- Hey guys!
I'm Erwan and I create food and travel documentaries. I'm actually a local
from Metro Manila and I realized
I've never done a guide to where to eat in Manila. It is always terrifying
to do a food guide especially in the country
and the city you were born in. But today, I want
to show you kind of like the perfect spots
to eat if you only have 24 hours to spend
in Manila. So this video is not
about what to do in Metro Manila
but more so about what to eat
and where to eat it. Statistics have shown
that most visitors actually stay
between 24 to 48 hours in Metro Manila
before going off to a beautiful mountain
or beach provinces. But before we dig in,
first, a little note about neighborhoods. This video is brought to you
by Smart's new prepaid eSIM. Even if you're not
in the country yet, you can get it online
in your emails which is extremely convenient. That way when you land
in the Philippines, you can have all your internet
and data needs covered. Metropolitan Manila
or Metro Manila is massive. More than 14 million people
officially call it home and it's composed
of 16 cities and one municipality. I'm only going to tell you
about the ones that visitors should consider
staying in. Makati City known
as the central business district is perfect for business
or leisure travelers. It's filled with shopping malls,
restaurants, hotels, and lots of Airbnbs. The night life is vibrant
especially around Poblacion. Quezon City is the largest
in Metro Manila. It's a great option
for those looking for a mix of residential,
art, and commercial areas. The areas are a little spread out
and it's quite far from the main airport. So if you're here
for a short period of time, I would not consider it. Manila City,
the historic heart of the country. Manila is rich in culture
and history. Intramuros,
the old walled city, takes you back in time. Chinatown and museums
aren't far away as well. Traffic can be
a challenge here and there isn't much
night life. Taguig City,
or specifically home to Bonifacio Global City BGC,
Taguig is a modern and upscale area. BGC is a financial
and lifestyle district with skyscrapers,
trendy bars and restaurants, and a lively atmosphere. Pasig City and Mandaluyong
are other options you can consider. The hotel rates
are slightly lower than Makati and BGC,
yet you are not far from both those cities. You will always have malls
and tons of eating options, however, a little more
spread out. Finally, Pasay City. It's the closest area
to the airport and if you are really limited
with time, you could stay here. There are massive malls,
casinos, and hotels in this area. My personal opinion is that
if you're here for only 36 to 48 hours
as most passengers are, it's to stay in BGC or Makati. You are 30 minutes away
from the NAIA Airport, have access
to the widest array of night life, restaurants,
shops, and you'll be quite central
to reach the other cities in the Metro. The Malate area used
to be a night life and art hotspot. That has since changed
and now you can find some great Korean restaurants
around here and some hidden gems. Cafe Adriatico
is a cultural landmark. Opened in the late '70s
in the style of Parisian cafe, these walls have seen Manila
change around it. Breakfast is an important meal
in the Philippines and while you can get
sweet options and breads in both local
and imported pastry shops, if you want to eat
like a local, the silog is your best bet. Cafe Adriatico
1790 M. Adriatico Street Malate, Manila So one of the reasons
I like to come here is that
'cause it's picturesque. Like you feel like
you are in an old part of Manila even though
there has been a lot of development
around this area. It can get quite packed
and messy outside, but it's still really beautiful
to have to kind of like this terrace here. If you go up
to the second floor, it's absolutely gorgeous
and inside as wel, and it's just kind
of like a slice of old Manila that I think that
if you haven't been to Philippines
or if you don't come here often, it's a nice thing to see. Since we're starting off
with breakfast, for me, if you're here,
you have to watch out for anything
that says 'silog'. So basically just any types
of proteins that have and are served
with garlic rice, and then some sort
of egg, whether it be scrambled
or fried eggs. We will add a full list
of all our recommendations plus, plus in our website
as well in the caption below so that you have
kind of like options in terms of where to go
to have some of the best silogs
in Manila. I just thought
that this was a great place to start simply
because they do have a breakfast menu option. I do see usually
a lot of cyclists and bikers coming here to eat
in the morning. And they have the full gamut
of the silogs that you might like to try. I always like longganisa
which is kind of a sausage that we love here
from different provinces around the Philippines.
