10 Things To Do In Manila Philippines

November 14, 2010 | 36 Comments

10 Things to do in Philippines

My new mantra in life is to try and experience all the new things in this world.

I had the chance to visit Manila, the capital city of Philippines for a short trip a couple of weeks back, and it was a fabulous experience. Other than the heavily congested traffic, I love everything about the country. The Filipinos are really friendly host, and the place is full of history, and most importantly, the food – oh my god – the food. This is a country where the people eat a lot (in a good way); the food is rich, very tasty and often too sinful. There isn’t a proper definition of Philippine cuisine as it differs from the different cities and provinces. But from what I observed, Filipinos really love their rice and pork.

It is impossible to describe my four days three night experience in Philippines within a single post, but here’s my 10 things to do in Manila Philippines.

Life is too short, and you never know what tomorrow will bring. Maybe I will never get another chance to visit Philippines again in this lifetime, who knows? Therefore, I was very determined to try anything and everything, I repeat: anything.

Balut Street Food Philippines

The infamous Balut

When I told my friends that I went to Philippines, their first question was: “did you eat the balut?” For those of you who have not heard of the Balut before, it is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. The Balut will definitely rank right at the top of the list of exotic food in Philippines.

Nobody was expecting me to try it. But I wanted to experience and see what’s it really like.

Everyone was crowding around to witness my attempt at the “supposedly-dangerous” food, which has been over-exaggerated by the Western media. My friend cracked the shell and I took it with my trembling hands. Time really paused at that moment, as I took a bite of the egg. Initially, it was just like the taste of a normal egg, then my mouth came into contact with the eerily soft bones, and it was followed by the feather of the embryo.

Actually, it wasn’t that bad. I mean, if you don’t think of the bones, the feather, and the fact that there’s a nearly developed embryo inside — it’s really not that disgusting. If I can turn back time, will I still try this? Yes. But now that I have tried it once, will I eat the balut again? No.

How about you? Will you dare to try the Balut?

Filipino Street Food Manila

Eat anything that the locals eat – Filipino Street Food

I specifically requested my friends not to bring me to any fine dining restaurants as I wanted to eat what the locals eat. I wanted to be out in the street and try all the Filipino Street Food.

I felt empowered by the Balut. It felt as though I could eat anything after I had that. I went on to try the pork intestines, pig’s blood, pig’s ear and chicken intestines. Of course, Filipino street food is not just about raw egg and intestines. They also have fried banana fritter, which is similar to our pisang goreng – only that it’s coated with lots of sugar. Apparently, fried fish balls are also popular, and it is very different from the ones we have in Singapore. Our fish balls are bouncy and meat, whereas the ones in Philippines are hollow and rather empty inside. Not that I’m a fan of fish ball anyway.

Mall of Asia SM

Shopping, shopping and more shopping in Philippines

SM Mall of Asia (MOA) is big huge gigantic massive! Okay background information: MOA is the 3rd largest shopping mall in Asia, and the 4th largest shopping mall in the world. It’s about three times the size of Vivocity, the largest shopping mall in Singapore. How do you finish shopping at such a massive mall in a day? You don’t.

Greenhills Shopping Center Philippines

Find Bugis, Mustafa and Sim Lim Square at Greenhills Shopping Center

Another shopping area which is popular with the locals will be Greenhills Shopping Center. To put things into better perspective, Greenhills is like Singapore’s Bugis village, Mustafa and Sim Lim Square combined into one. There’s V Mall & Shoppesville, where you can get anything, and everything there.

For shopping in Philippines, there’s also Greenbelt other than Greenhills shopping center. Don’t be mistaken by the name, Greenbelt at Ayala Center (Makati City) is a completely different place from Greenhills Shopping Center. In total, there are five buildings: Greenbelt 1 to 5, with 5 being the newest (opened back in 2007). Greenbelt has a very good mix of high end retail shops, where you can find your Prada and Gucci, to the mid-ranged brands, restaurants, leisure and entertainment.

The Spa Bonifacio High Street

Go for body massage after a whole day of shopping

I fell in love with Bonifacio High Street the minute we got there. It is a very chic and happening place with a good mix of retail shops and dining establishments, making it a popular ‘last-destination’ place where friends meet for a drink, and couples end their day after a date.

