Food

[hk blues]

I'd say all reasonably sized cities here have the types of restaurant mentioned, but they tend to be in shopping malls and perhaps generic i.e. if you look at the list of restaurants in SM Malls, you will see the same one in numerous SM malls throughout the Philippines - the same applies to Robinsons.  I doubt these places are authentic and based on the few I have tried they wouldn't impress a foodie.  

[Old55]

10 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Philippines is not noted for its food.  There is food here.  Thats all I have to say about that. 

Well one more thing, going to the Philippines for the food would be a bit like going to Alaska for the weather.  They got some, but you're not gonna like it.

I agree with Dave. With some exceptions much of Filipino food is unremarkable or worse.

I know firsthand Metro Cebu City has a few dozen of outstanding restaurants featuring high quality non Filipino cuisine. Due to chronic gridlock many places even a short distance can take an hour or more to get to.

[Mike J]

If you have a hankering for chicken guts on a stick, this is the place to be. 

Or be adventurous and go for the "whole bird" 

[Tommy T.]

5 hours ago, Mike J said:

Or be adventurous and go for the "whole bird

Or one can go for a whole baby bird - balut? Fortunately, I don't have a photo. And no, never tried it and never will - I have limits.

A bit contrary to what JD wrote, L and I have found a number of decent ethnic restaurants in Davao:

American, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese,  Korean, French, Indian. But they don't jump out at you - you have to find them. And the good ones can be expensive - close to USA decent restaurant prices. They are mostly in or near malls, but there are some in tiny strip-malls - the poor look-alike restaurants are most common however. Our test is to look and see how many customers are there.

As most others here have already stated, Philippines is not a Foodie destination, but good foods are available in many places if you explore - which can be part of the allure? If you like to cook, you can find just about any ingredients you wish. To prepare for a meal, however, be prepared to have to visit 3 or 4 - or more - shops and markets in order to find all you require. It can take half a day...

L and I visited Cebu for just a few days and, in that short time, found a number of good restaurants in the biggest mall there. We chose a Thai place and were not at all disappointed - reasonable prices (cheaper than USA but more than average Filipino restaurants), wonderful food and good portions and service. It doesn't get better than that!

And Mick was very correct - Makati has several Green Belt park/mall areas that have many good restaurants - some of them are Filipino and inexpensive and some go right up there in price - but all are in short walking distance once you get there. Makati is a modern, clean, neat, safe environment - as is much of Cebu.

The OP was asking about other countries with good food? I strongly suggest Vietnam for incredible food, much of which can be reasonably priced. They use so many fresh herbs, spices and veggies and there is a marriage of sorts with Asian food and French cuisine. You can pay upwards of US$50 for a dinner for two, in the nicer places, not including drinks...otherwise, you can have decent fair for maybe US$12-15? And the local pho soup is to die for...so good!

Edited September 19, 2019 by Tommy T.
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[sonjack2847]

I have found a few half tidy foreign themed restaurants here in Dumaguete, but that is all they are nice food but not the real thing. I get disappointed when I pay 5-700 pesos for a meal and it is soso. The German food is getting better here and there is a place which does again half tidy Vietnamese food although the choice is very limited.

Cebu city had some very good places to eat when I lived there I found a Chinese restaurant that was as good as it was in the UK unfortunately I don`t remember where it was as it was 9 years ago. There is a place on Ramos st selling Indian spices so all is not lost.

 

Edited September 18, 2019 by sonjack2847
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[Guest jerry921]

21 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Philippines is not noted for its food.  There is food here.  Thats all I have to say about that. 

Well one more thing, going to the Philippines for the food would be a bit like going to Alaska for the weather.  They got some, but you're not gonna like it.

That's pretty much what I was afraid of. I was trying to be polite when I asked just in case... I'm by no means a foodie, I can't cook so I eat out all the time. And I'm a little picky so I tend to end up with a short list of favorite restaurants where I go once a week and order the same thing every time. Right now I'm eating too many hamburgers for my own good. One thing I miss about the US is those all-you-can-eat salad bar places. 

I guess I'll take heart that there are those of you who think the food isn't good and are surviving there. Somehow that's more promising than if everyone living there said they loved Filipino food when everyone not living there says the food is no good. 

Well, like I said, the Philippines checks a lot of my boxes, but food is a worry. Not a deal breaker until I get there and try it for a while, but it seems like a known downside.

 

[scott h]

23 hours ago, jerry921 said:

I don't know anything about Filipino food.

Lucky dog,,,,,,i would give my left hanging one for some real Mexican food,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,but I was raised in San Diego so go figure.

I also am not partial to Philippine cuisine there are a few dishes I like.

As to the other foods you mentioned, I will just say the closer you are to a Large sity the larger the choices. I live in Metro Manila and could eat in all the places (except Indian) that you listed daily and not break a sweat. As in real estate, here in the Phil. is all about Location, location, location 

good luck 

 

[graham59]

Learn how to cook, would be my recommendation. I'm self-taught. Spares me from putting any of the local orrible 'food' in my mouth.  

Anything else you think you might like about the Philippines ?  

[Tommy T.]

23 minutes ago, scott h said:

Lucky dog,,,,,,i would give my left hanging one for some real Mexican food,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,but I was raised in San Diego so go figure.

 

Let me know when, Scott, and I will make you some killer Tex-Mex burritos or enchiladas! Tequila is extra... and you can keep your hanging one - already have some...

Edited September 19, 2019 by Tommy T.

[Tommy T.]

2 hours ago, jerry921 said:

Somehow that's more promising than if everyone living there said they loved Filipino food when everyone not living there says the food is no good. 

Okay... I will stick my neck out here a bit.

I am okay with a lot of Filipino foods - adobo, pancit, lechon (roast pork), kinilaw (! my absolute favourite - similar to poisin cru), ampalaya and many others which names I cannot remember, but soups, shrimp, yellowfin tuna (always fresh but pricey now at about US$11/kilo, so $5/pound? Find that in USA!) among others. There is actually quite a variety but many of them seem a bit similar to my taste. Sorry, boys, but I really do like a lot of these foods...

For me, I just don't want them for every meal. I love the pork, can leave the rice mostly (trying to keep to low-carb diet). I am learning how to cook some of the local foods - it's part of the experience! Pork, chicken, soy sauce, carbs are some of the main foods. It's not like the relatively lighter foods in Mexico. The local beer (San Miguel) is wonderful, spirits are cheap, wines moderately to high priced depending on source and quality, of course.

And Jerry... there are lots of places that make burgers - some better than others - you would just need to try them out and see what works for you. Prices and quality and taste will vary... As Graham said, you could learn how to cook at least something? Creating your own superburger is pretty simple and not at all expensive. My SO, L loves the burritos I make - they are one of her favourite foods and, again, not difficult to prepare.

Cook something like that for a pretty Filipina and you might very well either get lucky or find a potential spouse!

Good luck to you! 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Tommy T.
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