It can be really spicy, it can be sweet,
it can be really briny and salty. It really depends
what you're into. This is from vegan
which is a beautiful heritage town in Ilocos Sur,
and that's usually served with kind of like
a relish of pickled onions or vinegared onions
and tomatoes, and then your rice. The garlic rice
is always super key 'cause it helps tame
the vinegar that you add to it. Longganisa, it's one
of those things if you eat it now,
in a couple hours, it'll still come out
when you burp 'cause there's so much garlic
in each bite. It's really good. Next, we have beef tapa. So another really common
one you'd find. Another one would be
pork tocino which is like a sweetened pork.
Beef tapa is kind of like a marinated beef
with soy, lots of garlics as well. If you're Filipino
and you're watching this, you probably know
these things by heart already. But for this video
also hopefully helps kind of like some
of our foreigner and tourist friends
that come to the Philippines and want to try
our food as well. Let's give that a try. Always that perfect bite
of rice, protein, and our pickles. That with our perfectly cooked
fried egg. So since we are surrounded
by the sea, we have a lot of fish. And one of our favorite ways
to cook fish is paksiw which is basically
to cook in vinegar. So this might be really strange
for some people to eat in the morning,
but fish in the morning is a thing here. You can have fish
in silog form as well, usually dried fish
that's refried and served to the garlic rice
and the egg, or you can have it
like this which is paksiw which is stewed in vinegar
and ginger, other aromatics. It's probably one
of my favorite things to eat. If you're not used to it,
do get ready for a very like strong vinegar
kind of taste. But it's beautifully savory. And that's why you need
a lot of rice to go with it. When I was thinking
about this video, I actually had to really,
really think about it 'cause Metro Manila
is such a big city and it's so varied
with what you could eat and where you can eat. But the way I was thinking
about it was if you don't have much time
to spend in Manila and you're using it
as a transition point or transit point
before going to the islands or other countries
in Southeast Asia, you'll probably want
to spend most of your time around here
in Manila and Old Manila 'cause that's where you see
kind of like the most culturally significant
monuments that we have, as well as the museums
and places like Intramuros and Chinatown
which are great places to visit. So that's why I wanted
to focus on breakfast, lunch, dinner places
that kind of surround and hover around this area. A few steps away
from Cafe Adriatico and through
the Manila Korea Town, you'll find one
of the most popular and busiest eateries
in the Metro. Any time of the day,
this place will be full. At night, expect lots
of smoke and lines out the door. Jim's Pares
Maria Orosa, Malate, Manila This is a place
that we've shot multiple times now
and it's just because we want to keep coming back
because the food here is so good
and it's just such great value for money. So it is a couple of steps
away from Cafe Adriatico and is definitely
a more local experience. You come here either
in the morning, at lunch, or at night. It's open 24/7.
It is always pumping. They're really known
for their pares usok which just means
kind of like smoke. It's a beautiful beef stew/soup
depending on where you get it.
Sometimes it's thick, sometimes it's liquid
like here. That's usually served
with some chives, aromatics that are cooked in
like star anise and stuff and some beautiful rice
and some chili, in this case,
and some egg. For those of you
who really love kind of like your street food
and stuff, this is just a great option. And what I love
about this place, it is always so generous
with their beef, with their bones,
with their bone marrow, with their rice. Which explains why
they get packed all the time. So when researching food
in the Philippines, a lot of you might expect
what you see in Thailand or Vietnam
where there's a lot of kind of like street eateries
with outside eating when you don't have kind
of like spaces to dine and you're standing up. We have that here
but usually in market setups, but not so much
on the street. Usually we have eateries
where you can kind of go inside a shop
or a location and sit down
and eat inside. But on the outdoors,
we have kind of like fish balls and barbeque sticks
sometimes. But this is kind
of like the stereotypical setup in terms of Southeast Asian
street food, and this is why I kind
of like coming here because it's kind of wide. You have space to eat
and they serve one type of dish, or two types
which is the pares with rice or the pares with noodles, and they always do it well
and really good each time. So if you want
that street food experience in the Philippines,
this is a great place to get it. Let's try that bone marrow.
