Taste like the original recipe. Been eating empanadas since the 1970's. Good idea to bring it to…read moreMetro Manila. Usually I go to Ilocos Norte

Farinas empanada is one of the few places in the metro where you can get authentic Ilocano…read moregoodness. They use real bagnet and Vigan longganisa so that each empanada tastes like the real thing. They make each order right in front of you as you order, which ensures that you are getting a fresh one each time. It can be rather trying though, if you have a large order, because they only have two empanada-making stations and each one takes about 5 minutes to make, what with the kneading and the rolling required to get that perfect thin,crisp crust. The last time we were here, we order twelve empanadas in all and it took about an hour for everything to be prepared. The lady who was in line after us was positively biting her nails in frustration. If you are in the mood for something else than empanadas, another must-try is the pancit bagnet, which is generously topped with bagnet slices, stir-fried vegetables and eggs. Drizzle with some calamansi and... yumm!

If you're from the Benilde-La Salle-St. Scholastica area, you would know where to go if you have…read moreless than 100 pesos for lunch--Regina's Budget Meals. It is this small, charming eatery along Leon Guinto Street and you won't even miss it, it is too PINK! I remember my brother calling it Pink's. I remember hearing it at home over and over again. I believe everyone who has ever been there would refer to it as that. They have a great selection of foods for student-friendly prices. My favorites are Sisig (very spicy and oh so yummy!), Pork Steak and Bopis. They serve it with a cup of rice and it would only cost you around 65 pesos. Remember to ask for their free soup as well! The best part? You'll get a free Frutos candy to cap off the meal! Did I mention that the staff is so nice? They can still remember my name after 4 years!

If you're unfamiliar with the place, you might just walk past this diamond in the rough without…read moregiving it a second glance. All you'd register is a pink blur in your peripheral vision, not knowing that you just passed up on great food an amazing self-esteem boost. You see, Regina's Budget Meals (or 'Pink', as most people call it, because of the shockingly pink paint they used on the facade) has been reviewed by local newspapers, by student publications, even by Pepper, as one of the best holes-in-the-wall where you can get decent ghetto grub without taking your student-allowance wallet to the ICU. I ate here every day for an entire term back in college, and I would definitely recommend their pork onion, or their sisig meal. As for the self-esteem boost, the lady at the counter calls everyone 'Kuya Gwapo' or 'Ate Ganda', and they have complimentary after-meal candies in a bowl beside the cashier.

When I'm feeling virtuous diet-wise, I go for Plato Wraps. Plato wraps are panini-like sandwiches…read morethat are refreshingly free from grease and other additives, making them just a little bit healthier than your run of the mill burger or pizza. To order your own sandwich, you start by choosing the bread. There are three options: white, whole wheat and pesto. I almost always go for pesto though I know whole wheat is probably better, but then again, there are limits to my dietary conscientiousness. Then you choose the filling: tuna, ham and cheese, or chunky chicken salad are what I mostly get. They add the filling and throw in some slices of cucumber for added crunch (this costs extra). Then the whole thing is grilled so that it turns warm and nicely toasted. For people wanting to cut out meat altogether, or just wanting to add more vegetables to their diet, they do have a very veggie filling that is mostly cucumber and lettuce tossed in some salad (?) dressing.

Plato Wraps is another one of those food stall eats you can find in just about every mall in the…read morecity. But unlike most of the others, this one serves food that isn't automatically 'junk' food. Wraps! Yay! It's not just your usual deep fried munchies and completely non-nourishing tummy fillers. But okay, let's be real, it's not like this is actually thaaat healthy... it's just a healthiER option, haha. No grease! The wraps come in 3 different kinds: plain, pesto, and whole wheat. They grill that to get the ribbed texture and to heat it up, then you pick the filling you want. The chicken or the tuna in this olive oil mix are good. It's cool 'cause these are like sandwich spreads you can just prepare yourself at home. The ingredients are real stuff, not processed and pre-packaged. Good alternative to the fried dumplings, MSG-filled noodle soups, etc. Haha!

Cafés are naturally busy places, which, ironically, defeats the purpose of having a coffee break…read moreand relaxing. Mary Grace Cafe along Kalayaan Avenue on a Saturday afternoon let's you have your late lunch and coffee peacefully, without feeling like you're occupying space for too long, or being bothered by too much noise, making this also a conducive place for a catch-up chat with a friend or a casual exploratory meeting with a possible new business partner. The food is satisfying and reasonably priced, just like in any other Mary Graces. The quiet ambience in this branch makes it a good place to hang out if you want to avoid the cafés-turned-office-hub or gaggles of young chattery posses.

Mary Grace's Cheese Rolls are everything. Especially when they're toasted and served with a cup of…read morehot chocolate. Which is exactly why I love dining at Mary Grace Cafe. Unlike kiosks that simply sell Mary Grace's pastries, dining in the cafe allows you to customize your "cheese roll experience" among other things. Want it toasted? They'll do it for you. But the cafe isn't all about toasted cheese rolls and hot chocolate, they've also got a ton of things on their menu to satisfy your hungry palette. I especially like their chorizo pasta if I'm craving for something savory because it's both creamy and meaty which I really love. This branch in particular is also not too busy considering it's found on the ground floor of a dance studio. Perfect for when you're trying to unwind or get some work done.

