One of the best casual meals I've had in Manila. Chicken katsu was crispy, Korean style pork was…read morevery delicious and the Banana Rhuma sweet lumpia was incredible. I couldn't remember what it was called, so I looked it up just now and learned that this place is the birthplace of the recipe! Wow! Totally recommend.

Mang Tootz is a large carinderia just beside UST. It is also absolutely the best carinderia in the…read morewhole wide world. While other carinderias settle themselves with the usual fare, Mang Tootz serves dishes nobody would even dream of sticking in a virtual hole-in-the-wall. The place is absolutely brilliant. The joint first became famous because of their Chicken Tenders, and after having them for myself, it's not hard to see why. Tender, juicy, delicious, with just the right amount of breading, these tenders wouldn't be out of place in a more upscale restaurant. In fact, we should ask these upscale restaurants to check out the tenders for themselves to see how it's done. You have a selection of sauces to choose from, including tartar sauce and teriyaki, so you can really enjoy these tenders the way you want to. Mang Tootz is now famous for their most excellent turon, which they call "Banana-rum-a" (I hope that's how it's spelled). Small, finger-sized turon, deep-fried with an infusion of rum and a dusting of cinnamon powder, the brilliantly crispy candied outer shell covers a banana core that is, to borrow from Masterchef Australia, "Barstin' wid flavah!". And if these two dishes aren't enough, they have a whole selection of food to choose from, from the expected but brilliantly done (Liempo and Sisig, my goodness that sisig), to the unexpected (Korean Beef Ribs, Kebabs, etc).

The experience was surprisingly nice and very enjoyable. It was like having a meal at your…read moregrandparent's house. The dishes were well-made, comfort food. Nothing earth shaking in terms of flavors, but everything tasted familiar - the way it should. I love this place for that. I'm not a big fan of fusion and deconstructed food dishes. We specifically loved their gambas, kare-kare, roast pork, leche flan. Apart from the good comfort food, what will make me return again and again to this place are the staff and the ambiance. - the staff - some of them have been with the Legarda family since tita Moning was alive. There was even a brochure write-up introducing all the staff to the guests. I love how the owner is goving much credit and appreciation to the staff. As a result, the staff were really very warm towards the guests. It wasn't just professional courtesy. I could feel that their service came from the heart (especially Tining). - the ambiance - too often, old ancestral houses converted to restaurants end up just being a shell structure of the house with a restaurant inside. This isn't so for La Cocina. One could still feel the heart and soul of the home as it once housed the Legarda family. It wasn't a restaurant in a shell structure of an old house. It was a restaurant in a home. At the end of the meal, it felt like we had eaten at our lola's house not in just any other restaurant.

Time travel and food is not a common combination to have, but stepping inside La Cocina De Tita…read moreMoning is to be transported back to Manila's opulent past. The restaurant-cum-ancestral house offers patrons a dining experience like no other. To start things off, you are given a tour of the mansion and told tidbits and stories pertaining to the Legarda family. The tour starts in the first floor and you gradually make your way up where you'll eventually be led to the dining area. Describing it as extravagant and exquisite is putting it mildly. There are rose petals strewn about the length of your table. There are literal bells you can pick up and ring to get the attention of the help. The whole experience is surreal. The food itself isn't bad. It's obviously inclined towards Spanish fare given the Legarda family's heritage. It's not the best though. Paying a visit to La Cocina De Tita Moning is something I'd recommend. Not for the food, but for the whole experience involved as a whole.

Ask any Binondo guy or girl and they would probably know about Ang Tunay Beef House. This place is…read morean institution, a best-kept secret of the locals. It's a place to get really good Chinese food that you can't get anywhere else. It's Chinese food that you know is Chinese but not quite the same as your typical fast food joint. Here, they don't have Yang Chow Fried Rice or Sweet and Sour Pork. Instead, they serve Steamed Lapu-Lapu, Fried Frog Legs, Pork Intestine, Duck Soup and Kiampong. See what I mean? Its kind of exotic but not quite. It's kind of Chinese, but not exactly. One this is for sure, Ang Tunay Beef House is amazing! Though I'm sure that not a lot of people would appreciate this type of cooking, Ang Tunay Beef House uses some of the most aromatic herbs and spices that I never really used by the more typical Chinese restaurants. Perhaps authentic? Not quite, But more of a different type of Chinese cuisine that uses fresh ingredients, herbs and spices to bring out the best flavors in every dish.

This is my first time to try and I was not dissappointed! Elated to have tasted the clear soup…read morestock without the grime and you could ask for extra serving without the charge. Munched through pure beefy goodness without ever thinking that you're muching on bubble gum. The discomfort left my futile body upon consumption, a comfort food that you'd definitely go back to over and over again.

It's a small, cozy restaurant with two floors of dine-in space, though I haven't gone upstairs yet…read more The air-conditioning is relaxing and among my visits, it's never difficult to get a seat. I like that they gave me a newspaper to read during my last visit. Service was at par to expectations. Waiting time is reasonable and the dishes are always worth the wait. The place is always clean too! Among their comfort food choices, I tried the Honey Glazed Chicken Rice Bowl and it was just downright amazing! This dish isn't typical. I love the sauce with sesame seeds, slightly crunchy coating, and the soft meat! Everything stayed very hot even after picturing them. Serving is good for 1-2 people, though I actually felt I could split the bowl in 3 to cover breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'm using all-caps to say it's HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to try.