My body was complaining after a whole day of shopping (& eating), so Carlos brought us for the best spa in Manila Philippines. The service and facilities at The Spa were top-notch. I’m not going to write an in-depth Spa review, but if you ever find yourself needing a good rub, try the Swedish Massage (P810 or SGD$25). Prices are considered pricey for local standards, but it is one of the high-end Spas in the city, and it is definitely worth every cent.

The Spa
Bonifacio High Street, B8, Ground Floor
Tel: +632 8565858

Intramuros Manila

Explore the Fort City of Philippines, Intramuros

It was a 30 minute drive on a Sunday (with considerably lighter traffic) from Makati to Intramuros. The name itself literally means “within the walls”, and it’s a fortress built by the Spaniards in the 16th Century. It’s a charming old place where you get to see lots of old historical buildings with the Spanish influence.

San Agustin Church Manila Philippines

Find Peace in San Agustin, the oldest church in the Philippines.

Best Filipino Food

Eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, and eat some more.

I haven’t been talking much about the food in Philippines so far. You don’t really think that I ate so little, do you? Really? I’m a food blogger you know? For the 4 days that we were there, the food was simply amazing. We ate, and ate, and ate, there wasn’t a single minute wasted at all. We had breakfast, and then brunch, followed by a heavy lunch, and then some light snacks before some desserts for high tea. And it was snacks again before another heavy dinner, and we continued with even more food before supper. It was food, food, and more food. There’s no word in the dictionary to describe Filipino food! I’m in a foodie paradise!

Best Roasted Pork

Things to eat in Philippines: Lechon manok, lechon liempo and chicken inasal

Lechon manok, lechon liempo and chicken inasal are the authentic Filipino food that the locals eat. They are cheap and affordable, and very, very tasty. Take my word for it, the thing that you see in the picture right now – they are the best roasted pork in this world. With a bottle of the light San Miguel beer to go along with the greasy but extremely delicious roasted pork, this dinner easily became one of my most memorable meals.

Filipinos love pork, Brad loves pork — Brad loves Philippines!

All of a sudden, the Filipino food that I had in Singapore really paled in comparison. But then again, it isn’t fair to compare that way since Filipino food will definitely taste better in Philippines.

Chic-Boy
112 Jupiter St, Makati City (24 hours)
Tel: +632 6594762

2/F El Molito Commercial Center,
Madrigal Ave. cor. Alabang- Zapote Rd., Muntinlupa City
Tel: +632 8467117

Filipino Street Food BBQ Chicken

I’m so sorry to do this to you, but the Chicken Inasal was really good. Jt Manukan Grille is like a roadside stall where they grilled the Paa chicken thigh (P85 or SGD$2.6) and Pecho chicken breast (P88 or SGD$2.75). It’s definitely not enough to have just one drumstick.

Jt Manukan Grille
4 Granada, Valencia, Quezon City Philippines
Tel: +632 7219025

The Courtyard Building
#26 Sgt. Esguerra St.
South Triangle, Quezon City
Tel: +632 928-8085

Filipino Dessert Halo Halo

We also tried Halo-Halo (P85 or SGD$2.6), a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and evaporated milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits, and served in a tall glass. It’s the perfect drink/dessert for a hot day, and somewhat reminded us of Chendol.

Pancit Luglug (P85 or SGD$2.6) is another Filipino comfort food which consisted of thick round rice noodle topped with ingredients like shrimp, and hard boiled egg.

Razon’s of Guagua
22 Jupiter Street Bel-Air Village Makati
Tel: +632 8972481

81 General Aguinaldo Avenue
Araneta Center Quezon City
Tel: +632 9126303

Max Brenner Desserts Manila

I know it’s not fair to compare the prices between Singapore and Philippines since the cost of living is different in both countries. But trust me, it’s difficult not to compare when I saw the prices of the desserts on Max Brenner’s menu. We had a couple of chocolate desserts which include the Chocolate Pizza (P268 or SGD$8.3), and the chocolate souffle (P178 or SGD$5.5)

Max Brenner’s Philippines
Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center Makati, Manila, Philippines
Tel: +632 728 8801

Tsumura Japanese Restaurant Manila

Tsumura Sushi Bar & Restaurant is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Manila, Philippines. It is located in Makati City, which is the major financial and business center of the Philippines. The set lunches are very reasonably priced, and there’s an additional 20% discount for them during weekends. I had the Ebi & Katsu curry set (P490 or SGD$15), which was absolutely a steal for the price. There was a lot of admiration for the Teppanyaki lunch set (P650 or SGD$20), as well as the huge portion of the Sukiyaki lunch set (P800 or SGD$25). Great Japanese food at very reasonable prices, Tsumara restaurant is definitely one of the must-try Japanese restaurants in Manila.