Look at that. Absolutely full. Good for the heart,
good for the soul. Should you want to taste
some delicacies from the southern island
of Mindanao in the Philippines, Manila has a few eateries
you can try. Closer to the Manila Mosque,
you'll find June-Nairah Halal Food. And around this area
of the city, you'll find Dulang (1313 Adriatico Street ) The food here
is very different from what you'll try
in the rest of the country, and tourism wise,
Mindanao is still very much under the radar. So trying the food here
from these regions can help pique your interest. Asides from the cathedral,
the bay, and all the museums in Manila, Intramuros
is probably the reason you are here. Manila's historic walled city
is a captivating time capsule of Spanish colonial
architecture and culture. Enclosed
by massive stone walls, it houses landmarks
like Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church,
and charming cobblestone streets. Steeped in history,
it offers a glimpse into the Philippines past
showcasing centuries old churches,
dungeons, and one of the few
beautifully preserved structures we have left. It also hides one
of my favorite coffee shops in the country. Papa Kape
The Aljibe de la Fuerza, Fort Santiago, Intramuros, Manila The coffee scene
in the Philippines is absolutely massive. And there's so many articles
and lists online, but I very rarely see
Papakape on there. But I think it's one
of the most beautiful coffee shops in the country. It's probably one
of my favorites to come to even though I don't come
to it too often because I don't live
too closely here traffic wise. But when you do come here,
it is such a special occasion and it's such a special feeling
'cause you're literally in the middle of Fort Santiago,
surrounded by history and kind of like
these old structures and old stones
and it's so peaceful and quiet in such
a bustling and busy city, and it kind of gives you
the perfect, I mean, excuse to come here
not only for their good coffee but also to do a tour
and kind of learn about our colonial history
with the Spanish, you know, for a couple
hundreds of years. And you get good coffee
at the same time. So I think if you want
to have coffee in the Philippines,
I'll put a list of all the really great coffee shops
that we have, but this is probably one
of the most special for me. This is their taho
which is really good. Taho is a very popular
Filipino streetside drink snack I would call it,
because it's arnibal which is kind of like
a deep sugar caramel syrup which is mixed in
with some sort of soy bean, tofu, not really tofu,
and then some tapioca or sago pearls
in there as well. Usually had for breakfast. So this with some oatmeal
and some coffee is quite nice. Then, another really popular
Filipino drink is gulaman which are kind of like
these jellies over here. So again, here with some sago
and some jelly. With a lot of sweetness
but it's quite nice for people who like
sweet drinks. These are chia seeds,
not sago. Very nice. And then finally,
I just got the regular Americano. Great drinks,
perfect place to get that mid-morning coffee. They open around 9:00 a.m. Or come here after lunch
or right before sunset. It does get quite packed
usually around 3:00, 4:00, or 5:00 p.m. That's when you have
the most visitors coming to this area
because the heat isn't as aggressive, and you get a beautiful sunset
also on the Manila Bay area. If you're really into coffee
and snacks, you will be spoiled
for choice in Metro Manila. We will add
our recommendations in the list in the caption
and on our website. Metro Manila
is an absolute massive city and if you don't have data
while you're going around here
and you don't really know the streets quite well,
it does get a little confusing. So even if you're just walking
if you're looking for restaurants,
I really, really do suggest that you get a data plan
so that you can use Google Maps
and your favorite apps. And obviously,
you're travelling so you want to take pictures
and upload them and send them
to your loved ones and friends and family,
and so you could watch videos like this as well, as well as book
any kind of like last minute plane tickets
that you might since the aviation sector here
gets quite interesting. So it's really a necessity
that I think all of you should have. This video is obviously
brought to you by Smart
and their prepaid eSIM. What's great about the eSIM
is that you can get it online. So if you buy it online
and then you register, you'll get a QR code
on your email, you scan that
and basically you'll have your SIM card ready
when you land in the Philippines, and then you can load it up
with however much pesos you want to use
which is extremely convenient so that you never
really lose data connectivity. The other way you can get it
