After 17 years of not going home, this place hits the spot! Appetizers (pork sisig, abodo pusit and…read moreokou) were great! The boneless crispy pata was heavenly, the kare-kare was divine, the beef steak was yummy and the pancit was off the charts. Hoping to go back here once we visit the islands again!!!

This is a great place to get all the basic Filipino style dishes but kicked up a notch. The owners…read moreare relatives of the owners of the famous Barrio Fiesta and have love and respect for the flavors of the Philippines. I especially liked the fish filled lumpia shanghai but everything on the menu is great.

Since this "neighborhood bar" was the only closest thing to being a decent watering hole near our…read morework, we would come by here at night for a beer..or two. The food is pretty good but often, a lot of their things found on their menu isn't available. Best part about this place is they make their own potato chips which are delicious! Good ambiance and is never too noisy which is rare in some bars these days. The staff could be better trained to pay attention to their customers rather than having to stand up all the time just to get their attention. Aside from that, they are all pretty polite and friendly. Beers are cheap and cold which to be honest, pretty much covers all bases of what you need in a bar.

For the longest time, Sawsawan was the go-to place for residents of Better Living Subdivision…read morelooking for a night out with the boys. In so many ways, it still is. For the non-Filipinos out there, sawsawan literally means dip. Filipinos like to dip their viands, whether it be ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce or patis (fish sauce). As a place to have a few beers, clients are expected to also order pulutan, mostly the kinds that need dips. It can be fish or any seafood, or chicken or pork, usually grilled. Although the outside of Sawsawan serves as an unofficial tricycle station, it usually clears by early evening. This is when the gents make their way there to meet friends for a few rounds of beer. Couples also go there on dates, by the way. It does not have the typical beer garden ambiance. There's ample parking for those who bring their cars, not only in front of the place but also at an empty lot a few yards away. Security guards make sure that the cars are kept safe. The place is neither too loud or too quiet, so friends can gather and exchange stories without too much of a hassle. As can be expected barbecued pork or chicken are the staples of the place. As for what dip goes with it, customers can mix and match their own. I like vinegar with a little soy sauce and crushed chili peppers. Sawsawan is located along Russia street, corner United Nations, very near the corner of Dona Soledad Avenue, Paranaque City. I don't need to say this but I will anyway. Don't drink and drive. Best to have a designated drive who has not had any alcoholic drinks. Better to be safe than sorry, no?

On June 15th, I went here with my sisters and some of my cousins and nieces and nephews after a day…read moreat Intramuros earlier that day. It was an exceptionally hot day, so when we stopped by here, it was nice and cool inside. An amazing way to escape the heat at Greenbelt. We got seated and we loved everything that we ordered. From what I remember, we got some drinks, including some ube shakes with sago, some wine. Food-wise, we got the pancit palabok, crispy patis wings, lumpia, the overloaded garlicky chicken and adobo pork belly, sisig, the watermelon sinigang and I can't remember what else. Anyhow, the watermelon sinigang was excellent. And when the pancit palabok came out, they actually poured the sauce onto the noodles and it felt like I was watching a cooking show with a finale! When I come back to the Philippines, I will for sure come back here for everything! :)

Stopped in for lunch when they first opened at 11a. It wasn't busy at all. Staff were friendly…read more Restaurant is very clean and spacious. Ordered the shrimp sinigang and daing na bangsilog breakfast. Really tasty. Also tried the halo halo. Ordered an extra side of egg but it took forever to get. Only 1 other table while I was there so I'm really not sure why it took so long.

When Roviliaz first opened a few months ago, you would see that usually empty parking in that…read morecommercial area beside Mercury Drug really full. Of course, every time a new restaurant opened in Dona Soledad, people are usually all over it. A few months down the line and Roviliaz is still attracting a good number of diners. So, I decided to try it. And I was not disappointed. Their most popular dish is the lechon liempo. While the order was small in size, it was definitely big in flavor. The few pieces were enough to make me order an additional cup of rice. Buttered chicken is another dish worth trying - very tasty and you'd really get that buttery goodness in your mouth with every bite. The true value-for-money food you should try is the chicken embutido. This is surprisingly good and tastes just like chicken galantina, very affordable at P160 per piece. It looks like they have a tie-up with the owners of Becky's Kitchen as they serve the same scrumptious cakes and brownies in Roviliaz. The people there are very friendly and the restaurant's interiors are easy on the eyes with the warm tones and homey seats.

Yet another restaurant along Dona Soledad Avenue in Bicutan, Paranaque City took its own good time…read morebefore opening last year. A somewhat classy looking sign had been put up and lit at night, but the place was not open for business for many weeks after. The place is also very near the Paranaque Doctors Hospital. From the outside, it was obviously too small to be a full-service, fine dining restaurant. But boy was that sign attractive. One time, me and my family were on the way home when we decided to give the place a try. Good decision. The place is said to be owned by a budding chef and it was easy to see why. Their food is pretty good. So good in fact that we have been ordering from them on a regular basis. What all of us like best are the desserts which are supplied by Becky's Kitchen. For those who are not aware of it, Becky's Kitchen is a cake shop located along Pablo Ocampo st., formerly known as Vito Cruz. Generations of students of De La Salle University, College of St. Benilde and St. Scholastica's College know of this place, which sells arguably the best cakes and pastries this side of Metro Manila. But back to Roviliaz. It's where I watched the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. They charged a low P500, with P300 consumable for food and drinks. Yup, it's that kind of place. They're trying to attract a loyal clientele and I hope they succeed.

