Bringing home a pasalubong is very important in the Philippine culture. Your pasalubong need not be…read moresomething very big and expensive. It can be as cheap and simple as snacks and delicacies that one can munch on during merienda. Samu't Sari specializes in these products, allowing you to give a pasalubong anytime, anyday. Peanut kisses, lengua de gato, adobong mani, fish crackers, chicharon, Ilocos chicacorn, polvoron, pastillas, tart, peanut brittle, pili nuts, shingaling... Truly, this store brings to the city a taste of several provinces! No need to sit on a bus for hours to go to Baguio to have some peanut brittle. No need to ride a plane to fly in an airplane or board a ferry to have your share of pili nuts. Go to Samu't Sari where you can buy delicacies from different provinces in one go! My advice: Buy a significant amount of several items from this store and you can have your snacks for several days or even weeks covered.

Sasmuan Delicacies is the perfect place to go to if you're looking to buy pasalubong for your…read morefriends and loved ones. I consider it as the home of the best-tasting Filipino sweet treats. They sell polvoron (powdered milk candies), yema, pastilyas, pili tarts, and many more. I often go here whenever I want to eat something sweet after lunch. I don't normally order desserts in restaurants because it's too expensive, so I often look for desserts in different food stalls that can satisfy my sweet tooth. Sasmuan Delicacies is best known for their milky and great-tasting polvoron. They use local and pure ingredients to produce their polvoron. They have a variety of flavors to choose from that everyone will surely love. They have Butter, Choco, Cookies and Cream, Ube-Pinipig, and many more. This polvoron just melts in your mouth and won't leave you gasping for air. If you're looking for sugary treats to satiate your craving for sweets, then head over to Sasmuan Delicacies.

Have you ever craved for something from the province and just gave up because, well, it's too far…read moreto actually go there just for that. Not anymore you won't. That's why I think that Island Pasalubong is a great idea, the best one I've seen around Katipunan in a few years and that's because I love 'em pasalubong goodies and now I won't have to wait anymore or have a hard time looking for them. When I first went to Island Pasalubong it was more out of curiosity of what's in the store, I had no idea what they were selling aside from pasalubong items. I thought that it would be really expensive since they have to ship it all the way from the provinces and those types of stores usually hike up the price and they didn't, the mark up is reasonable and it's almost the same as buying it in the province. Food wise, there are too many and I think they're trying to get the favourites in each province. If by any chance what you're looking for isn't there, they probably have something close to it. They're definitely worth a visit.

Got the Hokkaido mix…read more Amazing. Just order that. You'll be happy. Seriously everything they offer here is too expensive but more than worth it. My advice, sneak as many samples first then get more than you need to buy so that you can share with people you'd die for.

Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of kakanin (sticky rice). Even though it's the Filipino dessert and…read moreit comes in a variety of styles and flavors, I just never got around to really liking it. I'd eat it, yes, but I wouldn't normally crave for it on a random day. But there is one kakanin I've been used to eating every since I was a kid - kalamay (rice cake with sweet coconut puree on top). And it's all because of Aling Kika's. Aling Kika's is a specialty food shop near our place. Ever since I could remember, my mom would bring home a box of kalamay. When she's looking for something Pinoy to give to our relatives, this is her go-to food item and she would always bring home one for the family. What is so good with Aling Kika's kalamay is how tasty it is. The sticky rice topped with latik (sweet coconut puree) is delicious when fresh from the refrigerator or when heated up in the microwave. It's sweet and filling, perfect with a some tea or a cup of Joe! Other than their kalamay, may second favorite food item from Aling Kika's would be their peanut butter spread. Although packaged under Aling Kika's daughter, Mely, their peanut butter just ranks so high up my list Lily's, Skippy's or any other peanut butter brand will never be able to measure up. Mely's Peanut Butter is so good, it doesn't last that very long in the house. It's sweet, chewy and packed with peanut flavour - it's the best spread ever, believe me! Other than those two, Aling Kika's also sell their version of coco jam, leche flan, halayang ube and anything you will ever need to create your own halo-halo. A trip to Aling Kika's may be quite challenging especially if you are not familiar with the place. But it's definitely worth it!

