colonial, Chinese, Malay, and native Tagalog influences converge in vibrant street food, festive stews, and rice-based comfort dishes. The city is especially known for rich savory braises, vinegar-led flavors, seafood from Manila Bay, and a remarkable range of kakanin (rice cakes) and tropical sweets.
A luxurious crab roe and fat paste from small river crabs, prized for its briny, buttery intensity and deep orange color. It is often sautéed with garlic or folded into pasta, and its rich umami makes it a decadent companion to plain rice.
Tiny salted shrimp with a pungent, lively aroma and a concentrated marine sweetness. In Manila kitchens it is fermented into bagoong alamang or cooked into sauces that bring sharp savoriness to green mango, vegetables, and grilled meats.
A fermented shrimp paste that is salty, funky, and deeply savory, forming one of the essential condiments of Filipino table culture. Around Manila it is used as a seasoning base, a dip for sour fruits, and the backbone of classic sauces.
Filipino fish sauce with a clear, amber color and a sharp but elegant salinity. Produced and used widely in Metro Manila, it adds depth to soups, stews, and dipping sauces, often balanced with calamansi and chili.
Cane, coconut, or palm vinegar is a cornerstone Manila condiment, bright and clean with a lively acidity. It is the essential dip for fried foods and a defining sour note in many local braises and marinades.
Thin rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, pork, shrimp, and vegetables, yielding a light yet savory dish with a gentle chewy texture. In Manila it is a celebratory staple, finished with calamansi for a fragrant citrus lift.
A traditional coconut spirit distilled in the Philippines and long associated with Manila’s markets and drinking culture. Clear and potent, it ranges from clean and fiery to more rounded artisanal versions, often served neat or lightly chilled.
A fermented sugarcane wine with a rustic sweetness, gentle acidity, and a historic place in Filipino drinking traditions. In Manila it appears in regional gatherings and heritage-focused taverns, usually served at room temperature.
Fresh or lightly fermented coconut palm wine with a cloudy appearance and a mildly sweet, tangy profile. Around Manila, tuba is valued as a communal rural-to-urban drink, often enjoyed soon after tapping for the freshest flavor.
A locally distilled sugarcane spirit associated with Filipino home distilling and provincial supply routes into Manila. It tends to be earthy and straightforward, usually consumed in small pours and sometimes infused with fruit or herbs.
The city’s signature citrus refresher, made from tiny aromatic calamansi with a bright, tart, and slightly floral character. It is served over ice, often sweetened to taste, and pairs naturally with fried or rich dishes.
A beloved Manila street drink combining chewy sago pearls, gelatin cubes, and a brown-sugar syrup base. Served chilled with ice, it is sweet, textural, and deeply nostalgic.
The emblematic Filipino braise, especially beloved in Manila, where meat is simmered in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper until savory, glossy, and deeply aromatic. It is both everyday home cooking and a refined comfort dish, excellent with steamed rice.
A sour tamarind-based soup whose clean acidity and savory broth define one of Manila’s most cherished meals. It can be made with pork, shrimp, fish, or vegetables, and its bright, mouthwatering tang is often tempered by rice.
A rich peanut stew with silky sauce, oxtail or tripe, and vegetables, traditionally paired with bagoong for contrast. In Manila it is a festive centerpiece, prized for its velvety texture and complex nutty depth.
Whole roasted pig with crackling skin and succulent meat, celebrated throughout the Philippines and especially festive in Manila banquets. The best versions are seasoned simply, allowing the contrast of crisp skin and juicy flesh to shine.
A tomato-rich pork stew with liver, potatoes, carrots, and raisins, reflecting Spanish influence in Manila’s home kitchens. It is hearty, slightly sweet, and built for family gatherings and Sunday meals.
Chicken or pork simmered in a tomato-based sauce with vegetables, yielding a mellow, savory-sweet dish with a soft, comforting texture. Manila cooks often prepare it for celebrations and everyday lunches alike.
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