Quick Reference to Manila's Street Food

Bago natin suungin ang masalimuot na mundo ng street dining, here's a quick reference to Manila's Street Food:

Grilled and Fried

• Adidas - chicken feet, marinated and grilled or cooked adobo style



• Atay - grilled chicken liver



• Baga - pig’s or cow’s lungs grilled or deep-fried and served with barbeque condiments



• Balat ng manok - see Chicken skin and Chicharon manok



• Balun-balunan - grilled chicken gizzard



• Barbeque - marinated pork or chicken pieces grilled on skewers



• Betamax - curdled chicken or pork blood, cubed and grilled



• Botsi - chicken esophagus, deep-fried or grilled



• Bulaklak/Bulukluk (flower) -small intestine of pig fried to a crisp. Looks like a flower.



• Calamares - deep-fried squid in batter



• Cheese sticks - deep-fried cheese wrapped in lumpia (spring roll) wrapper



• Chicharon baboy - pork skin cracklings, made from pork rind boiled and seasoned, sun-dried and deep-fried



• Chicharon bituka - pork or chicken intestine boiled, seasoned and deep-fried



• Chicharon bulaklak - pork omentum boiled, seasoned and deep-fried



• Chicharon manok - chicken skin cracklings



• Chicken balls - balls made with chicken meat, deep fried and served in skewers with a sweet, sour or spicy sauce



• Chicken skin - chicken skin battered and deep fried



• Empanada (Batac/Vigan) - pork longganiza, egg and grated green papaya in a rice flour shell, deep-fried and served with vinegar



• Fishballs - balls made with fish meat, most often from pollock, deep fried and served in skewers with a sweet, sour or spicy sauce



• Helmet - grilled chicken head



• Isaw - collective term for different types of grilled chicken and pork innards; varieties include isaw manok, isaw baboy, atay, goto, botsi, balun-balunan, and tenga ng baboy



• Isaw baboy - grilled or deep-fried pork intestines on a skewer, served with sweet, sour or spicy sauce



• Isaw manok (also IUD) - grilled or deep-fried chicken intestines on a skewer, served with sweet, sour or spicy sauce; also referred to as IUD because it resembles an intra-uterine device



• IUD - see Isaw manok



• Kikiam - the special ones are made of ground pork and vegetables wrapped in bean curd sheets, deep-fried and served with sweet, sour or spicy sauce; those in the street are seafood-based, usually made of fish meat and cuttlefish



• Kudil - deep-fried pork skin



• Kurbata - tie, in english (either just chicken's neck, or neck and thigh as in neck-tie



• Langoniza - pork sausage grilled or fried on a skewer



• Lumpia - spring rolls; varieties include lumpiang basa; lumpiang hubad - fresh spring rolls wothout the wrapper; lumpiang prito; lumpiang sariwa - fresh srping rolls; lumpiang shanghai; lumpiang ubod; and turon



• PAL - Philippine Air Lines means chicken wings



• Panara - deep-fried crab and grated green papaya empanda sold in Pampanga during Christmas season



• Proven - hard portion of chicken entrails that is either marinated and grilled, battered and fried or cooked adobo style



• Pusit - squid grilled on skewer



• Quikiam - see Kikiam



• Squid balls - balls made with squid or cuttlefish meat, deep fried and served in skewers with a sweet, sour or spicy sauce



• Tenga ng baboy (also Walkman) - marinated pig’s ears grilled on skewers; see also Kudil



• Walkman - see Tenga ng Baboy

Steamed, Boiled or Raw

• Mais - boiled sweet corn seasoned with salt, butter or margarine



• Manggang hilaw - green mango served with bagoong (shrimp paste)



• Mani - peanuts either boiled, roasted or deep-fried and seasoned with garlic and salt



• Siomai - steamed pork dumplings



• Siopao - steamed pork buns

Egg Family

• Abnoy - unhatched incubated duck egg or bugok which is mixed with flour and water and cooked like pancakes