Tsumura Sushi Bar & Restaurant
2nd Level 88 Corporate Plaza
Sedeno corner Valero Streets,
Salcedo Village, Makati City
Tel: +632 887 4848

Goldilocks Philippines

Goldilocks is a traditional bakery which has branches all over Philippines. Their outlets are like a combination of bakery and fast food restaurant, serving both cakes, pastries as well as affordable Filipino cuisine. Remember to buy their famous brownies back as gifts.

Krispy Kreme Donut

I swear I am usually not like this, but I actually went gaga when I saw Krispy Kreme. The irony? I don’t normally have donuts in Singapore. But I had an Krispy Kreme original donut in Sydney, and it was so good. With a bottle of A&W Cream Soda and one (only one) Krispy Kreme original donut — this is the best thing you can have, before lunch.

Bubble Tea in Philippines

“Is there a bubble tea craze in Manila too?” I asked out of curiosity. Carlos proudly declared that Serenitea is the best bubble tea in Philippines. If you are craving for bubble tea during your vacation there — you know where to go!

Serenitea Bubble Tea
San Juan
1F G&L Bldg. J. Abad Santos cor. V. Cruz, Little Baguio, San Juan City 3794166

BF Homes
268 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Parañaque City
Tel: +632 7943288

Banawe
74B N. Roxas St., cor. Banawe, Sto. Domingo Q.C. (near Goldcars)
Tel: +632 2382545

Seafood Paluto Restaurants

Have lots of cheap and good Seafood at the Dampa

From what I understand of the word ‘Dampa‘, it basically means a hut, and it is like a wet market food place. Okay picture this: once you step into the area, there are many stalls selling fresh seafood, and you need to buy from them before heading to the rows of seafood restaurants which are just located right beside the market.

We went to the Seafood Paluto Restaurants, which is along Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City, a few minutes drive from Mall of Asia. It was quite an experience to buy seafood from the wet market as all the sellers tried their best to convince us to buy from their stall.

Seafood Dampa Restaurants

Between the five of us, we had 1 kg of calamari, half a kilo of big prawns, 2 lobster, and a huge slab of tuna belly. Do you have any idea how much food that is? It can probably feed more than 10 people! Even though we tried out best, we couldn’t finish all the food. But we didn’t waste any of them as we took home the leftovers. Anyway, we paid around SGD150 for the seafood ingredients and the cooking fee.

* * *

Apparently I’m not very good with numbers, because I lost count of the number of things to do in Philippines. But I shall stop here as the word count just hit 2185.

Philippines is such an amazing country and there are simply so much to share with you. My post on the 1o things to do in Manila Philippines definitely does not do justice to this beautiful country; please book a ticket and fly over to experience it for yourself. As for me, I made a promise to visit Philippines at least twice a year!

Comments

36 Responses to “10 Things To Do In Manila Philippines”

Carlos
November 14th, 2010 @ 9:42 am

Dude, come back soon. We’ve already made a list. That’s just in Manila. Wait till we take you to the provinces. I think Richard is excited to play host too.

Cheers,
Carlos
http://www.foodiemanila.com
Ian Villar
November 14th, 2010 @ 9:50 am

Nice read.. I’m glad you enjoyed Manila!

Love your blog! can’t wait to get back to singapore for the food food food!!
Richard Co
November 14th, 2010 @ 10:20 am

Glad you loved your trip here. Remember, I promised to feed you “lechon” when you come back.
KUMAGCOW
November 14th, 2010 @ 10:58 am

Hey this is a darn good article that you wrote from a Singaporean’s perspective. =) when I visited your country I loved the Chicken Rice and Water Chestnut =) Thanks for making the rumors clear that we are not all about the BALUT! LOL Did you get to taste Lechon Cebu? That’s the most sinful! You should definitely try that the next time you are around =)
Mistervader
November 14th, 2010 @ 12:52 pm

Hey, there! Marcelle here.

