Markets excite me. I love its vibrant atmosphere, the no-frills food stalls, the people in their come-as-you-are attire. But most importantly, I love the food being hawked alongside the chaotic menagerie of fresh vegetables, meats, bottled what-nots, wetter-than-wet seafood, bootleg Spongebob T-shirts for kids, tabo and palanggana, and everything else in between.
Staying in the sleepy town of Cabangan means you’d have to eat there too. However, most food places in the province aren’t really located there—it’s far from being the food capital of Zambales—still, there are a handful of unique places you can dine in when in Cabangan. And during the past years, as tourism started to bloom in town, the number of places to eat in Cabangan started to grow too.
Here are a few of the most interesting food places in Cabangan. These range from roadside stands and food shacks to swanky cafes and full-blown restaurants. These made the list because they’re somewhat unique, have good food, are institutions in Cabangan, or simply because I’ve personally tried them and found them to be worthy.
And if the mangoes are what stay with you after the Dinamulag weekend, there are carabao mangoes from Filipino growers you can order online long after the festival ends.
What do you eat when you’re in Malabon? Well, pancit Malabon, of course.
The birthplace of pancit Malabon, there are numerous panciterias offering this noodle delicacy in the city. But where can you actually get the best pancit Malabon in Malabon? And what if you don’t live there, are there panciterias offering pancit Malabon that are at par with those in Malabon City? As a kid who actually grew up in Malabon and has tasted innumerable bilaos of pancit Malabon for every occasion—and still wants more—let me share the best pancit Malabon I’ve tried, not only in Malabon itself, but in the whole of Metro Manila as well.
A TYPICAL BILAO OF PANCIT MALABON
To be sure, there are still pancit Malabon restaurants that I’ve yet to try. So, I will definitely update this article from time to time as I try new pancit places in the city. If you also have suggestions for the best pancit Malabon, just drop a comment and I will try my best to visit it too.
Note that this list is not in any order. My advice is to try each one out, as they almost always have something unique to offer.
Soft, slightly sweet buns contrasting with an umami-filled meat filling—be it saucy pork asado or juicy bola-bola, siopao is one of the Philippines’ most delightful comfort foods. It was introduced by Chinese immigrants during the Spanish period and it has since become a staple, not only in Binondo—Manila’s Chinatown—but in every Chinese restaurants in the country as well.
But have you tasted the best siopao in Metro Manila? Here’s a list of the best and unique ones I’ve actually tried. I’m sure that there’s more out there, so drop a comment if you have a siopao recommendation. I’ll update this best siopao list from time to time.
Right after our pancit batil patong Tagaytay lunch and finishing our business at Tagaytay City Hall, we quickly went back to the Tagaytay Ridge for our much-delayed dessert. It’s actually a bit cold in Tagaytay when we went, but still, we were on the lookout for an ice-cold glass of halo-halo, and not just any halo-halo though, the place has to have a good view of the Taal Volcano. I mean, why eat anywhere else when you’re in Tagaytay?
We were on our annual daytrip to Tagaytay with my parents, and as usual, we were unprepared on where we would eat. I’ve tried bringing them to the Mahogany Market bulaluhan the year before, but they don’t seem to fancy the food being hawked there.
With a couple of hours to spare en route, I Googled for some of the most interesting places to eat in Tagaytay—there are a lot, but I’m particularly looking for a somewhat inexpensive one. What I found was a pancit batil patong place in Tagaytay, with prices that seemed friendly enough.
So, before heading to the Tagaytay City Hall, which is what we really came to the city for, we stopped at MASINGngo Restaurant first for lunch.
It has been a while since I last ate at Susie’s Cuisine—seven years ago, to be exact. The problem lies in its location, most branches being around the Pampanga area. There is, however, a quick and easy way to quench my cravings—apparently Susie’s Cuisine has a branch in Metro Manila. And they have not one, but two—one in Las Piñas and another much closer to our place, Quezon City.
But what’s the fuss about Susie’s? Well, it is one of the go-to restaurants in Pampanga, serving Filipino and Kapampangan delicacies and comfort food since the early seventies. It was at Susie’s Cuisine San Fernando branch where I first tried their dishes and haven’t forgotten about it since.