• Balut - hard-boiled duck egg with fetus



• Day-old chicks - literally day-old chicks deep-fried to a crisp, served with sauce or vinegar



• Hepalog (also Toknonong) - hard-boiled duck eggs dipped in orange batter and deep-fried



• Kwek kwek - see Quek quek



• Penoy - hard-boiled duck egg without fetus (as in Balut)



• Quek quek (also Toknanay) - hard boiled chicken eggs dipped in orange batter and deep-fried; also used for quail eggs but some say the correct term for the quail egg version is tokneneng; the balut version is sometimes referred to as hepalog



• Toknanay - see Quek quek



• Tokneneng - hard boiled quail eggs dipped in orange batter and deep-fried; also called kwek kwek by others



• Toknonong - see Hepalog

Sweets and Pastries

• Banana cue - deep-fried saba (banana) covered with caramelized brown sugar



• Bibingka - glutinous rice flour pancakes grilled with charcoal above and below in a special clay pot



• Biko (also Bico) - glutinous rice cake with grated coconut topping



• Binatog - boiled white corn kernels, sugar, grated coconut and milk



• Calamay (also Kalamay) - glutinous rice cakes; varieties all over the country



• Camote cue - deep-fried camote (sweet potato) covered with caramelized brown sugar



• Carioca (also Karyoka, Karioka) - deep-fried glutinous rice flour cakes served on skewers



• Cutchinta - see Kutsinta



• Kakanin - collective term for snacks made with kanin (rice), particularly malagkit (glutinous) rice; varieties include puto, kutsinta, calamay, sapin-sapin, suman, palitaw, biko or sinukmani, and espasol among many others



• Kalamay - see Calamay



• Kamote cue - see Camote cue



• Halo-halo - translated as “a mix of many things” or “an assortment,” it is a dessert topped with shaved ice that may contain sweetened saba (banana), camote, macapuno (young coconut), kaong, nata de coco, pinipig (rice crispies), gulaman (agar), sago (tapioca balls), brown and white beans, garbanzos, ube (purple yam), and leche flan (creme brulee), with milk and sugar



• Iskrambol (also Scrambol) - frostees; shaved ice, diced gulaman, sago and condensed milk



• Kutsinta - steamed bahaw (boiled rice) with lye and brown sugar; has a gelatinous consistency



• Mais con yelo - sweet corn, milk and sugar topped with shaved ice



• Maruya - banana fritters



• Nilupak - mashed kamoteng kahoy (cassava) or kamote (sweet potato) with brown sugar and served with butter or margarine



• Palitaw - glutinous rice flour pancakes topped with grated young coconut, sugar and roasted sesame seeds



• Pandesal (also Pan de sal) - breakfast roll; rounded bread



• Puto - steamed rice cake



• Puto bumbong - purple glutinous rice snack cooked in a special steamer



• Sapin-sapin - layered glutinous rice and coconut milk cake usually topped with grated coconut and latik (residue from coconut oil extraction); different flavor per layer such as ube (purple yam), macapuno (young coconut), kutsinta and langka (jackfruit)



• Scrambol - see Iskrambol



• Sinukmani - see Biko



• Sorbetes (also Dirty ice cream) - street ice cream made with local fruits and ingredients; common flavors include ube (purple yam), mango, avocado, queso (cheese), chocolate, langka (jackfruit), buko or macapuno (coconut); strawberry is common in Baguio City



• Suman - glutinous rice snack steamed in banana or coconut leaves; varieties include binagol (Leyte) made with glutinous rice, gabi (taro), coconut milk and chocolate; budbod sa kabog (Tanjay, Negros Oriental) which uses millet instead of glutinous rice; Taho - bean curd snack topped with arnibal (liquefied raw sugar similar to molasses) and sago (tapioca balls)



• Tupig (also Itemtem) - glutinous rice, grated mature coconut, coconut milk and molasses rolled in banana leaves and grilled; varieties in Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte (Batac) and Isabela



• Turon - saba (banana) with with sugar and sometimes langka (jackfruit) wrapped in lumpia (spring roll) wrapper and deep-fried

