CnC Living Travel Log: Manila Styles, part 3 of 3 – food and a road trip to Baguio

January 18, 2010

Finally onto the food – one of my tops reasons for traveling.  Filipino cuisine is somewhat of a mixture between Chinese and Spanish foods so you can get a nice mix of tastes that incorporate everything from soy sauce to adobo (or actually vinegar).  There is also great seafood cooked in a variety of ways as well (grilled, marinated in vinegar, fried.).

Snacking is also popular, in fact so popular that Merienda, or a late afternoon snack, is an expected part of the day and a great time to meet up with friends or family.  So we had a lot of opportunities to eat our way through Manila. A. LOT.

Hmm, wonder where my holiday weight gain came from…

First up, my favorite snack – halo halo.  Shaved ice, jackfruit, cereal, random colored jelly, ice cream, sometimes flan or corn.  It’s crazy, colorful deliciousness, especially at Iceberg restaurant.

Chicharron (fried pork rinds eaten by dipping in vinegar) is a popular snack on the savory end. Tasty but I couldn’t bring any back because we’re trying to eat more healthily and fried pork fat doesn’t rate too highly on the food pyramid.

I also recommend a few restaurants:
O’sonho is a Portugese restaurant in the Eastwood Mall complex.  They had excellent food incorporating the peri peri pepper.  Million dollar peri peri chicken dreams for under $5 (or whatever other food “dreams” they served).

At TriNoma, we had some fantastic dessert at Five Cows.  They have savory snacks and lots of dessert options that combined pastries with ice cream like our apple crumble for less than $3.  Yum!
I would also recommend “Little Tokyo”.  It was a hidden treasure near Green Belt mall.  It is an open area of a mix of Japanese restaurants that allow you to seamlessly order sushi from 1 restaurant and wagyu beef from another.  It was pricier at $20-$30 but authentic and delicious.
We also went on a road trip to Baguio which is a historic city North of Manila.  It is known for its mild climate and is the “Summer capital of the Philippines”
There were lovely mountain views and the corresponding cool weather (ahh so necessary after experiencing the 80+ degree weather in Manila).
  
It is a long drive up the mountain but vendors sell grilled coconut wrapped in banana leaves on the roads.  Mmmm, eating a few of these was definitely a good way to pass the time.

It’s a lovely city.  There are however touches of commercialism though that contrast with the serene mountains. E.g. the country’s most famous fried chicken chain, Jollibee, proudly displays its sign as you wind your way up the mountains.

But of course there was also the familiar nods to religion.  The simple and beautiful Pink Sister Convent is also nearby and the country’s current president is said to visit when she is in the area (the presidential summer mansion is there and they were holding a cabinet meeting when we visited!)
After a few days in Baguio, we were back to Manila.  I loved going up North and experiencing the weather and sites from a different region.  The Philippines has such diversity and I hope to see more of it next time.
Until then, I’ll have to relax and dream of my next vacation.
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  • Bicoastal Bride January 19, 2010 at 00:24

    That apple crumble looks delicious!

  • Maria Killam January 19, 2010 at 01:03

    That ice cream concoction looks so yummy–I would love to have one!

  • Jbreezybaby January 19, 2010 at 01:34

    awwww… i havent been to the philippines in awhile now! I miss it soo much 🙁 I love banguio, I love picking strawberries on the foggy field! (yes! at that time it was foggy!) Thank you for the comment dear! Yes it feels really good having that breakthrough from OCD.

  • Lisa Marie January 19, 2010 at 01:45

    What a journey! The food pics made my mouth completely salivate:P

  • Nina (Femme Rationale) January 19, 2010 at 01:47

    u reminded me that i haven’t had halo halo in a really long time. now i’m craving it…

  • bananas. January 19, 2010 at 01:49

    your photos are so cool. the colorful ice cream and jelly is so pretty. i don’t think i would even eat it, it’s so pretty.

  • Chocolate Lover January 19, 2010 at 02:48

    Love all the pictures! Thanks for sharing! Grilled coconut huh…

  • A Los Angeles Love January 19, 2010 at 04:25

    No fair. I totally want to try halo halo right now. I just discovered Jackfruit AND shaved ice, and you can never go wrong with ice cream. Now I want to know how they all taste together.

  • honey my heart January 19, 2010 at 08:04

    mmm, halohalo is one of my all time favorite desserts! looks like you had an awesome visit and got to see so many fun places/taste so much good food! thanks for posting about your trip. i was living vicariously through you 🙂

  • Sher January 19, 2010 at 16:00

    Oh my! you’re making me hungry 🙂 Love those photos. Wish I could travel there some day.

  • Midtown Girl January 19, 2010 at 17:58

    What beautiful pictures darling! And that slice of cake has my mouth watering 😉

    YES – we definitely have to make fabulous plans when you come to NYC…can’t wait! XOXO

  • THE ALTERNATIVE WIFE January 19, 2010 at 21:37

    i’m starving now!!! everything sounds delicious! i want the halo halo NOW and the grilled coconut sounds amazing. i’m a coconut freak. i’ve never had Filipino cuisine. totally gonna have to give it a try 🙂

  • STYLEEZTA January 19, 2010 at 23:02

    I love BAGUIO city! and HALO HALO of course! MABUHAY!!

  • Leah January 19, 2010 at 23:09

    You satisfied your halo-halo craving. I love the USB. Where did you buy it?

  • Shop N' Chomp January 20, 2010 at 03:12

    I hope to try that grilled coconut wrapped in banana leaves one day!

  • Jessica January 22, 2010 at 04:58

    I’m with you on the food! I love trying food when traveling. My brother is in the Army and he’s currently stationed in South Korea. He recently sent over a box of treats and soju – a rice vodka. I had no idea what it was and thought was juice. I’m glad I e-mailed him for clarification first!

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