Manila cheap eats

[mogo51]

After 3 weeks of getting robbed on everything from food to petrol, medical supplies etc. was glad to get to Phils, even if it is Manila.  I am not a fan but that applies to large cities generally.

Tonight we went to a little restaurant around the corner from the hotel where we are staying in Makati.  Very basic, but always want to experience 'local'; food.  My SO is our saviour with her local language;  I  love Adobo and saw pork d'flakes' adobo on the menu, tried for chicken but no go, thought I would give it a go.  My SO is still Queen of the adobo, it was rather disappointing but ok  once I got some chilli and put it into the dish.  I did ask for vegetables in the adobe, but got a small amount of vegetable soup as a side dish. Different.

It got me thinking and saw what they were working with ie. no decent kitchen etc.  So just kicked back and enjoyed as best I could.  150p for 2 pretty cheap. Had an ice  cfream on the way back to hotel, so not all was lost.

If I can just stop the western comparison and understand we are playing a different ball game all will be good.  If I am still here in the morning you know it was all ok.

[robert k]

2 hours ago, mogo51 said:

After 3 weeks of getting robbed on everything from food to petrol, medical supplies etc. was glad to get to Phils, even if it is Manila.  I am not a fan but that applies to large cities generally.

Tonight we went to a little restaurant around the corner from the hotel where we are staying in Makati.  Very basic, but always want to experience 'local'; food.  My SO is our saviour with her local language;  I  love Adobo and saw pork d'flakes' adobo on the menu, tried for chicken but no go, thought I would give it a go.  My SO is still Queen of the adobo, it was rather disappointing but ok  once I got some chilli and put it into the dish.  I did ask for vegetables in the adobe, but got a small amount of vegetable soup as a side dish. Different.

It got me thinking and saw what they were working with ie. no decent kitchen etc.  So just kicked back and enjoyed as best I could.  150p for 2 pretty cheap. Had an ice  cfream on the way back to hotel, so not all was lost.

If I can just stop the western comparison and understand we are playing a different ball game all will be good.  If I am still here in the morning you know it was all ok.

Many of the best meals I had in the Philippines were home cooked chicken curry or chicken adobo. I tried a Chinese restaurant in Manila which was pricy, the food wasn't more than passable and the portion was a lot smaller than I though 450 peso should warrant. I'm sticking to Chow King when in Manila from now on.

[mogo51]

8 hours ago, robert k said:

Many of the best meals I had in the Philippines were home cooked chicken curry or chicken adobo. I tried a Chinese restaurant in Manila which was pricy, the food wasn't more than passable and the portion was a lot smaller than I though 450 peso should warrant. I'm sticking to Chow King when in Manila from now on.

Yes I love my SO's chicken adobo and she cooks it to my particular tastes, so  lucky.

A plus this morning, down for breakfast at 7.30am and introduced SO to eggs benedict, well cooked and presented.  The 'chef'  Carlos did a good job as was his omelette the day before. Good staff the redeeming point for this hotel.

[afathertobe]

I'd like to contribute to this thread but unfortunately cannot so far. The best food in the Phils was always home-cooked, and I would love to find a couple of non-fast food restaurants that serve similar fare for a regular daily meal. So let's keep each other updated, I'll likely spend a lot more time in Manila soon. 

[Sander Martin]

Ron, i know that you wish you had known about those 45aud steaks before you left Manila ??. Theres allways next time mate!

[mogo51]

I hope he has a good freezer Sander, he is going to have my steak in it for a very long time.

[chris49]

On ‎4‎/‎23‎/‎2016 at 9:05 AM, robert k said:

Many of the best meals I had in the Philippines were home cooked chicken curry or chicken adobo. I tried a Chinese restaurant in Manila which was pricy, the food wasn't more than passable and the portion was a lot smaller than I though 450 peso should warrant. I'm sticking to Chow King when in Manila from now on.

Chow King is a good bet. I don't mind a visit there now and then.

I like a few chips (french fries) now and then. Mc Donalds does ok if they are fresh and hot.

I recently started buying 1.5 kg potatoes in the market. Gina will fry them and although I get the main portion, the whole family will have some. Masarap. Fat chips, the old fashioned kind.

[expatuk2014]

On 4/23/2016 at 0:05 AM, robert k said:

Many of the best meals I had in the Philippines were home cooked chicken curry or chicken adobo. I tried a Chinese restaurant in Manila which was pricy, the food wasn't more than passable and the portion was a lot smaller than I though 450 peso should warrant. I'm sticking to Chow King when in Manila from now on.

I agree with you regarding Chow king their sweet and sour fish with fried rice is very good and halo-halo

we often go to a well known Chinese restuarant in Nuvali for Birthdays , last time was over 2600 pesos for four people !

and the rice was bland and the fish was overpriced. only redemption was the Jlo Doughnut shop just along the road

1 doz asst mmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Sander Martin]

2 hours ago, expatuk2014 said:

and halo-halo

I didn't know foreigners like Halo Halo. I have tried it atleast 5 times (in different places) and it allways tasted "meh" to me.

[Tukaram (Tim)]

4 hours ago, Sander Martin said:

I didn't know foreigners like Halo Halo. I have tried it atleast 5 times (in different places) and it allways tasted "meh" to me.

I like halo-halo, but there is usually too much ice, not enough ice cream.  There is a kiosk at Robinson's mall that sells soft serve ice cream and they just started selling 'halo-halo'.  No ice - just soft serve ice cream with all the crazy toppings. Even my wife says it is better than regular halo-halo