Manila Food Adventure - I Literally Never Went Hungry!

(Written by my guest writer: Suzette Mendoza, plus my comments in italic ^_^)

- Day 3 Breakfast -
Toasted bread, Spanish sardines, eggplant parmigiana, with fresh basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Not a filipino breakfast exactly, but we almost finished the whole loaf! So, that's a good thing.


Suze cooked the eggplant parmigiana, super delish!...and I never thought sardines taste so fan-bloody-tastic on toasts, and the fresh basil from Suze's herb garden just brought everything to a new height! I promised myself to eat less the day before, but before I knew it...there was no more bread in the bag, I ate 3 of these bad boys for breakfast!!!

- Day 3 Lunch - at Robinsons Galleria Mall Food Court)
1. Dinuguan - pork meat cooked in pig's blood (cooked with oregano)


2. Papaitan - Bitter soup due to acid of pork guts and innards


3. Laing - taro leaves and stems cooked in coconut milk


4. Pork BBQ - Rita's favorite

Yes, I always order these bad boys every chance I got ^_^

5. Kwek kwek - boiled quail eggs, dipped in orange batter then deep fried, served in a plastic glass with spicy vinegas, scoop it out with skewer


- Day 3 Snack - at work
1. The dreaded BALUT - which she did not find so dreadful - "aborted" duck eggs
WARNING! A picture of cracked balut below, just in case you can't handle it ^_^


Arrgghhhh!!!!!

Hmmm actually they didn't look as intimidating as I thought it would be...you don't see something in the shape of a chick at all...whew!


The proper way to eat balut
1. Crack one end of balut
2. Peel the shell slightly
3. Pose for photo taking
4. Sip the balut juice
5. Pose for photo taking
6. Continue peeling and sipping until the cooked yolk and feathered "friend" are revealed
7. Show feathered friend on camera for photo taking
8. Pour some vinegar and suck the friend - feel the feather and small bones in your tongue
9. Pose for photo taking while your mind decides whether to throw up or swallow what's in your mouth
10. Enjoy the yolk, discard the white part (it's called "stone" - as it's a bit hard)
12. Smile as if you enjoyed the experience so as not to offend the culprits who made u try it

I survived the challenge, it wasn't that bad at all...the yolk was rich and creamy, the chick tasted like chicken which has been braised for a long time, and the bones were as small as fish bones..and they are soft. I did it! Are you up for it? ^_^

2. Bibingka - native pancake - flour, butter and egg batter - baked

Traditional way of cooking bibingka
1. Place a piece of banana leaves in a shallow clay pot
2. Put batter in the pot
3. The pot is placed in between burning coals (placed in a clay cookware with heaping coals under it - the pot is then covered with a thin sheet of metal - then heaping coals are also placed on top the metal sheet - the heaping coals on top is contained in a another metal sheet with metal coil handles, which the cook will bring up to check on the batter)
4. The batter is checked now and then - before batter fully forms - slices of cheese and salted eggs are placed on top of the formed cake. Once cooked - the bibingka is brushed with melted butter

I love bibingka! I can't believe I haven't thought of putting salted eggs, cheese and pancakes together! It's like a mini little heaven on a banana leaf!

- Day 3 Dinner - at Tiendesita's
Cheese Ice Cream

I was not hungry, but I couldn't resist this pre-dinner snack! The ice cream was light yet flavorful...and the adorable vendor happily posed for pictures. Look at the ice cream cart, how cute!


Look at the array of yumminess! A normal local dinner would be a bowl of rice and 2 sticks of pork BBQ...what we (three girls) ordered were definitely NOT normal....hehe

1. Clam soup - simple soup of clams cooked on sauteed garlic, onion and ginger - then salt and pepper

Clean, clear and refreshing!

2. Lato salad - green seaweed sacs in vinegar and soy sauce - served with sliced onions and tomatoes, drizzled with lime

This was the only thing I wasn't so fond of...the morsels popped like salmon roe...and they tasted fishy to me...but the locals adore these and you might feel the same way too, maybe it was just me...and my reflex reaction to healthy food hehe

3. Grilled catfish - marinated catfish, then grilled - served with atchara (pickled grated papaya)

The meat was satiny soft, moist and smooth, the skin was tasty and smoky...simply perfection!

4. Steamed oysters - eaten with drizzled lime and vinegar - should not be overcooked so as not to loose its sweet natural taste

I'll start steaming oysters from now on ^_*

5. Bagoong rice - rice mixed with shrimp paste - served with minced mangoes, tomato and onions

The rice was tasty and I never thought mangoes would go nicely with rice. Lotsa things I didn't know, eh?

6. Grilled esau - grilled chicken intestines - well cleaned, boiled then grilled - served coiled in skewers
Smoky and tasty outside...super duper creamy inside...these are addictive!

7. Pork BBQ - Rita's favorite

Noticed that I ordered these again? Hehe I think I could eat 20 sticks in one meal...but I worried I would scare my dining pals

8. Avocade cake, red scarlet cake & Tsokolate



The cakes were a bit dry for my taste...but washed down with this deep, thick, and rich chocolate shot...they were beautiful!

The girls and I were happy to learn that none of us count calories...we live to eat and adventurous. In Hong Kong, I have always been haunted by guilt when I feel hungry every two hours...but during this trip...I ate pretty much every five minutes!!! Well...as you guys said, eat now, worry later, right? Hehe, I learn fast!

I we were to coil a tag line for out eat outs, it would be "Oh, we ordered too much!!.....(later on)Oh... really? (PS. all plates were left squeaky clean)"

More of my Manila food adventure:
- A Warm Welcome
- The Mother of All Sore Throats