Noodles

• Batchoy - miki noodle soup garnished with pork innards (liver, kidney and heart), chicharon (pork skin cracklings), chicken breast, vegetables and topped with a raw egg; origin traced to La Paz, Iloilo



• Lomi - noodle soup made with thick fresh egg noodles or lomi



• Mami - noodle soup



• Pancit - noodles; varieties are batchoy (Iloilo) - see Batchoy; batil patung (Tuguegarao) - local noodles topped with hot dogs, chicharon, ground meat, fried egg, and vegetables; pancit bihon; Pancit canton - a kind of pancit guisado flavored with ginger and soy sauce; pancit guisado, pancit Habhab (Lucban) - sautéed miki noodles served on and eaten straight from banana leaf sans utensils; Pancit lomi - see Lomi; pansit luglog (Pampanga and Tagalog Region) - it has a distinct orange shrimp-achuete sauce and is topped with chicharon, tinapa, wansoy and shrimp; pancit malabon (Malabon) - made with thick rice noodles tossed in shrimp-achuete oil topped with shelled oysters, squid rings, suaje or hipong puti and wansoy; pancit molo (Iloilo) - clear chicken broth with wonton, garlic and crushed chorizo; pancit palabok; pancit puti (Manila); and pancit sotanghon among many others

Rice Porridge

• Arroz caldo - rice porridge or congee cooked with chicken and kasubha; see also Lugaw



• Goto - rice porridge or congee cooked with beef tripe



• Lugaw - rice porridge or congee; varieties include arroz caldo (with chicken and kasubha) and goto (with beef tripe)

Viands/Ulam

• Bopis - minced pig’s heart and lungs sauteed with garlic and onion and seasoned with laurel, oregano, bell pepper and vinegar



• Papaitan - Pork meat stewed in bile. Bitter tasting, as you would expect



• Pares - translated as “pair,” means the pairing of rice with beef; beef pares is characterized by very tender meat, usually with a lot of litid (ligaments)



• Sisig - roasted pig’s head, chicken liver, onions and chili, chopped and flavored with calamansi served on a hot metal plate

Source: Dictionary of Filipino Street Food

Siomai House - Siomai Whenever, Wherever

Isa ito sa mga food carts na nagsusulputan na parang kabute kung saan-saan. Siomai House usually occupies space near groceries, food courts, bus terminals, markets, LRT or MRT stations, office buildings or any place na maraming tao. I usually visit the one inside the Marketplace in Greenfield district because of the obvious reason na katapat lang halos ito ng Teleperformance where I work.

My first taste of Siomai House's siomai was 3 years ago. It was introduced to me by my agents when I was still a supervisor. Iyon na rin ang everyday bonding moments ko with my agents - eating out sa... dyaraannnn... palengke! Isa ito sa mga common interests namin kaya madali kaming magkasundo. Lahat kase kami halos ay madaling magutom (read: matakaw) at dahil na rin sa economic situation, naging mas convenient na option ang market food.

Big servings with generous garlic and chili toppings


Refreshing ice-cold black gulaman



Sa halagang P25, meron ka nang 4 na pirasong siomai. An order comes with a hefty servings of pork siomai topped with equally generous amount of garlic bits and chili sauce. They use commercially available soy sauce (Datu Puti, nakita ko lang sa ilalim ng kanilang counter) and calamansi as dip. Mas malaki sya compared sa version ng Henlin or any siomai I have tried. Their siomai is steamed just right, hindi malabsa (soggy) and probably, the best-tasting siomai below P30/4pcs. Syempre hindi masayang kumain kung walang panulak, and here at Siomai House, they serve ice-cold black gulaman for a measly P10. So sa halagang P35, you can satisfy you siomai cravings anywhere you go!