Craving for a home-cooked pork binagoongan and a plateful of pancit malabon? How about a classic afternoon merienda of lugaw and lumpia? If you happen to pass by Quezon City, I have just the place for you. Neatly tucked in a quiet street, an eatery called Lola Idang’s Bahay Pancitan.
The place is not that big, with only about ten tables set on a 35-square meter eating space. The restaurant is so unassuming that you’ll hardly take a second look at it; plain white tiles flooring, simple decors, plastic Orocan chairs, and tables laid with generic plaid table clothes. What distinguishes this small diner from the throngs of eating places in Quezon City though is their food.
Rum, the golden elixir synonymous with tropical paradise, has a rich history in the Philippines. From the Spanish colonization to the rise of local distilleries, Filipino rum has grown in popularity and gained recognition worldwide. In this article, we will highlight the top five must-try rum brands from the Philippines, each offering its own distinct characteristics and charm. Finally, we will discuss how to pair Filipino rum with local cuisine, creating mouthwatering combinations that will transport your taste buds to the sunny shores of the Philippines.
Besides eating local street food on Penang’s numerous hawker centers and small eateries, we also got to try out a few restaurants serving international dishes on the island. This is usually when we go out with Blissfulguro’s uncle and aunt who actually lives in Penang. Since they’re really not too keen on street food, to the malls and restaurants we usually go.
The moment we landed at Penang’s International Airport, we knew right away that we’d be in for a culinary treat. Besides the numerous TV shows and write-ups about the city’s food, a brochure along the airport’s corridor confirmed everything--it listed each and every dish we needed to sample in Penang and where to get it too! Nifty, eh?!
For street food aficionados, Zamboanga City is heaven. It has one of the most diverse selection of street foods in the Philippines—some of which, you can only find here. And as is the case with street food all over the globe, they’re extremely tasty and dirt cheap.
Zamboanga City came as a surprise in terms of food. Its history as a former stronghold of Spain in Mindanao has indeed taken root in its cuisine, with Spanish dishes going alongside more local flavors from the Zamboanga Peninsula, the neighboring Sulu archipelago, and even Malaysia. It also helps that the area is near the sea, with harvest coming in abundantly—the city isn’t dubbed as the Sardine Capital of the Philippines for no reason.
On one of my visits to Zamboanga City, I passed by a small eatery with a mee goreng sign. My mouth immediately watered—my favorite Malaysian (or Indonesian) noodle dish, available in Zamboanga City! I was on a media trip with a fixed itinerary at the time, so I was unable to try it out.
When people ask me what’s the best thing about being on a Resorts World One cruise, I always tell them that besides the destination we visit, it’s really the food. And with good reasons, it is culinary heaven. Food choices range from Western, Italian, South East Asian, Japanese, and of course, Chinese—since the ship is based in Hong Kong. It has three inclusive restaurants—which means eating there is free of charge—seven premium specialty restaurants, five food booths, two bars, and one exclusive restaurant reserved for Palace guests—the most expensive class on the ship.
Two cold bottles of Red Horse beer were slid down our wooden table. In front of us, the late afternoon sun was filtering through the coconut trees. On the beach, a group of kids were playing a serious game of Frisbee while tourists frolic across the glittering waters of Boracay. On the horizon, a row of paraw boats were waiting for the sun to set. We were at Cocoloco Boracay—with sand under our feet and a cold beer in our hands—it probably can’t get any better than this.
Two Seasons’ barLO Restaurant was filled to brimming, but we didn’t really mind waiting. The sun was out, and the water at Station 1 was uber calm. We braved the ungodly noontime hour, and with sunblock on, frolicked at Boracay’s White Beach with total abandon.
A feast of feast was spread across our long table—familiar Filipino dishes but dressed nicer than your usual meal at home. The table was set outside The Lind’s Tartine Restaurant—along Boracay White Beach’s premier location, Station 1—but no one seems to be minding the banquet. The sun was setting and everyone had rushed to the shore to take photos of the famous Boracay sunset.
Having tried the cheapest food in Boracay during our three-week stay on the island, we decided to splurge a bit during the latter part of our trip. And splurge to us meant buffet, a proper Boracay buffet. We looked at the options, most of which are found on Boracay White Beach, and decided to be a bit modest with our food splurge. We chose a buffet that’s not too expensive, but is still a feast for the eyes—and of course, our tummies.
