"I Don't Want Nirvana! I Want Great Food, Always!" - that's what I have been saying to myself since the moment I landed in the Philippines on Saturday.
Every meal in Manila, every morsel has been been a delectable surprise, and the hours in between, were spent fantasizing about what my next meal would be.
Each day began with a delectable Pinoy breakfast!
Spanish influence on Pinoy breakfasts - the longanisa - a Pinoy version of the Spanish chorizo!
Chinese influence on Pinoy cuisine is visible, with a distinct Pinoy twist - congee for breakfast with scallions, calamansi lime juice and shrimp paste - I would kill, I would die for this!
Dinner at Kalye Juan at the Robinsons Galleria - restaurants in a food court may not be Michelin starred, but they make for a quick, cheap but delectable meal, in a local style, without anything fancy...
Rice crackers...
Pork sisig - a traditional Pinoy dish. Sisig is a Kapampangan term which means "to snack on something sour". Pork sisig is maide from the head and snout, finely chopped with lime and peppers...
Philippines is a veritable culinary melting pot. It is here that the tradewinds converged and brought alongwith them influences from far and wide spicing up the pre-Hispanic Austronesian culinary traditions.
Migration from China in the prehistoric era brought the knowledge of rice cultivation and other farming practices to this archipelago. Further enriching the cuisine here was Malay and Chinese influences in the medieval times and then more recently, the Spanish influence and the trans-Pacific searoute opened up the Philippines to European and native American foods...
The main course - Pinoy Laing - taro leaves cooked in coconut milk with ginger, shrimp paste, pork and garlic...
Laing with rice - trust me it was delicious...
At the Inasal Chicken Bacolod, in the Robinsons Galleria...
Garlic rice...
Grilled bangus (milkfish)...
I need it sour and spicy and I love the Pinoy Calamansi limes...
A tiny barbecue joint in Robinsons Galleria...
The liempo or pork belly looks tempting...
Grilled to perfection, the liempo was juicy and succulent...
And desserts are tropical - Pinoy desserts are usually starchy with a taro base and fruit or coffee flavouring. Palm sugar brings out the sweetness!
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