When you condense the stuff we guys did that way, I realize that we *really* threw everything but the kitchen sink at you. Here’s hoping to see you again either the next time you go to Manila or the first time I go to Singapore!
Sherra
November 14th, 2010 @ 1:07 pm

OMG! OMG! Your post just made me wanna fly back home right now! Kudos to a very rich feature about the PH. =)
Marzee
November 14th, 2010 @ 10:42 pm

Wow~ I’m very glad you liked Pinoy food!

I live in the Philippines and you must also try lechong kawali^^

Just an info for the others, the intestine-street foods are called isaw.^^ And please do try adding pinches of salt to the balut^^ yum~
Lynx
November 15th, 2010 @ 2:30 am

I’m glad you enjoyed your stay here in the Philippines. I’m a food blogger as well, and I agree that we surely love our rice ‘n pork. Anyway, I see lotsa neat stuff in your blog, will surely be visiting this every now and then.
Micamyx
November 15th, 2010 @ 6:27 am

Wow. I am really impressed with your blog entry It seems like you really enjoyed your stay in Manila. In Manila alone, there are so many things to do (although the traffic and pollution is not really nice LOL). I suggest that you try going to Cebu, Boracay or Palawan next time
ciki
November 15th, 2010 @ 10:26 am

No wonder you said Manila was cheap! Now u make me wanna go! LOL
Patty
November 15th, 2010 @ 1:10 pm

Brad!

Awesome post from your visit to the Philippines! Super happy you liked it here!

Its funny because we rave about food in Singapore. lol. But yah, we Pinoys really love our pork.

Come back! Next visit for a gastronomic feast – Pampangga. Its about a 2-3 hour drive up north.
Nancie
November 16th, 2010 @ 11:57 am

I haven’t been to the Philippines yet. After reading this it’s gone up a few notches on my places to go soon list. The food look awesome. I’m like you……….street food please. I would go nuts for that spa. The price might be expensive for the locals, but not compared to western prices. I’m off to Bali in a month, and it will be a spa a day, and all the delicious food I can eat! Fantastic post.
D.B.
November 16th, 2010 @ 4:56 pm

Thank you, Brad, for the kind words about Manila. This really made my day. It really means a lot to see how much you, a Singaporean foodie (the most hard-core foodie nationality LOL), enjoyed yourself. And kudos to your host. He really made sure that you had the quintessential Philippine food, culture and shopping experiences during your brief visit.

I’m going to Singapore at the end of the month– my second visit this year– for a food trip and your blog has been an invaluable source of information. Thanks for keeping at it!
mika
November 16th, 2010 @ 6:13 pm

nice post! glad you enjoyed your stay in manila!
witsandnuts
November 18th, 2010 @ 5:58 am

There’s really much to experience in Manila (alone). That’s a reasonable promise to visit Philippines twice a year. There’s a lot to explore, wait till your Filipino friends bring you to the other islands and especially during Christmas, fiestas and other occasions. That’s why I can not bear not to vacation there at least once a year.
axel g
November 19th, 2010 @ 4:19 am

Great post with many artistic photos!

I haven’t been back to PI for over 15 years…

Since everyone speaks good English, it’s really easy to travel +_+
Dave
November 19th, 2010 @ 5:43 am

I’m glad that you tried the balut. It’s one of the few things I’ve wanted to try for the longest time. Yes, if you think about it…you probably wouldn’t want to eat it. But why think? Just enjoy the experience and if you don’t like it you’ll be glad its over.
PJ
November 19th, 2010 @ 9:27 am

Let me know when you’re coming back and I can take you to the province hailed as the culinary capital of the Philippines – Pampanga.
Gay
November 19th, 2010 @ 10:38 am

I’m glad you enjoyed your stay! I certainly feel homesick now, after reading your post. Good thing I’m on my way home tomorrow!
Kelly
November 20th, 2010 @ 4:56 pm

Wow this is awesome! i’m going to manila at the end of this year, and i’ll definitely check out the stuff you suggested in this post (:
Joel
November 21st, 2010 @ 1:06 am

Ei dude I am a filipino working here in SG.

