Dining in Manilla

I know the standard joke is you do not go to Manilla for the food and I would agree.
This being said , I thought I might pass along a little knowledge and experience I gained in a recent 12 day trip to Manilla. The prices are very reasonable compared to American standards and over all with one exception I encountered no health problems. Manilla is full of your standard American Fast food places-all stocked with cuties and all with an armed security guard or two.

Here are a few places that I tried and liked.

Aristocrats on the corner of Roxas Blvd on the bay-there are branches but go here-very good barbecued chicken and Java rice-typical of Manilla there is an armed guard with a semi automatic rifle at the door with a sign saying check your weapons. The Menu has pictures of most of the entrees =barbecued chicken is the specialty- It is a big place with a friendly feel to it-the barbecue chicken was 150 pesos-maybe $4.00 with a drink. They have a wide variety of items on the menu. They have been in business over fifty years.
They also serve a number of fruit drinks and have a full bar. A decent fun place to go and a Manilla girl will like it and feel she is being well treated when taken there.

Max’s-all over town-basically a chicken place-decent clean sit down place-not fancy by any means but not a dump also-also has a wide menu-good friendly service and crowded at lunch. A OK place you will go back to if you are near one at meal time. Cheaper than Aristocrats and less fancy. Also has an armed guard

Goldilocks-all over town-basically a Phillipino fast food place-good change to try dishes at a fair price in a very clean environment-also a bakery-prices very reasonable-kind of a cafeteria style

Kamayan Restaurant- Padre Faura in Ermita area of great Manilla-very good splurge buffet-great place to try all sorts of things-also has sushi and very good western meats-a higher quality place than any of the others and worth going our of your way to try. They have eight branches including some in the big malls but this is the original location. Very good services- Cost was maybe $8.00 USA per person.

Barrio Festa-over priced and quality low-all over town

Jollibee’s -fast food and all over Manilla-not bad and the price is right-

SM food mart-don’t recall which booth but I got some bad food in here.

Turtle Blood Mixed With Wine - A Favorite Drink in Manila

A favorite dish of foreigners is the sea turtle, called pawikan, an endangered species.

One restaurant serving pawikan was the Natures Hot Pot Restaurant, ground floor, Hobbies of Asia Plaza, Macapagal Avenue, Pasay City.

The plaza is about five long blocks away from the Mall of Asia. The plaza is in an area along Manila Bay that contains many restaurants and stalls selling fresh-caught seafood and vegetables. One typical custom is to buy fresh seafood from a vendor and take it to an adjacent restaurant to have the seafood cooked immediately.

However, one warning is to watch carefully on whether the restaurant cooked and served your entire purchase of seafood. One Filipino retiree told me that one restaurant served him and his wife about a quarter of what he purchased and, after he complained, served about a third, considerable less than what his dressed seafood should have been.

Local authorities raided Natures Hot Pot Restaurant on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 and arrested the owner, manager and cook for violation of a wildlife law. They face six months to two years of imprisonment and a fine up to one million pesos. Seven sea turtles were found, of which two were alive and the others were dead, with two already chopped up.

Some believe that turtle blood aids virility.

Source: Manila Bulletin, Thursday, June 3, 2010, page B-6.

Does anybody remember the name of the place that is about a half block down the street from Manila Bay Café that has tasty Shwarma's? Is it still there? Ilove those things when in Ermita.

Don't remember the name, but it is still there less than 30 yards away. I eat there whenever I'm in the neighborhood. I alway's get the 3 shwarmas special for I forget 100 Piso's?

shwarmas -WTF, sounds like a terible STD !

I always make sure my Shawarmas are properly wrapped. I have never had a problem with Shawarmas in the Philippines. I like Shawarmas allot. I always get my Shawarmas from SSC in Angeles City.

I call BS, IAS. You've never had anything wrapped in AC. In fact, the menu at SSC has the "IAS Special Shwarma: all the meat, no wrap."

In fact they do have a "Sizzling Shawarma" on the menu which is apparently served unwrapped, with the wrappings on the side. However I never opt for the "Sizzling Shawarma" because it costs 3 or 4 times as much, and I am quite satisfied with the more economical ordinary wrapped Shawarmas.

Hahaha. nice post Bwana. Anyway, was dsydreaming because my next trip isn't til October.

I miss those damn Shwarma's in addition to the girls of course.

Quite tasty and economical.

You're referring to the girls, of course, Wanderlust.

Quite tasty and economical. - I'm pretty sure he means the girls