When my sister still worked near the Pacific Star building along Buendia, she discovered a nice…read morelittle cafeteria hidden in the mezzanine area of the DBP building As you may already know, most of the dining establishments in Makati are ridiculously expensive, and it is not easy to look for places to go and eat at when you are on a tight budget - either you have to rough it out in street carts or Jollijeeps, or you just have to bring your own "baon" to work, which turns into a lousy (and sometimes, spoiled) mush of congealed rice and ulam come lunchtime. After she discovered the DBP Canteen, we would go and have our lunchtime "dates" in there because it is easily one of the cleanest and most comfortable cafeterias I have ever been to. Just like any food court, the place has a small catering service that mostly caters to DBP workers. I think the lunches for employees of the DBP building may already be subsidized in part, that's why the food from the concessionaires are so cheap. I don't even know if the place is open to the general public, but we always somehow just walk in. There are also other booths to buy from, like the Fruitas smoothie place or the Wendy's kiosk. You should check this place out if you are trying to save some money. It is near most of the workplaces in Makati, and it is convenient because the food is hot and delicious. You also have plenty to choose from because they would usually prepare several different kinds of viands.

It's without a doubt that Zuellig Building, standing at the intersection of Makati Avenue and Paseo…read morede Roxas, is the hippest and most attractive building in Makati to date. I've always admired its exterior and often wondered how could I take a peek inside. Thanks to Laza Food Plaza, a food court located at the second level, I don't have to send application letters to companies holding offices in the building just to experience its ambiance. The Laza Food Plaza lives up to the upscale reputation of Zuellig Building. Its interior design is modern and truly world-class. The limited number of food stalls did not dampen my excitement about spending time there. After going around the food court area, I noticed a few familiar names like Starbucks, Malcolm's, Green Tomato, and Lola's Kitchen. I also saw a couple of interesting stalls, namely New Bistro Deli and Noodle & Co. I tried Lola's Kitchen's Menudo and Paksiw na Tilapia. And from Pinoy Sizzlers, I ordered sizzling squid. The food was good, just as what anyone might expect in other office cafeterias. But the ambiance is reason enough to come back to Laza Food Plaza. By the way, they have an Acoustic Night every Friday at 6:00pm.

When you work and live in Salcedo Village, you're never far away from an establishment that offers…read moreaffordable home-cooked meals. There are a number of food kiosks -- fondly called Jollijeeps -- scattered all over this side of the Makati Central Business District. The problem is that not all Jollijeeps follow strict sanitary procedures, if you know what I mean. So if you are a bit squeamish but still interested in saving money on food, you can try eateries like FrissPoint, located at the corner of LP Leviste and VA Rufino. This foodstop can be quite busy during lunch time so be sure to arrive before 11:30am if you want to dine in there. Sure, there are several tables, but during peak hours it can be difficult to find a vacant spot. FrissPoint's main canteen is open Mondays to Saturdays, 10:00am to 8:00pm. They also have a bread outlet around the side along VA Rufino. It's open 24 hours except on weekends. Other than the eatery and bread shop, FrissPoint also has an Internet cafe and a travel agency inside its premises.

This place is awesome - pay for the cultural show its buffet, it's worth it!…read more It's located near Intramuros tourist areas and the ambiance is so pretty! Many tables of tour groups but the service is excellent and I absolutely loved the cultural show taking you through Philippine history. Very well executed!! The buffet is quite diverse and a great way to try Philippine cuisine en masse. Highly recommend!

Barbara's is a solid choice for lunch if you are visiting Manila in the Philippines. We had a…read moreblast! What stood out about this restaurant was the exceptional customer service and the cultural dancing while you eat delicious traditional Filipino food buffet style. I don't know if it's because they cater to tourist that makes this place so special but I left here feeling very full and very happy from the cultural performances. What was also fun was after the performances they invite the visitors from different regions of the world up to the stage and taking a picture with the dance performers. It provided a great keepsake to take back home. They also perform different songs from around the Philippines and the different dialects they speak and where they are from providing an educational opportunity. One of the songs was from the region, where my mother's father is from which is why I took a trip to the Philippines to learn more about my grandfather's culture and homeland. This touched my soul deeply and will never forget my time at Barbara's. The food was outstanding and very tourist friendly. I went up two times to partake in the delicious offerings from the buffet. I think the best thing about this place too is to have experienced all of this in an air-conditioned building. It was a nice reprieve from the 90+ degrees Fahrenheit with humidity weather that I endured in Manila. I also attended another restaurant with the cultural performance, and it was outside, and the experience was not as special due to the weather. So that's why I can't say enough good things about how I was treated and the yummy food that I ate and the beautiful cultural performances I admired at Barbara's. Highly recommend Barbara's while visiting the Philippines .

