How to Eat Like a Local in the Philippines

The Philippines is home to one of the world's most underrated cuisines, making wining and dining in the country a delightful experience for the senses. The culinary scene offers visitors a diverse array of local delicacies and fusion dishes influenced by the nation's colonial heritage. "Filipino Food" is a culinary landscape as expansive as the country's geographical diversity. To savour the authentic flavours and eat like a local during your trip to the Philippines, explore everything from popular street food to traditional dishes.

Breakfast on Tapsilog

Similar to most Asian people, those living in the Philippines also love to start the day with a heavy rice meal. Called Tapsilog, this hearty dish comprises a cup of garlic fried rice and a fried egg. Most Filipinos will also include a meat item to this meal with restaurants in the country naming their Tapsilog dishes after the main meat item that's served as a side dish. Longsilog, for example, is a variation of the dish, where a spiced sausage not unlike Spanish chorizo, is paired with the rice and the egg while Tosilog features cured pork belly. Those who are ordering Tapsilog in local eateries can specify their meat preference when ordering or simply choose the right side dish option from the menu.

Stay Warm with a Bowl of Champorado

As a staple dish that's made in local households once the rainy season is in full swing, Champorado is a decadent rice porridge dish that children and adults revere. Infused with chocolate, the rice porridge, which is a combination of sticky rice and cocoa powder, is topped off with evaporated milk before serving. Usually eaten for breakfast, some Filipinos like to have their bowl of Champorado with some dried fish to add saltiness to this otherwise sweet dish.

Lunch on Adobo

If there's a National dish in the Philippines, then surely it's the globally renowned Adobo. Diners looking to sample Adobo in Manila and other Philippine cities will find that there are dozens of variations of Adobo sold in local restaurants. One can find everything from adobong manok with chicken to adobo rice and adobong sitaw featuring long-yard beans. Adobo is cooked in a special mix of vinegar and soy sauce, and most Adobo dishes are slow-cooked with garlic, pepper and bay leaves and served with a cup of steamed rice.

Snack on Pandesal

Locally known as "salted bread", Pandesal is a popular snack that can be found at local bakeries. It is freshly prepared early in the morning and has a soft and chewy interior with a crusty exterior. Despite its Spanish-inspired name, this bread is actually sweet and not salty at all. It is commonly enjoyed with coconut jam, Latik or Kesong Puti cheese. Additionally, local families like to use luncheon meat or corned beef as a filling for their Pandesal or pair sweet bread with fried eggs.

Inasal

Fans of char-grilled chicken must sample the Inasal menu at dedicated chicken Inasal restaurants the likes of Mang Inasal Philippines. Usually eaten for lunch or as a snack, what makes char-grilled chicken in this part of the world so irresistible is the special marinade that flavours the meat. It's surprising to find that soy sauce is not among the ingredients of the marinade although Calamansi, annatto, pepper and vinegar are part of the concoction.

Beat the Heat with Sinigang

When it comes to the best soups in Philippine cuisine, there's no denying the rich flavour of Sinigang. Slow-boiled meat or seafood is tossed in with tomatoes, onions and a tamarind paste to create this wholesome dish which is considered a comfort food for most. This healthy broth also includes veggies such as spinach, daikon, okra, yard-long beans, eggplant and taro.