Nothing beats the OG! Always a must stop whenever I'm on vacation in the Philippines. So many pares…read morejoints has come & go but this is the institution that started it all. Just like Aling Lucing in Angeles Pampanga for it's sisig,this is the house where PARES became a household name. Open 24/7 and people never gets tired, from all walks of life, coming here far and near. Will always drop by whenever given the chance.

the staff are amazing, they're so friendly. Their food is very yummy must try, me and my friends…read morewere going to visit them agaiiinnnn

When I tell you we LOVED this place, we went 3 times in the span of 1 week! Manam is a modern twist…read moreon Filipino cuisine and the did it without taking the culture out of the food. My sister and I spent 3 weeks in the Philippines and everyone was recommending us to going to this restaurant. And let me tell you, it don't disappoint. Their service was great (all three times), and everything came out in a timely fashion. When I tell you they get busy, it's BUSY. People will line up for this place, but it's worth it. We love the at home feel inside when dining in. As for the food, it was very good. We did try the watermelon sinigang, it was a bit on the sweet side. Not like your traditional sinigang but if you like sweet, it's for you. Overall, when my family travels to the Philippines again, bet believe we're going to Manam

This was the very first place we visited after being away from the Philippines for more than 18…read moreyears, and it did not disappoint. Everything about our experience was excellent. The restaurant has a classy, well-thought-out atmosphere with authentic Filipino charm. I ordered the Fried Pla-Pla fish, which looked incredibly appetizing and tasted even better. I also tried the Pork Sisig, served on a sizzling plate, and it was outstanding. The combination of textures, flavors, and presentation made it a real standout dish. If I had one minor criticism, it would be that the service was a bit slow. However, that was easily outweighed by the quality of the food and the overall experience. Highly recommend this place, and we'll definitely come back if we have the chance.

AMBIENCE Restaurant has dine-in areas both with and without…read moreair-conditioning though the cold option didn't seem to have wheelchair access. No-smoking. Parkings slots are at the front and side but I guess customers can try their luck along the street as well. FOOD & BEVERAGE House Specialty Pares was tasty from the meat to the soup and fried rice. What I liked was having more beef than fried rice! Service water was refreshing and helpful on saving some cash. SERVICE Everything was convenient. I had a pitcher of cold water, a bucket of utensils in hot water, and kalamansi next to me right away! Fried rice and soup were also served very quickly, and when I asked, a staffer recommended Buttered Chicken for trying at next visit.

Kesong Puti. Fresh Goat Cheese and Warm Pandesal. This was so delicious that we kept looking for…read morethis same exact combo throughout our trip. What a special and simple dish... I'll be back for this. The fisherman's Breakfast was so satisfying and delicious. The flavors that complimented one another made such a wonderful experience. To be greeted with complimentary espressos/americanos was a great touch. It was such a robust cup of coffee that we really enjoyed. The service was quite fast and friendly too. Loved their homey feel throughout the restaurant. The location was nice too, just a tricycle /tuk tuk away from the Manila Hotel where we were staying.

Slightly pricey, slightly greasy food, great flavors, good coffee, amazing ambiance, good variety,…read morenice staff. Such a cool place for breakfast!! Very large portions and unlimited coffee. Recommend!

Went to Wai Ying in Binondo last weekend with my family and it was exactly what we needed after a…read morelong day exploring. The dim sum cart came around quick, and we loaded up on hakaw, siu mai, char siu bao, and those amazing crispy taro puffs--everything was hot, fresh, and tasted just like the old-school spots back home. The spare ribs were tender and saucy, not overly sweet, and the yang chow fried rice had that perfect wok hei. Service was friendly even though it was packed; our server made sure we had hot tea refills without us asking. Super affordable too--we fed six of us and still had leftovers for under 2k. Total comfort food win. Definitely heading back next time we're in the area. Five stars all the way!

What's the big draw? Long queue for late lunch on a week day? I don't get it. We ordered HK style…read morefried noodles, spare ribs, siomai, roasted duck congee, roasted duck and asado rice. I can summarily declare that all the items we ordered were below our culinary standards in the following order from worst to not so bad. HK style fried noodles, the sauce was peanuty tasting poured over noodles. Horrible looking. The congee is not very appealing to the eyes and the palate. The duck was bony. The congee itself was barely hot. Siomai was no good either. The roasted duck with rice again lacking presentation appeal. The tofu skin roll is ok thus the 2 star. The waiter was very green. Served our sodas without glasses. Avoid and don't believe the hype.

This is my ultimate stress relief! I learned to love sisig because of this place. Servings may be…read moresmall, yes, but the fact that it's so cheap just makes it easy to eat more than a plate. Service is so fast that it's the best place to go when you have a very short break from class. I usually order the pork sisig that comes with a cup of rice and glass of iced tea for 55 pesos. Its served in a sizzling plate so it comes to you extra hot. They place an egg on top as well, but if you prefer not to have it, just tell them. My friend took me here on my first day of school in UST and ever since then, it became our ultimate date place. We crave for it after a big exam or just when we're so hungry and are low on cash. Definitely a must try when you're in UST area.