Pre-war travel films on Manila

Those were the days when romantic Manila was a favorite stop of cruise ships. It's so sad the city was totally destroyed during the Second World War. Which is why we should endeavor to protect the architectural heritage that still stands in the city. Let us not waste the tourism potential of our heritage by allowing the continuous destruction of our old buildings that have defined and continue to define the character of our capital city.

Because of the strong economic potential of our heritage, there should be a real effort from our national government and the City of Manila to restore our old buildings and landmarks. Maybe in the future, we could even slowly rebuild some important landmarks of Manila. In fact, in Intramuros, the reconstruction of the Ayuntamiento de Manila and the Casa Mision of the San Ignacio Church are already underway. And it's also about time we transform Manila into the garden city that it once was! It's not too late.

Manila: Amano Bistro and Bar in Tomas Morato

Tomas Morato Street in Quezon City has become one of Metro Manila food havens. A new restaurant called Amano Bistro and Bar will be opening soon (in front of Mang Inasal). And we got a sneak preview of the Southern Tagalog fusion food they will have in their menu.

Among my favorites were the Laing ala Pinangat and the Cavite Monggo Soup. I definitely enjoyed the food. But the test a good restaurant is how good the food is when it's fully operational. So we look forward to what's in store.

Manila: Late night shabu-shabu at Golden Fortune Seafood Restaurant

Here is the answer to your late night shabu-shabu cravings! Last March, the Philippines hosted the Asia 21 Young Leaders Forum. Among the delegates was Minnesota state senator Mee Moua who had mentioned to us over dinner that she was hoping to visit Chinatown before leaving the next day. On short notice, we rang Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks to give her a private night tour of Binondo!

After exploring Binondo, we went for late night shabu-shabu at Golden Fortune Seafood Restaurant which closes at 1 a.m. daily. What's even better is starting at 9 p.m., they give a hefty discount for shabu-shabu (30 to 50 percent depending on the ingredient), dimsum and seafood. The same discount is offered from 2 to 5:30 p.m.

The shabu-shabu was great! At least we now know where to go when craving for late night food in Binondo!

Golden Fortune Seafood Restaurant
Peace Hotel, 1283 Soler Street
Binondo, Manila
(02) 244-2777

Manila: Charlie's Grind & Grill serves great burgers!

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today! I'm sure J. Wellington Wimpy would have been happy if he lived in Barrio Kapitolyo in Pasig with Charlie's Grind & Grill dishing up some of the best burgers in town.

Great thing it's near my place of work so I get to enjoy their Black Angus Burgers with Fresh Fries (note it's fresh because they are chopped just right before frying) anytime I crave for a burger. You can add 'shrooms or even smoked bacon if you want. And there are a lot of American comfort foods too. But I'll definitely go back for more burgers.

The store can actually fall in the category hole-in-the-wall (there are a lot of hole-in-the-wall places which serve really great food). You could easily miss it since it's tucked inside a car wash! Anyway, I'm on my way there now for dinner!

Charlie's Grind & Grill
16 East Capitol Drive, Bo. Kapitolyo, Pasig City

Manila: Buffalo's Wings N Things serves nasty wings!

The Ortigas Home Depot area is turning out to be a great place to dine and hang-out. One of the places we got to try out is Buffalo's Wing N Things. And hell do they serve really nasty wings! They currently have nine sauces and you can order half a pound, one pound or the triple sampler (three different kids of sauces).

I'm not into spicy food so my favorites were New York's Finest (which was mild spicy) and Honey BBQ (3). There are five chili levels for the original Buffalo wings flavor ranging from The Rookie to Nuclear! We got to try Rescue 911 (1) and Nuclear as well and boy were they hot! Thanks to Bikoy for the illustration (no acting there). We were also served Java Jive, Garlic Parmesan (2) and Jalapeno Hots (4).

But Buffalo's not only serves wings. Other American comfort foods are available such as Twin Dogs (5), Mini Burgers (6), Fish N' Fries and Philly Cheese Steak. They don't serve rice. But they'll happily buy rice for you at the nearby convenience store if you want your wings to go with rice.