This was the part of Tiendesitas that I was most excited about. Sadly, it didn't live up to my…read moreexpectations. It's just that my idea of a food village was a thriving market place with stalls overflowing with native delicacies. The place was not busy when we got there. Some crews were setting up for a concert. But even with that kind of free event, the place just wasn't buzzing, and that was a Friday. Maybe it has something to do with the time we went there (pre-dinner) and that some of the stalls were closed. The stalls that were open were pretty impressive. Most of them sold locally grown products and native delicacies that you wouldn't see in supermarkets. I liked the store that sold durian ice cream and organic fruit juices. I wanted to try the restaurants there, but we just ate before going to Tiendesitas, so we bought some Pinoy snacks instead (cornick, banana chips, chicharon, etc.). I wasn't really satisfied with my trip here. But that only means one thing: I should go back and stay longer next time. I hope there will be more stores and people then.

I've only recently been to Tiendesitas and it's just because we picked up my brother from NAIA late…read moreat night. We were looking for a place to grab dinner and he was seriously craving Filipino food after a month in Singapore eating chicken rice. PROS: We find the interiors really cute with all those colorful paper lanterns and vintas on the ceiling; The place is a wide open space with a lot of seats and industrial fans and mist machines. So it's not much of a big deal that there's no air conditioning. Or maybe it's because we went there during night time and it's less hot; The food establishments are a monolith of Pinoy food and grilled choices to accompany your beer; There was a band playing that night, and they would let the audiences volunteer if they want to perform. CONS: I know it's the Pinoy trademark that we offer good customer service, but don't you just hate it when vendors and staff get all over your face to hawk and peddle their restaurant to you? It just makes it all the more confusing and irritating for us to choose a place to eat. Like, excuse me, stop pressing your menu on my face. TL;DR: Tiendesitas Food Village is an over-all fun place with so many choices for food and drinks, plus live entertainment.

I wanted to experience a wet market, or palengke, in the Philippines. I've seen too many episodes…read moreon the Travel Channel of people in other countries at outdoor markets to not want to experience it. My cousin also told me that a scene from Bourne Legacy was filmed here. Some of my other cousins are disgusted by the palengke because it smells like fresh fish and meat and it's hot. Don't be a sissy if you're coming here. You will see butchered meat and fish right in front of you. There are stalls for anything and everything ranging from uncooked rice to eggs to seafood to vegetables to clothes to cooked food. It seemed as though most stalls had a specialization. The rice stall had so many varieties of rice. The eggs had so many cartons of eggs stacked above my head. The banana stall had millions of bananas. The seafood or poultry stalls had all parts of the animal butchered and displayed. It was amazing. Next door is a malengke that sells clothes, backpacks, shoes, and most of whatever else you can find in a swap meet in America. I wish I had the opportunity to eat freshly cooked food at one of the cooking stalls but it was getting hot in there. It was already uncomfortably warm at 10 am. A good time to go is early early in the morning before it gets too hot since it's an outdoor market with no air conditioning. Don't go here alone because if you're a foreigner and if you don't know how to blend in with the locals, then you'll stand out to them and the poorer ones might beg and follow you around. I went with locals so even though some people could tell I was a foreigner, no one bothered me. But they do stare. Gosh, one guy almost cut off his own fingers while butchering the meat and staring at me. Get used to people staring at you while you're in the Philippines.

Is there any item you are looking for that is not available in this people's market? Probably not…read more Chances are you will find it in one of the innumerable stalls that form part of this complex. Vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, eggs, native delicacies, spices and condiments of any kind, seaweeds, shellfish, kitchen wares, plastics, footwear, clothes. Name it! The Marikina Public Market has it. As a tribute to its versatility, this public market is often quoted in radio reports about market prices for the day. Fortunately, these goods and products come at affordable prices, too! This market is really quite big that you can make your entry into it from various points of the city. You can enter it from the riverside, from Sumulong Highway, from Shoe Avenue, and from W. De la Paz. There may be some difficulty at first but, as soon as you get accustomed walking around the area, you can navigate your way through the intersecting streets.