Shoppes at Park McKinley West Mall branch…read more Ambiance: good Service: bad - not smiling and not attentive. Also looked like he's done for the day. Food: Didn't look appetizing tbh. Dinuguan looked like it does not have dugo in it - more like ginataan Hahahaha! I only ate the mango and bagoong.

My friends and I decided to eat lunch at this place --- an apparently so did a lot of groups of…read morepeople attending their respective reunions. For a place that was so busy, surprisingly, it wasn't too noisy and we were able to carry out a conversation. The staff was very attentive, and it seemed like we had multiple people serving us Like most groups, we dined family style. We shared everything that we ordered and every dish was scrumptious. Three of us reside overseas so we were all looking frward to authentic Filipino foods. This place rose to the occasion. The standout was the fish that was filleted and deep-fried, and spread out like a butterfly so it was easy to take a piece off. The fish was cooked perfectly, that is, it wasn't overcooked like most fried fish dishes would be. All of us asked for fresh buko (coconut) juice servied in a whole coconut. However, the coconut was no longer young coconut that usually has soft meat that we can spoon up. instead, it was more "niyog" or mature coconut that needed to be cut up which the staff did for us.

Philippines review #36…read more Located on the 5th floor of the Century City Mall in Makati, Hole in the wall has got to be one of THE BEST food courts I've been in! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hole-in-the-wall-makati?select=mocXQLUJFGLa-v9nW-wNqw The best because the style / décor is very cool, modern and sophisticated. It's casual and comfortable with a variety of different seating areas. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hole-in-the-wall-makati?select=2wby6b6vGb-RopzYpYkuNA http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hole-in-the-wall-makati?select=NlsB3_lcW_K52uwCZ2XCdg You'll find a variety of different food items to choose from at more than a dozen restaurants with fun names like: Bad Bird, Pho Bobo, Smokey Bastard, Serious Dough, The Beef, Scouts Honor, etc. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hole-in-the-wall-makati?select=TmvhJCz7Z6pARaszQFKWkg Of course there are a number of more formal, sit-down restaurants located in the mall. But this is a fun, casual spot, with a variety of food served quickly and at reasonable prices!

The high-end food court has been a huge thing across the globe since the early 2010's, except in…read morethe Philippines. Back then, if you've been living in Manila for most of your life, the words "food" and "court" in the same sentence never really sounded appetizing. Enter Hole in the Wall. I've been here a few times already, but stepping inside its huge hip maze of interiors never ceases to excite me. I'm not sure if it's the thrill of choosing what meal to try next or just the nice aesthetic of literally everything, that excites me more. On my first visit, I made sure to first try the super popular fried chicken from Bad Bird. As a big fan Southern-style fried chicken, I wasn't disappointed. The crispy skin had a yummy seasoning that's new to the palette, very different compared to my other favorites, such as the Chickenjoy from Jollibee and the Pan Fried Chicken from Pancake House. And there's something about their side dishes that just completes the whole meal. The corn on the cob with bonito flakes, sweet and umami flavors melting in your mouth, was to die for. The coleslaw provided a nice acidic break from the saltiness of the chicken. The meal was a fun experience itself. Just the other day, I tried the Pastrami on Rye from Mr. Delicious and it was monstrous--just plain impressive in terms of size. I didn't even attempt to bite on the entire stack, using my fork and knife like a pretentious chick on a first date instead. Each bite off the monster-wich was packed with so many different flavors, though the pastrami still easily emerges as the hero of the dish. And let's not get started on the sweet potato chips. I'm not a big sweet potato-lover, but damn, the portion was more than satisfying. If there's anything I'd like modified, I just wish there was a bit more of the veggie pickles to cut through all the meat and fat. For now, I'll end this review right here. If it isn't yet so obvious, I'll probably be back here in no time to try a different food stall or two.

Located in the back of Emall. You pick the seafood from the market & pay for it. Then give it to…read morethe restaurant and they'll cook it for you for a fee. Depending on how you want it cooked, prices varies. If you're not sure on the variety of cooking options, pick something simple like grilled. Even though it was after 1pm, the area was quite empty of customers so all the vendors will be bugging you to pick them. It got annoying after a bit. Service was ok.

This paluto (cooked to order) place is ok. We came here at 10 pm on a weekday after buying our…read moreseafood (prawns, squid, salmon belly, mussels and tuna) from the stall in front of the store - mental note: try coming earlier or give yourself time to shop around the wet market to get the best price. The food came out slow but every dish was delicious (check out the pics). However, they messed up the mussels (which came out near the end of our meal). We wanted it cooked sautéed with tomatoes and ginger but came out baked with cheese. We had a refund but I wasn't sure if it was really credited since our bill was not itemized. I would probably come back here if it was late at night since they close at midnight but there are probably a dozen other stores that are better.

This restaurant is inside Resorts world in Newport City,Philippines,took a while before we can put…read moreour orders in after we're seated,service was so slow .Food is not as good as it was presented in their menu,worst was the salmon belly,it was just a strip of fats.It was a disappointing dinner for us.

A little more "high-end" feel…read more This restaurant is located at the tail end of Newport Boulevard. There are plenty of places you can walk to but I'm glad we stumbled upon this one. I'm a sucker for interior design and the pictures don't do it justice. Props to whoever designed this restaurant. We went there for lunch and there was no line. Although the place was full, we got our food in no more than 15 minutes. The food itself was delicious. No complaints at all.