Agno is the ultimate place in Taft for the budget-conscious student. Well, it's not exactly as…read morecheap as people say it used to be, but Agno is still the home of quick, cheap and satisfying meals around DLSU. Agno is basically just a group of food stalls and vendors, most of which are priced at under P100. Basically, if you're trying to pick where to have lunch, Agno will almost always come up in the conversation. The thing I like most about Agno is the sheer variety of food. All under the same roof are various chicken meals, sandwhiches, noodles, donuts, beef, pork belly, and basically anything else you can think of prepared in a quick, cheap manner. After a little while, most students end up getting a favorite store or a favorite meal to get in Agno, be it Ate Rica's Bacsilog, or Rosemary Chicken at good munch. Of course, being what it is, I don't really like eating at Agno itself. It's normally very hot, kind of dirty, and so packed that it's just overall very uncomfortable eating there. But the nature of the food allows you to just bring it around anywhere, so you could eat back at your condo, on the way to your next class, or on a bench inside school. Agno and its various stalls are a must-try for anyone in DLSU.

Hearing the name 'Agno' brings back so many good times from college. Agno understood that college…read morelife meant that place where you can find solitude during hell week, somewhere not too far, but close enough as to hear the bell ring signaling the start of the next class. Agno also meant affordable meals great for the student-budget. Agno meant seeing your favorite people who you never see anymore or drinking an iced cold C2 yellow to combat the summer heat. Agno is a place of santuary that I will always love going back to. While the street does look a lot more clean and organized these days, I would still prefer the semi-chaotic and tight street of Agno during my days as a college student. What can I say, I'm the kind of person who sees serenity amidst chaos.

When I'm craving cheap crunchy noodles on my way home from school, I head to this conveniently…read morelocated branch of Hong Kong Noodles at Alphaland which is a few steps away from the MRT station. With other cheap noodle kiosks around the metro like the one in Recto, you don't really have the option of buying the noodles alone. They force you to buy the damn dimsum as toppings and as a non beef and pork eater, this becomes a pretty stressful situation. So for less than Php 30, you can have a bowl of fried noodles with crispy togi and the sauces of your choice DIY style. Actually, the "plain" noodles are Php 21 while the ones with toppings go up to Php 27. And if you happen to put too much chili sauce in your bowl, you can wash down your worries and mouthful of noodles with black gulaman for just Php10. Yay!

I'm a big believer in snacking. We always have food of some sort at home, and I think it's healthy…read moreto eat and keep your metabolism going every three hours. Though I've only just recently learned to stop eating after dinner at eight pm, it's been working well for me so far. That said, it can be a difficult thing sometimes to find something that's nutritious and good to eat so I try a lot of things sometimes when I'm in a mall or on the go someplace, and thus I got to try Plato Wraps. It's actually a pretty simple idea behind their food--just a press-toasted tortilla folded in half with some form of savory filling inside it. It's basically a sandwich with a "twist," I guess? It's not ingenious at all, but on the whole, it's pretty okay. I have a dislike of mayo, though I can take it when it's a sandwich spread, and the ones they use with their fillings are good enough to take away from that mayo taste.I think the major thing going for them health-wise is that they actually include a little veg into their small meal, which I think is great enough, and they actually have a completely veggie option too.

Plato Wraps has such as strange name because they don't actually serve wraps. They serve cheap but…read moregood panini. For P60, you can get one that is filled with some savory things like ham & cheese or chunky chicken. They come in two sizes: medium and big. The panini itself is thin but holds up well to the amount of filling they put. I like that it becomes crisp when they heat it up. They say they bake their own wraps, so that must be why these don't taste like the commercial ones you'd find in a supermarket. Their wraps are available in regular, pesto or wheat. Get wheat if you want the healthier option. It's great for a quick snack that's pretty easy to eat. I just hope they come out with new and more exciting flavors because they already have the good base panini, they just need to really make a big push for innovation to get more customers to try the food. Maybe introduce some Mexican flavors with pulled pork or add another vegetarian option with roasted eggplant? The day they come out with edgier flavors, I'd be one of the first in line to try it.

It was my former boss and good friend who introduced me to this food kiosk that sells dumpling and…read morerice combos. Since then, Paotsin has become my inexpensive source that will satisfy my dumpling cravings. As Paotsin stalls are constant fixtures in leading supermarkets, we can conveniently enjoy our usuals right after doing the groceries. I would always have the Steamed Sharksfin with Hainanese Rice and order fresh buko juice to go with it. My husband would often get the fried version of my meal and sometimes add a bowl of the same dumpling with Laksa soup. Once, I tried having Lemak rice with my steamed dumplings but realized that I prefer Hainanese over it. I would sometimes get steamed Crab Wanton or its fried variety as they taste better with my rice. I don't get to enjoy the crab dumplings that often because they get sold out whenever I dropped by. If you haven't tried it yet, grab a meal at Paotsin to get a taste of their dumplings, Asian Chicken and Tzipao.