is a physical card as well in different kiosks and stuff. But obviously if you're coming
from abroad, you're better off doing
that registration online. It's actually
really simple to do, a couple of clicks
and you're done. So you just have to go
on this website here, it explains exactly
what an eSIM is. So you basically can activate
a Smart cellular plan without using a physical SIM
which is really great. So the Smart prepaid eSIM
has the same preload value as regular Smart prepaid SIMs
with up to 21GB of data at a Php99 SRP
which is a really good deal. So all you have to do,
a couple steps, so the first thing
is you want to add the prepaid eSIM via email
to your cart. Next step is enter
your mobile number and your email address. And then finally,
input the email verification or OTP code. And then, you will get
the payment screen where you can actually
do the payment. And once you've done that,
you should get the QR code via email. Once you scan it,
you're basically good to go and the eSIM
will be installed and you are data ready. Finally, you are ready
to activate depending on what phone you are using. Very simple. You scan it, it'll open up
a mobile plan page, it'll tell you
where you want to install the eSIM, whether your phone
or your watch, and then eventually
your eSIM will be enabled in your SIM card manager. Cabel's
1153 J.P. Laurel Street corner Aguado Street, San Miguel, Manila Staying in the area,
Cabel's probably your best bet to get
a glimpse into traditional and regional Filipino cuisine. It's also quite new,
yet has retained lots of old school charm. So in Metro Manila in general,
whether you're in Makati, Taguig, in Manila,
Quezon City, San Juan, any of kind of like
the cities within that form Metro Manila,
you'll find lots of restaurants that serve kind of like broad
Filipino food coming from all
the different regions, right? We have 82 provinces
I believe now in the Philippines which is quite a lot. And a lot
of that regional cuisine is extremely different
from one another, but you also have kind
of like these base dishes that are ever present
in all these provinces. For the longest time
in these restaurants, you would find
what we call Tagalog cuisine which are things
like your adobo or kind of like
those really popular dishes you would see
throughout menus in Filipino restaurants,
not only here in the country but throughout the world. But we have three major
kind of like areas in the Philippines.
We have Luzon, we have the Visayas,
and we have Mindanao. And usually Mindanaoan
and Visayan food isn't as well represented
nationwide. So we would always kind
of have this repeat Tagalog dishes in most restaurants... in most Filipino restaurants
in Metro Manila. Why I like coming to Cabel, is that they have dishes
from all of those three islands and really represent kind
of like the whole Philippine map and the whole
Philippine culinary map which I think
is really important because it showcases
the diversity of our culture, it showcases our history
through our eras of colonization and trade, and ultimately gives you
a better picture and a more general idea
of the country and kind of like
the opportunity that we have in terms of food
and the flavors that we have. So I ordered some
of my favorites but I've already had
kind of like some of their Tausug dishes here
like their Tiyula Itum which is a really nice
blackened coconut beef soup that's usually had in areas
around the Sulu Sea. I ordered that last time
but this time, I'm going with the classic
tortang talong with some banana ketchup. I have some ukoy here. I have some beef kolma. This is, again,
from the southern region of Mindanao
which is our version of a beef curry. And then, obviously
I have an adobo which you should always try
wherever you are in the country
'cause the adobos are always different
which is always really fun to figure out
which is your favorite. Tortang talong first. And little touches
like the rice has some bubuk on it which is a Tausug spice
from Sulu. And it's nice to see that
being integrated. Let's try the beef kolma
with some potatoes here. See, these are the spices
usually you would not kind of like encounter
in your day-to-day Filipino food, but it's just so lovely
seeing it and tasting it. What more in terms
of locations, you're right next
to Malacañang Palace which is where the president
works or lives... and works and lives. So that's where
they work and live. So you're not too far
from the Old Manila area and you're not too far
from Chinatown, the Binondo area. And you're in a heritage house
which is absolutely gorgeous, so it kind of shows you
the architecture of the time
when Manila was called the Pearl of the Orient. So again, depending
where you are in the Philippines, basic ingredient here,