More from Ortigas Home Depot
Hermanos Deli Bar at Ortigas Home Depot
UP's Mommy Thai reopens at Ortigas Home Depot

Manila: UP's Mommy Thai reopens at Ortigas Home Depot

During my freshman year in U.P. Diliman, we enjoyed exploring its many culinary secrets. In the International Center, the U.P. dormitory for foreign students, was an unassuming carinderia which served authentic Thai food at very affordable student prices. It was authentic because the cook and owner was a Thai lady whom we all called Mommy Thai.

The stall later on moved to Balara and moved a second time before closing shop in 2006. Many were saddened when Mommy Thai disappeared. And in fact, many U.P. students and alumni think Mommy Thai was closed for good.

The good news is that Mommy Thai reemerged last year in a different location, the Ortigas Home Depot, as Khao Pad. It went unnoticed even by many of their old U.P. patrons until they placed the sign "formerly U.P. Thai Canteen" on its glass window. Now text messages have been going around from the many excited U.P. students who got to savor her tasty Thai lutong-bahay.

While she serves the Thai dishes we are familiar with such as pad thai, tom yum and bagoong rice, her former patrons can still order the dishes she served in U.P. (take note that these are not in the menu but she'll gladly prepare them for you). And arguably the most popular is a dish she calls Mixed (some call it mixed seafood but it's really mixed beef, chicken, squid, vegetables and egg).

Each dish costs PHP120 and is good for 2 to 3 people. In fact, I ordered Mixed a while ago and it was a lot! The U.P. version was a rice topping dish good for one. I'm going back there next week with my college barkada!

Manila: My Mother's Garden (The Garden Room) has a visiting chef

My Mother's Garden (formerly The Garden Room) now offers Australian fusion meals with Melbourne-based chef Joey Veloso at the helm. My Mother's Garden is the residence of National Artist for Architecture Pablo S. Antonio now made available for private bookings.

Chef Joey is a grandson of the National Artist himself. Some of his signature dishes include an Italian Caesar salad with prawns, chicken kebab salad, a Filipino-Australian potato salad using local Tuguegarao longaniza, Vietnamese baked chicken and a Portuguese chicken using Indian spices and Portuguese ingredients.

We got invited for a sneak preview of the fusion cuisine. And here's the feast they served: (1) Sri Lankan curry chicken with grilled baby corn, capsicum and pita bread; (2) Portuguese chicken (peri-peri); (3) North African chermoula salad (which I thought was pinakbet salad because of the similar ingredients); (4) Filipino Caesar's salad with tahong, sweet ham and capers; (5) Tuna Niçoise salad; (6) Caribbean wild rice (red, black and white rice) with dried mangoes, pomegranate, raisins and nuts; (7) Spanish pasta with Tuguegarao longaniza, paprika oil and olives; and (8) Vietnamese beef with sweetened peanuts and sweet chili. The flavored soda was also refreshing.

The good part about it is that you can actually customize the menu to your own preferences. Here is a previous entry on My Mother's Garden.

My Mother's Garden
2650 Zamora Street, Pasay City
(02) 8318407, 6315054, 4859244
(0917) 6008886

Manila: Italianni's introduces its summer dishes

Easter Sunday, I wonder where we'll eat for dinner. I just realized I have a long lists of food experiences to write about. We got invited recently to try out the new menu of Italianni's which they are offering exclusively for summer. They have five new dishes which we all got to taste.

There's the Costina Brasatta (braised ribs), Manzo di Arrosto (roasted rib eye) and Marinata del Manzo di Arrosto (beef pot roast), Pollo con Rucola (chicken with arugula), Spiado del Pollo e Dei Pesci (fish and chicken skewer), and Pesci in Vino Bianco (fish fillet in white wine). Each dish is served with spaghetti aglio e olio and grilled vegetables. Catch these dishes only this summer!

