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.

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.

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.

BGC stands for Bonifacio Global City. Located in Taguig City, it’s not really a proper city but rather a small part of Taguig under Barangay Fort Bonifacio. 240 hectares, to be exact, it’s a mixed-use area developed in part by the Ayalas.

THE BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY SKYLINE

BGC used to be a military base, literally an empty grassland. Now, it’s one of the Philippines’ top financial districts, an upscale place to live in with several posh condos, and a trendy place to hang out in with its numerous parks, restaurants, bars, and malls.

The BGC High Street, a busy open-aired arcade comprised of shops, restaurants, open spaces, and parks form its heart—the central hub of BGC.

Ever since taking our son to BGC High Street in Taguig for a brief dinner some months back, we’ve always thought of bringing him back for a longer period. We saw just how happy he was with all the open spaces and the activities he can do around. A staycation would be perfect, we thought.

“Tatay, I thought we’re gonna ride an airplane? Why are we on a bus?” So went my two-year old son as we rode Cebu Pacific Air’s bus across the airport tarmac en route to our plane. It was A’s first time to ride one. And it was also his first time to really travel—being born just before the pandemic hit.

Once known as the home of Manila’s high society, Ermita’s streets were lined with lavish mansions. Unfortunately, this famous district was heavily bombed during the Second World War, which turned the posh neighborhood to rubble. After the war, Ermita bounced back with major commercialization that transformed the upscale suburb into a flourishing commercial district with plenty of banks, malls, and hotels. As a tourist, you can take your pick of any hotel in Ermita Manila folks speak highly of. The area has various accommodations from traveler’s inns with essential amenities to the more upscale five-star hotels.

Even with the sprawling modern commercial establishments, Ermita retains its link to the past through the various historical places that still stand today. So if you want to travel back in time or want to learn more about Manila’s colorful history, make sure to visit these historical places in Ermita.

It’s officially summer in the Philippines! And while going to the beach to cool off is definitely on everyone’s list of things to do during the break, you really can’t stay the whole summer lounging on the sand and swimming on the sea, can you? In between your beach get-aways, you may want to try a few things you can do within the confines of the city too—and there’s actually a lot you can do within Metro Manila without the need to spend hours on end driving out of town.

To make things much easier, you can even book your tours within Metro Manila via Traveloka. As one of the top travel apps in the country for booking flights and hotels, Traveloka has now upped its game by letting its users book tours within the app. Just fire up the app, click on the “Attractions & Activities” tab, then either search for places or activities. Besides tours in the Philippines, they also have international activities covered. Convenient and hassle-free, eh? Here’s a few things you can do in Manila this summer via Traveloka.

It was by pure chance that we got to sample a relatively new pancit batil patong place in Quezon City. Coming from Tandang Sora , we alighted on a jeep at General Avenue en route back home, and by pure luck chanced upon Noa’s Diner. From its simple tarp sign, you’d assume it’s just another carinderia, but I did a double take as we passed it—I saw a sign printed on bond paper posted on their wall proclaiming they serve our favorite noodle dish in the Philippines!

THAT SMALL SIGN PRINTED ON BOND PAPER HAD US GOING INSIDE

Pancit batil patong, as you probably know by now since I can’t stop talking about it here on my blog, is a noodle dish that originated in Tuguegarao City. What’s different with it from all the usual pancit in the country is that they mix in carabeef  and top it with poached egg. The miki or noodle they use is also unique to the city, so most panciteria serving this in Manila actually buy theirs all the way from Cagayan, transporting them using public buses that ply the province to and from Manila. It’s actually one of the reasons why most pancit batil patong restaurants in the metro are located near bus stations that have routes going to Cagayan Valley. It’s such a surprise then to find a panciteria such as Noa’s Diner quite a way away from any bus stations.

My knowledge when it comes to Japanese cuisine is limited to tempura, maki, sushi (which I don’t even eat), tonkatsu, and Nissin’s Ramen. Kidding on that last part. I’m not really that familiar with anything Japanese, except for those that I get to try at the popular fastfood joint, Tokyo Tokyo. I actually go there before because I wanted to practice using chopsticks, lol. A weekend or so ago, before our actual trip to Japan, we were invited by the guys from Herald Suites in Chino Roces to try their in-house Japanese restaurant, Hatsu Hana-Tei.

HERALD SUITES’ LOBBY

Located right in front of the famous Little Tokyo in Makati, Herald Suites—sister hotel of Herald Suites Polaris—sports a very turn-of-the-century Filipiniana look—intricate Machuca tiles, faux Amorsolo paintings, classic wooden furniture. You’ll never guess that they’d have a legit Japanese restaurant at the second floor. The only inkling you’d have, if ever you notice it at all, are the Japanese businessmen lounging about the lobby.

Customized Machuca tiles spread across the floor while wrought iron railings flourish along the interior balconies overlooking the central atrium of the lobby. On hand-crafted wooden tables, metal sculptures sit, looking eternally at guests making their way to and fro. Entering Herald Suites Polaris, it was as if we were transported to a time past when arts and crafts were all the rage and things were a lot more elegant than the ascetic modern times that we were in.

