Must Try Food in the Philippines

As someone who loves food, often times my friends will ask me for advice on all types of different foods including food in the Philippines.  I have been exposed to eating different foods since I was a child.  Often times even made fun of for what I ate because I grew up in an Asian household which consisted of a lot of food many people have not been exposed to.  Thankfully, I have always been willing to try new and different foods.  I am always willing to try it more than once because maybe the place I tried it at didn’t provide the best experience or it wasn’t seasoned well or prepared correctly.

I have traveled to the Philippines 9 times and I have found that these foods below are some of my favorite Filipino food.  In Filipino culture, food is the heart and soul of bringing families together. Food in the Philippines often times means wealth and good health to many families which is why holidays and fiestas are surrounded by food. For example, the New Year in the Philippines is celebrated with families and it is good luck to have a table full of food and to eat at midnight. Many of these dishes in the states are very Americanized, however, beware that sometimes these dishes can be a lot greasier than what we may be accustomed to. Here are my must-try foods in the Philippines, enjoy!

Food in the Philippines

Kinilaw

Now, this is my favorite Food in the Philippines hands down.  This is typically a Visayan dish so you usually won’t find this dish in Manila since it isn’t a common Filipino Food here but you will find it more in places like Cebu, Mindanao and all the Visayan areas.  This dish is pretty much a raw fish almost like a poke style dish or fish ceviche.  It is covered and sauced with vinegar, ginger, salt, and peppers.

Chicken aka Lechon Manok

The staple dish of the Philippines is usually Chicken and Rice. You can find this everywhere.  Usually, they will provide you with some sort of soy sauce and vinegar on the tables or mixture combination with small hot chili peppers that you break apart and place in this soy sauce mixture.  In the Philippines, it is very common to eat with your hands, so usually, you take the chicken and dip it in the sauce and eat it with some rice.

Pork aka Lechon 

Another staple dish of the Philippines is Pork and Rice. You eat this the same or similar to the chicken dish above.

Adobo

Adobo is a very common, well-known and popular food in the Philippines.  It is very common in the United States and in some Filipino Restaurants.  However, certain restaurants have certain foods in the Philippines. For example, chicken is very common in the Philippines but to get a grilled chicken, you might want to find at Lechon Manok stand.

Sinigang

This dish is a sour soup with a lot of flavors. It is filled with cabbage and typically meat like beef. This is a very traditional food in the Philippines. Ultimately, I love ordering this at a restaurant especially if my stomach isn’t doing too well.  It has a very citrusy or sour flavor that makes it enjoyable.

Balut

Balut is what most foreigners are afraid to try that it is a delicacy in the Philippines. It is more of street food and is the well known boiled duck embryo.

Shanghai Lumpia

Shanghai Lumpia is my favorite type of lumpia. Lumpia is a Filipino version of an egg roll.  It definitely has a Chinese influence.  The Shanghai Lumpia is short and small that is filled with mostly meat.

Pancit

Pancit is a very common dish in the Philippines.  This dish is made up of rice noodles, cabbage, peas, carrots, and typically chicken.  This dish is most popular in the United States and can be very similar to chow mein.

Seafood

If you want fresh seafood, the Philippines is the best place to get it.  Although, you won’t get it with a side of butter.  Some of my favorite dishes are crab and shrimp with a curried sauce.

Sizzling Squid

This is probably my dad’s favorite dish.  He loves ordering this and it can be with a sweet sauce or just grilled to eat. He loves to eat it by itself or with rice. Furthermore, it has a nice smoky flavor if cooked well and on a grill. Sometimes, they will just place it on a sizzling plate which is different than the way the one pictured above is cooked.

Garlic Rice

This is my favorite kind of rice.  Garlic rice is such a basic staple and can be found anywhere.  It is just rice that has been placed in a pan with cooked garlic and mixed together.  It adds so much more flavor to all the meat you will in the Philippines.

Drinks:

Buko Juice in a Shell

Buko Juice in a shell is just a fresh coconut with coconut juice.  It is hands down my favorite drink to get in the Philippines. If you have had coconut water in the Philippines, similarly that is what this tastes like.  In particular, what I like most about Buko Juice is being able to scrape out the coconut pieces on the inside and eat them.

Bo’s Coffee

Instead of Starbucks Coffee (which they still have in many of the major cities of the Philippines such as Manila and Cebu City), this is the Philippines version of Starbucks Coffee. Be sure to check out some of their cute little places.

Tanduay Rhum

This is the most popular hard alcohol in the Philippines.  Tanduay is very popular that you will see signs and ads of this brand scattered all over the Philippines.

Tanduay Ice

This is the same brand as the Rhum but this drink tastes similar to a Mike’s Hard Lemonade. This drink is absolutely delicious and refreshing for those hot and humid nights in the Philippines