Manila: Visita iglesia to Makati City (Metro Manila) churches

Here's a visita iglesia closer to home. After our trip around Sta. Ana, I decided to visit various churches in Makati City. There are two heritage churches plus an old chapel which I heard was no longer used as a chapel. But many of the churches in Makati are very noteworthy. One of them is even designed by a National Artist.

The main town church of Makati is the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul (Poblacion). The original retablo is there but we were shocked to see new embellishments which overpowered the simple charm of the church. some of these interior designers have this wrong notion that more gold and burloloy is wonderful. They should be given a lesson in Heritage Conservation 101.

Nearby is the Nuestra Senora de Gracia Church (Guadalupe Viejo). This was bombed during WWII and what is left of it is the facade. This used to be a huge church complex.

The Sanctuario de San Antonio (Forbes Park) was built by the Franciscans after their mother church in Intramuros was destroyed during WWII. Except for the Augustinians, most religious orders moved out and established their headquarters elsewhere. In the main altar is a war survivor, a statue of St. Anthony from the original San Francisco Church in Intramuros.

In Greenbelt is the Chapel of Sto. Nino de Paz, commonly called the Greenbelt Chapel. It floats in the middle of a pond, and is surrounded by green. Robinsons should have done that to the Jesuit Church in Padre Faura.

The Greenbelt Chapel was designed by Architect Willie Fernandez and later enhanced by Jess Dizon who rendered the circular pattern of the building. You will also notice works of renowned glass sculptor Ramon Orlina, who fabricated the ceiling, tabernacle, altar, the large cross at the entrance, the sacristy, and the God the Father image on the dome.

The St. John Bosco Church or the Don Bosco Church (San Lorenzo) is another work of art designed by Architect Jose Maria Zaragoza. The statues that adorn the church were done by sculptor Eduardo Castrillo.

Saint Andrew Church (Bel-Air) is a work of National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin. But I felt, for some reason, that the exterior of the church was a bit neglected.

Other chapels and churches you can visit are the Guadalupe Chapel in the BDO Building, a building also designed by Leandro Locsin. I'm not sure though if it will be open on Holy Thursday. Then there's the St. Thomas More Chapel (Rockwell) at the Ateneo Professional Schools. I know Assumption College (San Lorenzo) also has a nice chapel. Another school chapel would be the one in Colegio de San Agustin (Dasmarinas).

Finally, another Locsin masterpiece that will surely be missed is the Church of St. Alphonsus Mary Ligouri (Magallanes) which burned down some years back. A new, but equally impressive church was built, designed by heritage architect Dominic Galicia.

Related entries
Visita iglesia to our heritage churches
Holy Week practices in the Philippines
Visita iglesia and more Holy Week practices in the Philippines
Visita iglesia routes for Holy Thursday

Manila: Camarin de la Virgen and more Sta. Ana treasures

Sta. Ana, Manila has a huge potential to become a cultural tourism destination if proper planning and urban renewal is undertaken by the local community, with focus on its build heritage. The Heritage Conservation Society went on a quick tour of Sta. Ana to assess the area.

We all met at the Lichauco Residence, the Lichaucos being our hosts for the morning. Of course, right beside their wonderful house, the Emilio Aguinaldo College was almost gone. But despite this setback (I still pray SM will see the light and make sure the facade of their new supermarket will conform to the historicity of the district and not build their hideous box type malls), Sta. Ana can still be enhanced to highlight its remaining heritage structures.

From the Lichauco Residence, we walked to Xavier House next door. I've already mentioned this in a previous post and we all know that it will be up for sale soon. Again, this is a major heritage structure of Sta. Ana, most especially because of its history.

After meeting with Fr. Reuter, we boarded a coaster that took us around Sta. Ana. The district has two plazas namely Plaza Calderon and Plaza Hugo. Plaza Hugo in particular was of great interest to the restoration architects in our group since it can be developed as the tourism center of the heritage district with sidewalk cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops and bed & breakfast inns.