HERALD SUITES POLARIS IN POBLACION, MAKATI

It was a rainy Saturday afternoon when we headed out—first to binge on authentic Japanese cuisine at Hatsu Hana Tei in Makati, and second, for a staycation at the newest hotel this side of Poblacion, Herald Suites Polaris.

It was two in the morning and the lobby was completely deserted. Time, indeed, flies when you’re having fun. Just a couple of hours ago, we were at the highest rooftop bar in the city, enjoying cold drinks and swapping travel stories on one corner of Seda Vertis North’s open-aired roof deck. And now, I’m totally woozy and needing a bit of a breather before going back to my room—it was already way, way past midnight. Not really the best time to be going home, especially when you’re on a staycation with your mom.

AFTERNOON VIEW OF QUEZON CITY FROM SEDA VERTIS NORTH

Seda Vertis North is one of the newest hotels that have sprouted in Quezon City. While most of the luxury accommodations in the city are located on the Timog part of town, this one’s situated somewhere easier to access, right beside the Trinoma Mall where the MRT North Station is. It can’t get any easier than that.

Straight from our Tagaytay trip, our van from Taal Vista Hotel took us straight to Quezon City’s Maginhawa Street to check out The Wander Space, a travel-related café right in the middle of Quezon City’s premiere food hub. Together with my traveler friends, tired as we were, we cannot be more excited, our destination was right within our alley.

THE WANDER SPACE CAFE AT THE THIRD FLOOR OF MAGINHAWA’S BUILDING #80

Located on the third floor of the eponymous Building #80, right beside the famous bookworm hangout Bookay Ukay, The Wander Space blends café culture with travel. Put up by Kim and Bam, two young entrepreneurs who are themselves true blue travelers, one can immediately feel that this is a passion project upon entering its wood-framed glass door.

We were on our way to a foodtrip weekend at Taal Vista Tagaytay, call time was still at five in the afternoon and the meeting place was in Cubao. With a few hours to spare, I was racking my brains on what to do to while away the time when I remembered a comment I received on my Facebook page about a pancit batil patong place near Cubao.

Together with my constant pancit companion, C, we headed to Anonas to find Jenter Food Hauz Pancit Tuguegaro. Going there was easy enough. From the corner of EDSA and Kamuning, we boarded a Project 2-3 jeepney and alighted at the corner of Anonas and Bigna Street. From there the panciteria is just a hop away.

Ever since frequenting Quirino Highway in Quezon City, I’ve always passed by an old panciteria near the Sangandaan intersection. Aling Leoning’s Special Pancit Palabok, it humbly proclaimed above its doors. I’ve always thought of trying out their food, but I always gravitate to the nearby Jollibee and its mouthwatering Chickenjoy. About two weeks ago, together with A and BG, I finally got the gumption to avoid the bee, enter the old panciteria, and try their noodles.

LEONING’S SIMPLE INTERIORS

Aling Leoning’s naturally lighted interiors is straightforward enough. A foyer leads diners to a counter where they take your order, you then turn right to the small dining hall filled with a combination of heavy iron and rattan chairs paired with marble-topped tables. The furnishing was more fitting for a garden, than say, a panciteria, but I guess it gets the job done.

It’s hard to miss The Heritage Hotel Manila’s iconic façade. When I used to frequent Las Piñas, I usually pass it en route to the city right before the Baclaran Church. When going to the airport, I can’t help but notice its windowed rooms facing Manila Bay, making me wonder what its interiors looks like. And last month, after an invite to try their monthly buffet specials, I finally did.

PLUSH LOBBY

Located at the corner of EDSA and Roxas Boulevard, The Heritage Hotel Manila stands proud along Pasay’s skyline. The four-star hotel opened its doors to guests in 1994 and has 450 well-appointed rooms with balconies angled towards the Manila Bay. Outside, its architecture is modernist, but once you enter its airy lobby, it transforms into a much more classical look.

The rain poured as we alighted from our van, transferring from the nearby Cocoon Boutique Hotel to Hive, their sister hotel. We were on the second day of our QC staycation and the latter was gonna be hosting our stay for the next 24 hours. The two are actually just walking distance away from each other but they were very generous and insisted on providing us with a van—for us and our luggages—we willingly obliged, of course, lol.

HIVE HOTEL’S FUNKY LOBBY ~ PHOTO BY BLISSFULGURO

Hive Hotel’s lobby is a mix of contemporary modernism interspersed with funky adornments. On one corner stands a tall bookcase painted in bright oranges and filled with meticulously arranged Lonely Planet travel guide books. On another, bare white walls are made more interesting with old wooden planks and circular metal flourishes. And finally, the furniture—over-the-top retro with its seventies inspired forms and colors. Coolness!

With the gang in tow, we trooped towards our favorite area in Quezon City, Timog Avenue. It’s where all the happening places in the city are, and it’s where all the new snazzy boutique hotels in the metro are mushrooming. On this particular weekend, we booked a stay at the four-star Cocoon Hotel.

COCOON HOTEL’S BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED LOBBY

WAITING AREA NOOK AT THE GROUND FLOOR

Located at the corner of Scout Rallos and Scout Tobias, it is situated on the quieter parts of the area but still just walking distance away from most of the restaurants and bars along Timog Avenue. It was almost dinner time when we arrived, but we were still quite full from our very Chinese meal at Lido Cocina Tsino in Makati.