What can I say? You’re a good photo blogger. I love reading your post. Thanks that you enjoyed your stay in my hometown.

It’ll be an honor if sometime you’ll invite me in your adventure in SG.
vigatla
November 25th, 2010 @ 3:23 pm

awwww.. nice blog entry!! hope you’ll visit Cebu City the next time you come to Philippines and try our Cebu’s Lechon. January would be the best month for you to visit Cebu City because we’ll be celebrating Sinulog Festival on the third week of Jan.
tina
November 28th, 2010 @ 12:23 pm

i just want to ask if someone know what happen to paulaner coffee restaurant located at gaisano country mall in cebu and want to find out how is the owner too….. thanks if someone reply……
Sheena
January 7th, 2011 @ 12:04 am

Wait till you get to the province, aside from the food I’m very sure you’ll enjoy the sceneries, and of course, the beach! Reading your blog made me miss home even more specially the food there, quite rare for me & my husband to eat a decent/good food here without breaking our wallets.

In the Philippines, tourist spots are all God made. Something that I can be proud of about my home country:)
MA
February 23rd, 2011 @ 7:56 pm

hey nice post, u making me wana go back there again.
Dawn
September 22nd, 2011 @ 11:32 am

Hey! I was considering a trip to Manila after my colleagues were raving about the food and shopping there. Glad I saw your post!

How many days were you there? It would be great if you could provide some tips if I wanted to go for a free and easy trip! :>
ladyironchef
September 22nd, 2011 @ 11:09 pm

Hello Dawn, I was there for about 4 days. We were lucky to have local friends who showed us around. Manila is very big, and the traffic is quite bad, so I think you need to familiar yourself with the map. Plan your trip ahead so that you don’t need to make long detours. Let me know if there’s anything I can help?
boracaybaby
October 15th, 2011 @ 2:20 pm

Good thing you did enjoy Manila despite the heavy traffic. Philippines has a lot more to offer when you travel to the provinces.
Chris E
November 6th, 2011 @ 4:24 pm

I am from the Philippines.. I must say… you gave me a different perspective of Manila!
Ysabelli
December 21st, 2011 @ 2:04 pm

Proud to be a Filipino! We really have a rich culture. I heard that Asian School of Hospitality Arts has a battle cry that “Philippines: The heart of Asia” Might want to support it: http://www.facebook.com/ashaschool
bystander
January 9th, 2012 @ 9:44 am

Hi, I just found out that i have to fly to Manila on my birthday and spend the whole day there. I’ve been to Manila about 7 years ago but with a large group of people. I know it sounds stupid but my only worry is whether it’s safe to be going around Manila at this time. I really enjoyed reading your post as always. please give me some insights on how to enjoy Manila for a day in a safe way!
ladyironchef
January 9th, 2012 @ 9:51 am

@bystander I think it’s absolutely safe to travel to Philippines. The reports in the media are widely exaggerated. When I was in Manila, I was travelling around with my local friends, so they took us to the best places.

I’d suggest staying to the main city area and don’t display your valuables openly.

I’ve travelled to Cebu last year on my own, and it was perfectly safe too. Don’t worry, just have fun and eat more yummy food! : )
Rich
February 14th, 2012 @ 10:19 am

Cheers for a very nice read on your food blog! Your friends really gave you an authentic manila experience. Besides the street foods and restaurants, I am just wondering if you have tried our fastfood giant Jollibee? It’s all over the country and yeah, i know, it’s like mcdonald’s but they have a “pinoy-style” spaghetti there and the chicken is great.
ladyironchef
February 14th, 2012 @ 11:36 pm

@Rich I didn’t try Jollibee as I was saving room for more food. But I’ll definitely try it the next time I’m in Philippines.
nuvali laguna
April 26th, 2012 @ 5:20 pm

Thank you for this blog. That’s all I can say. You most definitely have made this blog into something that’s eye opening and important.

Alvin
Wallace
May 10th, 2012 @ 1:34 pm

Hi, just wondering is there any local guides that you can recommend? My family will be going to Manila probably during the end of July and would really like to have the same experience as you.