We then proceeded to the Sta. Ana Church where former NCCA chairperson Jaime Laya talked about Sta. Ana heritage its possible conversion into a heritage tourism district. The highlight of the day was the visit to the Camarin de la Virgen, the dressing room of the Virgen de los Desamparados right behind the main altar of the church. This was recently declared a National Cultural Treasure. And when you're in the room, there's no question why it deserves the designation.

The room is used when her vestments are changed for the observance of the Sta. Ana fiesta on May 12 and other special occasions. On the ceiling are eleven large mural paintings on wood depicting scenes from the life of Mary and Jesus, said to be the oldest paintings in the country. The statue of the virgin is a replica of the original one in Valencia, Spain which I saw last year. Legend has it that to christen the new image, they allowed both images to touch before sending the new one on its voyage to Manila.

Beside the church is the Taoist Temple which also has an image of the Virgen de los Desamparados. Again, with the proper gilding, this will definitely become another attraction. We ended the tour with lunch at the Lichauco Residence.

The Heritage Conservation Society will be organizing a Heritage Tourism Workshop in Sta. Ana from May 27 to 30 to help the local community of Sta. Ana and other heritage communities in Metro Manila plan their heritage tourism programs. It's open to the public. Just call the HCS office at 5212239 for details.

Part 1: Sta. Ana, Manila heritage lost to the malls too! Save Sta. Ana heritage!
Part 3: More on Xavier House and Sta. Ana

Manila: More on Xavier House and Sta. Ana

The Jesuit Philippine Province came out with a statement today on the sale of Xavier House which I quote in full below. I too was disappointed with the Inquirer article after I found out there was no truth to the rumor that SM had purchased it. SM was never in the picture when we discussed Xavier House. So I was surprised when the article came out yesterday claiming they had talked to someone from SM who confirmed the purchase. I thought they did their research properly.

SM confirms it purchased the Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) property last year. Although they deny they had anything to do with the demolition, note that the demolition took place in December 2008 and was completed only last month.

Anyway, on Xavier House, the goal now is to move forward and find a win-win situation for all. As a result of the e-mail exchanges in the heritage community and the Inquirer article, concerned groups are trying to come up with proposals for the property, possibly raise funds to purchase it or propose something to the Jesuits to make it economically viable, thus producing a steady income stream. I will keep everyone updated since the the local community in Sta. Ana will be meeting over the weekend to discuss what to do next.

Statement of the Jesuit Philippine Province on the "Sale" of Xavier House
In its issue of 31 March 2009, the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) ran a front page article on the ‘sale’ of Xavier House that demands some clarifications, not only because of its misstatements of fact but also on account of the innuendoes and implications it fosters.

1. The article falsely claims that a done deal has been made between the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus and the SM Group for the purchase of the Xavier House property. The Provincial and Province Treasurer are quoted as denying this; but a source from the SM Group (conveniently left unnamed) is produced to state the contrary. In no uncertain terms the article adopts the latter as the correct version. This is not true. The Province has had no contact with the SM Group, has not even gotten to the point of putting the Xavier House property up for sale.

2. The PDI article also tends to misrepresent the whole issue as if it were nothing more than a money-making scheme. It brushes aside the reality that the Province is in real financial straits, exacerbated by the ongoing world financial crisis. The rising costs of medical care for our senior and infirm Jesuits and formation for our younger men have taken a toll on province resources. These resources are dedicated to almost a third of Philippine Jesuits who are in formation, and an even bigger group of some 110 who are over 70 years of age, 61 of whom are 80 and above. Along with this, the Province also has to support other works that are not self-sufficient. It is unfortunate that people do not realize that the Province is not Ateneo de Manila or Xavier School, and that funds do not come out of one big pot that is commonly shared.

3. Fr. James Reuter, with whom I spoke this morning, is very much dismayed at and disturbed by the PDI article. He lamented the distortions it presented and the picture of him and of the Jesuits that the article unfairly painted. Father Reuter continues to affirm that the Society of Jesus he entered almost seventy-five years ago has always cared for him and will continue to do so to the end. He well knows that despite all difficulties, the Philippine Province remains committed to make sure that all our Jesuits in our different communities are provided for and attended to.