This side of Marikina is home to many restaurants and this restaurant I fondly call a brunch spot…read moreis one. The menu serves mainly options for comfort food.

It had been years since my last visit, but I am so glad to see this restaurant is still going…read morestrong. The place is clean and beautifully maintained. If you are craving classic, authentic Filipino comfort food, this is absolutely the spot to visit. It is highly recommended for families, thanks to the ample parking, friendly staff, and remarkably quick service.

Stopped by Little Quiapo for a light snack on a super hot day. We ordered the special halo-halo…read morewith ice cream, palabok, and sisig on rice. The halo-halo was the standout for me--really hit the spot and perfect for the weather. The palabok was very generous with the sauce, which I appreciated, though flavor-wise it wasn't especially memorable for me since I've had better elsewhere. The sisig on rice was okay, but I wish there was a bit more sisig compared to the amount of rice. The place was packed though, so clearly a lot of people keep coming back for a reason. I'd still be open to returning and trying some of their other ulam next time.

A carinderia with a homey feel in UP Diliman. That is why it is called Lutong Bahay (Home cooked…read morefood). Food is one of the cheapest in the campus. And the owner is very nice. From time to time, you will see UP athlete there. Try their sisig, it is good. And their fruit shakes

This is one of the oldest hot-pot restaurant in Manila. There are so many of ingredients choices…read morefrom seafood, beef, pork, chicken, vegetables, and needle. Three different taste of Soup also available. Freshness of all materials and pricing are reasonable. We can use there for business purpose too.

I am ashamed to say that I only discovered this place 2 years ago. Tien effing Tien is the bomb!…read moreThe first time I was able to dine here, we ordered off the ala carte menu but I had noticed that every one else was enjoying a hot pot meal. Subsequent visits were made and it was hot pot all the way from there. No regrets were had. (Skip this paragraph if you already know how to get there/park cause tl;dr) Tien Tien used to be located on Pasay Rd/Arnaiz so don't make the same mistake as me! They are now located in The Atrium Bldg along Makati Ave right next to the pretty pretty Zuellig Bldg. Parking can be a bit of an issue if you're not familiar with how it works but here are some hopefully helpful instructions based on personal experience of driving around in circles: If you're heading north on Makati Ave from Ayala Ave, you'll actually see The Atrium Bldg, that way you have an idea of where it is. Make a right on Paseo de Roxas and an immediate right into what looks like the parking lot/driveway of the Zuellig Bldg. Go past the lot onto the next street which is Apartment Ridge Rd and make a right there since it's a one way street. It's parallel to Makati Ave and just follows along the curve. You can park (or double park if you have a driver I guess) next to the wall and there should be an entrance to Tien Tien from the back. Semi bad thing is that you'll have to go through the function rooms which can be awks if there are a lot of people or if there's private party. Enough about location and parking, onto the food: Two things I remember about the ala carte menu is that 1) the seafood is super fresh. You can actually see the food (haha get it) swimming in the aquariums near the front entrance. 2) Eel in black bean/tausi sauce. Don't even think twice except maybe for the bones so be careful. Eat this with rice because it is so worth the calories. The hot pot blows so many other hot pot places out of the water. What Tien Tien doesn't give you in AYCE, they give you in quality. You have a choice of 4 soup bases and you can pick 2 in a split pot for variety. I personally prefer the wansuy soup base (stock with cilantro and peidan/century egg) cause I find it very light and refreshing. It also doesn't mask the taste of the meat, fish, etc too much and it absorbs their flavors too if you wanna drink the soup afterwards. Do not get wansuy if you have the genetics that make you think cilantro tastes like soap. Get sate instead if you'd like a spicy kick. The wantons, shrimp balls, and beef balls are all freshly made and take a little longer to cook so throw them into the soup first. The HK sliced beef is so red and fresh with just the right amount of fat. The rest of the stuff is pretty much standard. I unfortunately couldn't try the cheeseballs that people have mentioned because I'm lactose intolerant. Sad day. There is a sink near the entrance so you can wash your hands if you don't need to use the bathroom since it is located outside. In the dark empty building that could easily scare you if you're a scaredy cat like me. That sink is very much appreciated. The staff is great and very attentive! Very efficient and awesome service! We're sorry if we kept making you come back to pour tea, we wanted a whole teapot so you wouldn't have to go back and forth. However, I wouldn't recommend using the bathroom here because it's not exactly a golden throne.