most prominent ingredient should be vinegar. And then after that,
it's kind of like up to the cook
and up to the province where you're eating it, what kind of proteins used,
what kind of spices are used. Sometimes soy is used,
sometimes it isn't. Sometimes atsuete
or annatto seeds are used, sometimes they aren't. Sometimes coconut milk is used,
sometimes it isn't. So this is a more kind
of like garlicky version which is quite nice. Finally, our ukoy. So again, depending
on the province where you have this. It's kind of like a Japanese... You know Japanese have
the kakiage which is kind of like a mixed
vegetable style tempura that's mixed with lots
of different vegetables? Here, depending
on where you are, you'll have pumpkin,
you'll have sweet potatoes. Sometimes it's clumpy
like a fish cake, sometimes it's really airy
and crispy. I like this one
'cause it's kind of like airy. That's usually mixed in
with like a corn starch or a flour slurry, and then shrimp. But you can have
some versions without shrimp as well. Always with
a nice vinegar dip. If you aren't pressed
for time and want to brave the crowds, heading over to Binondo
or the oldest Chinatown in the world
is an experience. The Filipino-Chinese community
is huge and truly embedded in our local culture. So you'll find
some amazing dishes that have since
been localized and embraced. Carlo's Bacolod Chicken House Express CHE
114 K Savana Market, Metropolitan Avenue, Chino Roces Ave. Makati If you look
into my recommendations, I told you to stay either
in Makati and Taguig and the reason behind that
is 'cause all your creature comforts
are around those areas. And if you do want
to experience kind of a more cosmopolitan side
of Metro Manila which I think has its merits
in its own in terms of really good restaurants
and really good coffee shops, higher end eateries,
if that's your thing, at least being
in a central area like Makati and Taguig
where you're not too far from the airport either
is just a good place to base yourself off. So if you spend
your whole day in Manila and you decided or not
to pass by Chinatown and Binondo
to have some snacks, then you're going
to come through back into Makati
and this is probably the area you're going
to come through in. And one of my favorite
chicken inasal places is actually here. We went here, I think,
five years ago, that was the last time
their name changed and their branding changed
a little bit but the food is just as good. Inasal is my favorite
grilled chicken dish from the whole country. If you come
to the Philippines, barbeque is a big, big thing,
and this is my favorite type of Filipino barbeque
that comes from the areas of like Bacolod and Iloilo
where they do a lot of beautiful inasal dishes. Marinated chicken
usually with some soy, some acid in forms
of like calamansi or batuan sometimes even, and lots
of different aromatics. Always served
with beautiful chicken oil. You want to put a lot of that. Then, sauce culture
in the Philippines and dipping culture
is very, very key. Crush those red peppers
depending on how spicy you want this to be. You go ahead and press in
your calamansi juice. To that, we add
some soy sauce. If you want to add
some chili sinamak or some vinegar
with some spices in it, feel free to do so as well. Extra garlic over here,
some salt on the side which is a nice touch,
which I quite like. Let's try this out. Let's try
without anything first. Still as good
as I remember it. Honestly, in Metro Manila,
for me this is the best inasal. You could find
some delicious ones in Iloilo or in Negros Island. But if you're not going
to go visit these areas, this is one
of those restaurants I highly recommend. The rice is perfectly cooked. I love the crunchy garlic. Chicken oil is basically
rendered chicken fat with annatto and flavoring, and it makes any bowl
of rice absolutely perfect. If you want to be
extremely cheeky, you can add chicken oil too
or chicken. So at night, a couple
of other neighborhoods you can check out
is the area of Poblacion or Salcedo
or Legazpi Village or even downtown BGC. Lots of cosmopolitan stuff
happening there, lots of good energy. If you want something
a bit fringe, a bit different, you can go all the way up
to Cubao Ex but depending
on what time you go, the traffic
can be really bad if you are staying
in these areas. And I will put a full list
of recommendations in and around these cities
that you can check out of some really tried
and tested restaurants and bars that
are really good. And hopefully,
that list helps you out with your next trip to Manila. So again, remember
to get that Smart prepaid eSIM and just enjoy
the Philippines. And I hope you really,
really leave with amazing memories,
great experiences, and amazing bites of food.