JOSE C. J. MAGADIA, S.J.
Provincial

Part 1: Sta. Ana, Manila heritage lost to the malls too! Save Sta. Ana heritage!
Part 2: Camarin de la Virgen and more Sta. Ana treasures

Manila: Sta. Ana, Manila heritage lost to the malls too! Save Sta. Ana heritage!

Sta. Ana, Manila was the seat of the Kingdom of Namayan, one of three major kingdoms that dominated the area around the upper portion of the Pasig River before the arrival of Spaniards. The Heritage Conservation Society recently visited the historic district of Sta. Ana, Manila to familiarize ourselves with the place. Sadly, several historic buildings were being torn down to give way to malls.

The demolition of the Emilio Aguinaldo College, which was previously the Columban Fathers’ residence, former residence of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary and birthplace of Student Catholic Action, is almost done. And the culprit is none other than heartless SM.

This is not the first time that SM raped our cultural heritage. They had previously demolished the historic Pines Hotel in Baguio City (at the same time cutting hundreds of trees) to build SM City Baguio; the San Lazaro Hippodrome to build SM City San Lazaro; and destroyed the fabric of the Manila civic and government center with SM City Manila built right beside the City Hall of Manila, where the historic YMCA once stood.

Doesn't SM know what adaptive reuse is and how developers in cities around the world use it to revitalize old districts, enhance the character of the place, increase attractiveness and business viability and protect heritage? Sadly, SM is building in a very critical area of the historic district and this will most definitely ruin the historical fabric of the place and the possibility of revitalizing Sta. Ana through tourism.

Another shocker was the ongoing demolition of the Sta. Ana Racetrack buildings designed by Architect Juan Nakpil, National Artist for Architecture. How would you feel if someone burned a painting by Vicente Manansala? Well, demolishing a masterpiece of Nakpil is similar to that! We were told another group was going to build yet another shopping mall. Do we still lack shopping malls in the country?

The shells of the buildings are still there and I am hoping that they preserve these and incorporate them into the shopping mall. That will be a great example of adaptive reuse if they do that!

When we visited Father James Reuter, S.J. at Xavier House also in Sta. Ana, he mentioned to us that the Jesuits plan to sell the historic property. Fr. Reuter was saddened since Xavier House is very important to the history of our country, especially during the 1986 People Power Revolution where it was a nerve center of media operations. Remember, without the radio broadcasts, there would be no People Power.

This was where Fr. Reuter directed the Radyo Bandido broadcasts of June Keithley. These broadcasts are part of the Radio Broadcast of the Philippine People Power Revolution which have been incribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World, UNESCO's program aimed at preserving and disseminating valuable archive holdings and library collections worldwide.

I do hope the Jesuits do not sell the property because it might just become another shopping mall. The Jesuits had previously sold their church in Padre Faura which is now Robinsons Place Manila. I hope students and faculty of the Ateneo de Manila University appeal to Father Provincial not to push through with such plans if there are any. But in the end, I am not opposed to the sale. I am against any future plans of the new owner to demolish the structure.

Anyway, I'll be posting an account of our tour around historic Sta. Ana, particularly the Camarin de la Virgen in the Sta. Ana Church, a National Cultural Treasure.

Part 2: Camarin de la Virgen and more Sta. Ana treasures
Part 3: More on Xavier House and Sta. Ana

Manila: Hermanos Deli Bar at Ortigas Home Depot

Tapas anyone? I've had a greater appreciation for tapas after my trip to Spain last year. Which is why I yearn for tapas every now and then here in the Philippines. I got to try out this new tapas bar called Hermanos Deli Bar at the Ortigas Home Depot (where Jay-J's Ortigas is). It's tapas with a Filipino twist which they call Tapas de Kastinoy.

My favorites would be the Calamari del Gobernadorcillo (dried calamari flakes with chili paprika), Bola-bola Paella dela Guerra (deep fried breaded paella rice with chili tomato sauce), Gambas de las Islas (shrimps sauteed in garlic, olice oil and chili), and Longganiza dela Revolucion (marinated Vigan longganisa with chili tomato). Also on the menu is Tapang Usa de Katipunan (smoked deer with pickled radish and wine vinegar)!

Although they have wine to accompany those great dishes, the Tapas de Kastinoy are best consumed with a bottle of ice-cold beer (there's San Miguel as well of a good number of imported beers). Check it out at the Ortigas Home Depot along Julia Vargas Avenue.

Manila: Mario's in Tomas Morato

Last month, I had a great dinner at Mario's in Baguio. Originally located on Session Road (it burned down about a decade ago), it's one of the city's restaurant icons, and is known for its great steaks, wines and Casear's salad. The new branch is now located along Upper Session Road near Nevada Square.

That's why when I got invited to a blogger's dinner at Mario's Tomas Morato, I didn't think twice. Fil Benitez, the son of the owners Mario and Nenuca Benitez wanted to introduce us to his new concept "Cordillera hip dining" at the very cozy Tomas Morato branch, hoping to bring the original Baguio charm of Mario's to the lowlands of Metro Manila.

Appetizers were ready for consumption as soon as I arrived including a large tray of Oysters Rockefeller, setas al ajillo and gambas con chorizo. We made sure to start the meal with Mario's popular Caesar's salad which is prepared right in front of you.

For the main course, I got myself filet mignon this time around. In Baguio, I tried their chateaubriand steak (heart of tenderloin) which is good for two and served with fettuccine alburo. The rest of the bloggers tried out the other steaks and Paella Valenciana. I made sure to order mango jubilee for dessert! They have a buffet menu on Sundays and that's something I want to try out since the food at Mario's is surprisingly affordable.

In the photo is owner Fil Benitez with Toni of Wifely Steps, myself, Spanky of Manila Boy and Stephie of The Happy Girl.

R.O.X. is the biggest outdoor store in Southeast Asia

Talk about last minute! We're leaving for Mt. Pulag tonight and we only bought our gear a few minutes ago at R.O.X. The good thing about R.O.X. is that they have everything we needed.

I even got myself an oxygen canister when I get really exhausted during the climb. And since they closed at 11 p.m. today, even those who had some unfinished work at the office were able to catch up. That's why they're highly recommended! Check out the biggest outdoor store in Southeast Asia at Building 1 of Bonifacio High Street.

Bulacan: Ipo Watershed, Angat Dam and the La Mesa Ecopark... Save the Ipo Watershed!

The Ipo Watershed is part of a larger water system which includes Angat and La Mesa. It serves as the major water source of Metro Manila. There's been some buzz about the Ipo Watershed lately, particularly from the UP Mountaineers, who have been advocating its protection, especially from kaingin, and other factors that are leading to the rapid loss of its forest cover. So when we found out about their tree-planting activity, we didn't have to think twice and found ourselves on the road to Norzagaray, Bulacan.

Unless you make prior arrangements, you may not be allowed inside the Ipo Dam area. We parked right by the dam. First thing I noticed was an NHI marker commemorating the Battle of Ipo Dam during the Second World War. We walked to the other side of the dam where boats were waiting to take us to the activity site. It was about 3 kilometers upstream and the ride was roughly 30 minutes.

Don't miss remnants of the older dam 200 meters from the current Ipo Dam since that's industrial heritage! It was wonderful seeing the clean water and lush cover of trees. But just several weeks back, there had been signs of illegal logging and kaingin in the area. It's really stupid what some people are doing! Imagine losing this watershed and ultimately, the water supply of Metro Manila.

From where our boat docked, it was a really short hike up a hill to the reforestation area. The activity was almost done when we arrived. But we managed to plant a few seedlings before hiking further up to check out the wonderful view of the Angat River from the top. The group was able to plant 475 seedlings that day. But it's a far cry from what illegal loggers are cutting-down deep in the Sierra Madre where no one can see them.

We didn't stay long since the event was almost done so we decided to ask our boat to bring us further upstream so that we could check out the Angat Dam.

That was another thirty minutes upstream. The dam is actually a rockfill dam and you won't be able to recognize it easily since it's covered by grass. The concrete structure you see is actually the spillway with three gates. Again, the river offered us refreshing views.

It was a long ride back to Ipo Dam, about 45 minutes to one hour if I remember it right. As soon as we got back, we made our way to San Jose del Monte for a late lunch.

We had one last stop before calling it a day, and that's the La Mesa Dam. And to see it, you had to go to the La Mesa Ecopark. We had a hard time finding the entrance which is in a village along Commonwealth Avenue. One way to get in is through Winston Street.

The bad news was we could not take photos of the dam itself for security reasons! That was a big disappointment. But we got to enjoy some of the activities in the park though such as boating in the lagoon and the riding the zipline which was really fun! We spent PHP50 each for entrance (QC residents and students get a discount so don't forget to bring your IDs), PHP200 for a 30-minute boat ride, and PHP100 each for the zipline. Not bad!

And with that, we completed our tour of Metro Manila's sources of water! Read more in Pinoy Mountaineer.

Manila: Legaspi Sunday Market is Makati's undiscovered food haven

Indeed it's a food haven waiting to be discovered. We all know about the Salcedo Saturday Market. But have you ever gone to the Legazpi Sunday Market, also known as the BSL Sunday Market? If you haven't, then it's about time you do and try out the great food!

Of course, you should try the best ensaimada in town, Imang Salud classic ensaimada, an old family recipe which we inherited from my great-grandmother, Salud Dayrit-Santos of San Fernando, Pampanga. These giant melt-in-your-mouth ensaimadas are guaranteed to tickle your taste buds. Also check out mom's tibok-tibok!

There's so much more to munch on. Check out the fresh lumpia of Yan Ching, the pizzas and samosa at Pizza di Grazzia, Becky's Kitchen and the traditional Spanish tortillas of Mantequilla. Warung Warung serves traditional Malay food such as beef rendang, kari ayam and ayam goreng, while Singaporean satay is a specialty of Island Satay.

I also adore the takoyaki, gyoza and other Japanese dishes. Next door one would find japchae and other Korean delights. Have you ever tried Turkish baklava? Well, Anatolia Cuisine serves that and more Turkish pastries. And there's Indian food such as methi chicken, mushroom mutter, shahi paneer and dal makhni. There are different kinds of deli from all over Europe. And great hamburgers in a bun served by Monster Burger.

There's food from all over the Philippines, Ilocos empanda, grilled meats, seafood and other ihaw-ihaw and ulam, fresh and dried seafood, it would take another post to enumerate them all.

For dessert, try the traditional Breton crepe, the many flavors of Fro-Yo's pure frozen yogurt, or Imang Salud's ensaimada of course! There are wines to accompany your meals (check out the lemon wine called Citrocello), as well as fresh fruit shakes. You can also also have local kakanin such as suman, puto and kalamay, or fresh fruits from all over the country and even abroad. My personal favorite would be the juicy red cherries!

So what are you waiting for? Check it out every Sunday at the Legazpi Car Park, Legaspi corner Herrera Streets, Makati City. That's in front of Starbucks Herrera, very near the Union Church of Manila.

Ultimate Trip: Sunday Brunch on August 24!
Ivan About Town, Manila Boy, Old Manila Walks, and Our Awesome Planet are cordially inviting you to join us in an "Ultimate Trip" to the market less-travelled, the Legaspi Sunday Market for a pre-holiday "Sunday Brunch," 10 a.m. to 12 noon on August 24. Check out the details in Manila Boy. The Legaspi Sunday Market is in the parking lot across Starbucks Herrera stretching to the Union Church of Makati, Herrera to Rada, corner Legaspi Streets, Legaspi Village, Makati City. We'll all meet at Starbucks Herrera at 10 a.m. RSVP by commenting below.