A Siomai House cart


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Frequently visited branch (author): Siomai House, Marketplace, Greenfield District, Brgy. Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City
Location/s: Food courts, train stations, bus/transport terminals, sidewalk
Business Hours: Varies by location
Bestseller: Pork and shrimp siomai
Other offerings: Ice-cold black gulaman
Estimated Budget: P25 to P35 per meal
Payment Method: Cash

Paotsin - My First Fried Wanton Experience

My first fried siomai experience was at Paotsin - isa sa mga food stalls sa labas ng SM North EDSA Supermarket. Naglipana na rin ang kanilang mga branches all over - sa supermarkets at food courts ng mga malls ni Tito Henry, Tita Robina at Tito Jaime. Ilang taon na rin ang nakalipas when I first tasted their siomai. Ang una kong napansin ay ang kakaiba nilang packaging - violet styro with matching violet sfork. Medyo kakaiba sa nakasanayan ko na puting styro ng Henlin. Kelan ko lang rin napansin na nabago na ang kanilang packagaing - from violet, naging black styro but still with the matching black sfork. So ang overall presentation ng food medyo weird, hindi naman nakakatakot pero may pagka-weird (paulit-ulit?) talaga. Imagine - black styro, green rice (Hainanese rice), golden brown fried siomai and violet sfork. So para tuloy meron mag-uutos sa subconsciousness mo na, "kakaiba ito, matikman nga." So yun na ang simula ng aking Paotsin food affair.

Paotsin's Old Packaging


Paotsin's New Packaging


Una kong tinikman ang kanilang fried siomai. Ok naman pero nakakapanibago dahil nasanay ako sa steamed siomai. Wala namang something special sa fried pork siomai - except for the fact na malutong sya compared to the steamed one (think twice pag malutong na rin ang steamed siomai). At dahil kadalasang mahaba ang pila sa Paotsin sa mga SM malls, hindi ito yung tipo ng meal na pagtitiyagaan mong hintayin sa pila sa loob ng 15 minuto. In short, "ok lang."

Ang usual scene sa Paotsin stalls


Pero nagbago slightly ang aking pananaw when I tasted their sharksfin at crab wanton of course, with their trademark toyomansi with chili. Ito yung tipong timpla na swak na swak sa panlasa ko, yung tipong mag-cecelebrate ang mga taste buds mo. Parang sinasabi ng utak mo, "Gusto ko pa, gusto ko pa!" Tapos sasagot yung wanton at toyomansi ng, "May silbi ako, may silbi ako." Habang sumisigaw yung tyan mo ng, "Tama na, tama na. Wala na akong space!" At the end of this battle, syempre panalo si utak pag meron ka pang budget - speaking of budget, you can have Paotsin's wantons and dumplings for P34 (without rice) or P45 (with rice). At syempre pa, hindi kumpleto ang meals pag wala ang kanilang very refreshing na Buko Pandan juice (12oz - P18, 16oz - P20, 20oz - P22).

Healthwise, dahil fried sya, expect na di sya ganun ka-friendly sa katawang lupa unless they use olive oil. At ang Hainanese rice, amoy pa lang, MSG na! Pero pag natikman mo na ang isang sforkful ng rice na ito, you will certainly ask for more. Ang health benefits (or the lack/opposite of it), ng MSG ay pwedeng pagdebatehan sa ibang venue.

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Frequently visited branch (author): Paotsin, Pavillion Foodcourt, Pavillion Mall, Greenfield District, Brgy. Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City
Location/s: SM malls, Robinson's malls, Ayala malls, other malls
Business Hours: Mall hours (depende kung saang mall)
Estimated Budget: P50 to P70 per meal
Payment Method: Cash

Welcome to chEATs - the Philippines' Guide to Cheap Eats

Welcome to chEATs - the Philippines Guide to Cheap Eats!

Pagdating sa food trip, hindi ako choosy. Basta masarap, swak! Ang blog na ito ang unang subok ko sa food blogging. Hindi man ako culinary expert, meron akong panlasa na pasok na pasok sa taste ng Pinoy.

Paunawa sa Publiko: Anumang karamdaman na sanhi ng pagkain sa sidewalk ay hindi pananagutan ng may-akda.