This is one of the best welcome-to-the-Philippines gifts to foreign or balikabayan family and…read morefriends. What better to have them try than the classic Filipino rice cakes? Puto is the easiest introduction to the world of Filipino "kakanin" delicacies, so this would be the way to go. Michelle's sweet homemade puto even makes it easy for you to grab some of these yummy products from strategically located stores and outlets, with nicely boxed packaging and a great assortment to choose from. Like right now, more than the putong ube, there is a cheese variety, a pandan variety, and a muscovado sugar variety! There's even a sugar-free variety that actually tastes just the same as the others but healthier I guess, haha. These are great to bring around for reunions or out of town roadtrips or even just weekend get-togethers with family. Michelle's also sells other Filipino snack and dessert favorites from different regions, like the lengua de gato, banana chips, piaya, barquiron, mango tartlets, and so much more. Great gift/pasalubong spot.

I used to live in Cubao and work in Makati, so I took the MRT every day. That's how I discovered…read morethe Farmers Market. MRT Araneta Center was attached directly to the New Farmers Plaza, which in turn was right beside the Farmers Market. I pass by here every day, and I usually get myself some fruits to tide me over for the day. The Farmers Market is exactly what it says on the tin - this is where producers from all over Luzon dump their produce, and where it's sold dirt cheap. Aside from fruits and vegetables, they also have fish and meat, and just about anything else you wanna see at a wet market. The best part is their dampa, which will cook the fish you bought on the spot.

I love markets, especially the wet ones, because I like being knee-deep in fresh produce, whether…read morethey be meat, or fish, or vegetables, or fruits. What I like about the Farmers Market in Araneta Center is that they have anything and everything you need: the fruits ring the outside of the market -- all fresh from wherever they come from -- and you'll see the more perishable goods inside. There are even fresh flowers outside, for those who did something bad and are hoping for a miracle. My favorite part though is their foodcourt, where they have what I think is the original Dampa - or, at the very least, the first to implement the concept. You buy meat or fish from the market, and they'll cook it for you at a minimum charge while you wait. Convenient, huh?

The food is soooooo good! We had their mushroom salad which was so fresh and yummy! Highly…read morerecommend this salad, then their pasta is so delicious as well, they make their own Noodles! We also had their organic chicken! Yummy! The skin was so crispy and the chicken was tender too! Love love this restaurant and they have such great deals if you have a grab app too! Service was great, they were so nice and attentive and the ambiance is also very relaxing and love their decor as well!

I spent five days in Manila and was surprised by how infrequently I ate Filipino food and how often…read moreI ate in chain restaurants and giant malls. I wasn't picking the restaurants, but I got the sense that these choices were at least somewhat reflective of the local dining scene. For example, we had a perfectly nice lunch at Wildflour Cafe + Bakery, a casual sit-down spot in The Podium. When I was telling my husband about all the chains later that day, he mentioned offhand that the Manzkes, who run a successful restaurant group in Los Angeles, opened an offshoot in the Philippines. It turned out that this was in fact Wildflour Cafe, meaning I went all the way to Manila to eat at a franchise that started two miles from my house. I'm a big fan of the Manzke restaurants at home and I did like my lunch at Wildflour. The space was comfortable and elegantly decorated, and we were able to reserve a table for our large party (I think we were about a dozen people). Service was great, too, polite and reasonably fast. The staff did a good job with our huge table, though there were a couple of mistakes and delays with the long menu of specialty drinks. Those drinks were hard to resist, though, as varied and interesting as the food. I ended up getting a black sesame latte, and it was delicious, nutty and lightly sweet. I also gather that Wildflour does excellent pastries, something the Manzkes are known for in L.A. For my lunch, I went with the Thai green curry. It was different from any Thai green curry I've had at home or abroad, a very thin, brothy curry with chicken, eggplant, coconut milk, chili, kaffir lime, and cilantro-lime rice. It was quite lovely, though, warming and flavorful. I definitely cleaned the bowl. I wouldn't go out of my way to come back to Wildflour, not when it takes less than ten minutes to get to Republique. But I'd recommend it if you're looking for a cute restaurant at a Manila mall.