Street Food: Spice Of Life Or Kiss Of Death?

[Beachboy]

Here's an "all consuming" question for you guys in the Phils. What do you think of street food? Is it something to be avoided like the plague (because it causes the plague .. haha) or is it part of the experience living there?

Is McDonald's in the mall safe or is it just as risky as Manny's BBQ out on the sidewalk? Do you drink the water? What about ice in your drinks? :cheersty: And finally, when all precautions fail, what is your preferred treatment for food poisoning? Haha ... don't tell me your are immune .. I've been living in Hawaii for 40 years and I still get food poisoning once a year ..

I hope this is "food for thought" .. :mocking:

[CebuAndy]

Street food - not before I've been here a few many years.

Mall food - where I daily take some of my meals, not been sick of it yet.

Prefer to cook at home, taste better and 'just the way I like it'.

Water - only bottled water for me, water from the tap and I sit on the 'loo' within 30 minutes.

Even brushing my teeth in tap water give me the run. :th_unfair:

Ice cubes - always use em, so far so good.

Food poisoning - always have a few packs of Imodium oops time to stock up again :hystery:

[cebu rocks]

I eat at local eaterys and street food BUT my better half knows which ones to go to . many are unsafe but some use fresh meat and vegys . the earlier you go to one the better and go to the busy ones they have better turn over .

[Bundy]

I eat at local eaterys and street food BUT my better half knows which ones to go to . many are unsafe but some use fresh meat and vegys . the earlier you go to one the better and go to the busy ones they have better turn over .

You're a brave man!............or is it you got a cast iron stomach? :hystery: :hystery: :hystery: I stay well clear of em myself, been there and tried it, now i know better but had to learn the hard way.

[Dave Hounddriver]

I eat at local eaterys and street food BUT my better half knows which ones to go to

Same for me. I trust the better half's nose. I may get a bit 'loose' now and then but she's pretty good at only buying quality meat. Now if only she would learn good food safety when at home.

Today she took some meat out of the freezer and gave it her smell test. She decided the chicken was good to cook for me but the pork chops had got old and needed to become dog food. (Happens sometimes due to brownouts causing freeze 'n thaw.) The problem was, she put both bits of meat in contact with each other on the same plate to thaw. I tried to explain the lack of logic in that but it was turning into an argument so I let it be.

[Mike S]

I also let my asawa pick which street foods to eat .... she has been eating them a lot longer than I have ..... as to getting LBS (no not LBC) the only times I've had it here in almost 5 years was at Jolliebee and all three times in the one in Robinsons ..... don't have a clue as to why as that was they VERY FIRST place I ate when I arrived here in the Philippines ..... other than that I've been good to go ..... (knock on wood) .....

[Tukaram (Tim)]

I have always eaten street food anywhere I go. If you see a bunch of locals eating there then it seems to be safe'ish. Guess I'm lucky - I've been eating street food for 20 years and haven't gotten sick yet. I think if it is put on a stick it automatically kills all germs? Mexico, Korea, Singapore, Philippines,....

[JJReyes]

Kiss of death, unless you are a local. There is some truth to our bodies developing immunity to certain bacterias over time. Why take the risk if you can afford the upgrade to a cleaner restaurant? While in Japan, my wife and I would eat soba or ramen from one of those stand-up only restaurants. In the Philippines, only in better restaurants recommended by friends. My wife packs enough quality food to last the entire trip. If she does not like what is served, she has a stockpile.

In terms of beverages, the World Health Organization recommends beer as the safest. You need to drink it from the bottle.. Don't use a glass. Bottled water is okay. Those of you who saw "Slumdog Millionaire" may recall the scene where he was using empty bottles, refilling them with tap water, and using glue to reseal the caps.

[Jim Sibbick]

Here's an "all consuming" question for you guys in the Phils. What do you think of street food? Is it something to be avoided like the plague (because it causes the plague .. haha) or is it part of the experience living there?

Is McDonald's in the mall safe or is it just as risky as Manny's BBQ out on the sidewalk? Do you drink the water? What about ice in your drinks? :cheersty: And finally, when all precautions fail, what is your preferred treatment for food poisoning? Haha ... don't tell me your are immune .. I've been living in Hawaii for 40 years and I still get food poisoning once a year ..

I hope this is "food for thought" .. :mocking:

I have been told that the meat on the street on Colon is double dead (died before it could be killed)

If I had never eaten street food on Colon, I may never had started but as I have been happily eating the street food on Colon for many years, I am happy to continue. A favourite street meal for me is 4 pieces of fried chicken at p15 per piece, 2 boiled eggs at P7 each and and a foot long corn on the cob, when available, for P20

I have ice in my drinks and drink water from the tap. However, on Leyte, my girlfriends brother is the purified water supplier and he only charges p20 for 5 gallons so why not drink purified water.

Also on Leyte, we sell barbecue from the front door. So, I am happy to eat our own street food!

[Jollygoodfellow]

In terms of beverages, the World Health Organization recommends beer as the safest. You need to drink it from the bottle.. Don't use a glass.

I like your thinking JJ :cheersty: