18 Amazing Street Food in Manila You Just Cannot Miss

Any trip is incomplete without the Food, right? You cannot have a perfect trip without exploring the local street food of that place. Manila, in the Philippines, is home to one of the best street foods in Asia. Authentic street-style food made with exotic spices and herbs will make you drool. The dishes here are mostly boiled, fried, and seasoned with salt, peppers, soy sauce, garlic, etc.

Here are 18 of the Best Street Foods You Can Try in Manila

1. Isaw

Isaw is one of the most popular Street foods in Manila and the entire Philippines. It is a dish made with barbecued pig or chicken intestines. The intestines are first cleaned thoroughly and then boiled and grilled on Barbecue sticks. This dish is usually served with onion vinegar which makes it an amazing combo. 

Price: 5 Philippine Pesos per Skewer

2. Kwek Kwek

Kwek Kwek sounds like something related to a chicken dish but isn't. Kwek Kwek is quail eggs covered with an orange layer or gram flour layer and is deep-fried in hot oil. They look somewhat like cheese nuggets. This dish is served with either vinegar or onions and chili flakes.

Price: 12 Philippine Pesos for 3 pieces

3. Green Mango Shrimp

Didn’t your mouth just water by thinking of Green Mango? Mine did! The street vendors sell the green mangoes (typically from India) by peeling and poking it into a stick. It is seasoned with either salt or a slightly sweet and spicy shrimp paste. The sour mango with the mildly spicy paste is a must-try.

Price: 7 Philippine Pesos per piece.

4. Palabok

Palabok is one of the famous noodle dishes in the Philippines. Soft rice noodles served with chicken or pork shrimp and gravy is particularly very well known among the Filipionos. This dish is also served with boiled eggs and seasoned with onions and garlic.

Price: 30-70 Philippine Pesos per plate

5. Taho

Taho is a dish with Tofu (Douhua), which is dipped into a brown sugar syrup and served in a cup. This dish is available in almost every place in Manila. The tofu usually is very soft so you can either use a fork or directly take a sip. 

Price: 20 Philippine Pesos per cup

6. Turon

If you are looking for a vegetarian snack, you have it right here. Turon is a Banana slice with caramel, which is covered by a crepe layer called Lumpia. It is deep-fried until it turns crispy.  It is more like a sweet and salty banana roll. This roll is often mixed with jackfruit, mango and cheese fillings.

Price: 10 Philippine Pesos per piece

7. Banana Cue

Often mixed with the Turon, a Banana Cue is a little different. This is a sweet dish, which you may have like a dessert. Banana slices fried in brown caramelized sugar is a very common staple food in the Philippines. 

Price: 12 Philippine Pesos per slice.

8. Adobo

Informally known as the MUST TRY national savory dish of the Philippines, this is a treat for non-veg lovers. Adobo can be made with any meat; usually, chicken or meat is cooked in vinegar and tangy sauces and is generally eaten with rice. Many people serve adobo with plain rice and green mango salad, a hugely popular food in Manila amongst locals. This costs around PHP 205. Sosing's Karinderia, Pan Pacific Hotel, Adobo Connection, etc. are various places to try delicious adobo.

Price: 40 - 60 Philippine Pesos per plate

9. Puto

Puto is a steamed cake made of rice flour. They are steamed like dumplings and are very soft. Puto is available not only in the traditional white rice colour but also other colours. It is often served with gravy and shrimp paste.

Price: 80 Philippine Pesos for 12 rice cakes

10. Tapsilog

Tapsilog is a meal often served for dinner. It consists of fried beef (Tapa) or mutton, fried garlic rice and egg fry. This dish is seasoned with salt and spices. If you like strong spicy food then it should be your pick.

Price: 50- 80 Philippine Pesos

11. Sisig

Sisig is made with the parts of pig’s head and chicken liver. It is a mixture of both. Usually seasoned with peppers, onions and spices. The dish tastes better when served with soy sauce.

Price: 50-100 Philippine Pesos

12. Sinigang

Sinigang is a broth/ soup dish which has a little sour taste because it consists of tamarind. This soup is made with various meats like, fish, chicken, shrimp, pork, etc. The dish is cooked with tomatoes, onions, carrots and other vegetables. 

Price: Approx 200-300 Philippine Pesos for 2 people.

13. Crispy Pata

Crispy Pata is a pork leg dish, which is first boiled then deep-fried until it turns brown and crispy. This dish is served with soy or vinegar dip. You will have to try it !

Price: 100- 150 Philippine Pesos per plate

14. Kare-Kare

An Indian-origin dish that means curry-curry (kare-kare). This is a peanut-based curry with beans, eggplants, and ox or oxtail, the main ingredient. Cabalen is where you'll find one of the best curries in Manila. C2 classic cuisine is also an A-listed kare kare place. 

Price: Approx 150 Philippine Pesos

15. Halo-Halo

This Filipino bonne bouche is amongst the most famous food in Manila; if you miss out on this, you are truly missing out. Shaved ice, and sweet evaporated milk are the main ingredients and are topped with leche flan, egg custard, coconut, sago, plantain, and jackfruit and there are endless options. Many places have mastered the art of making halo halo, and some of the most widely-known ones are Cafe Via Mare and Aristocrat's. 

Price: Approx 60-150 Philippine Pesos

16. Balut

This is the main delicacy of Manila and attracts a lot of tourists. It is a few days old embryo and yolk of a duck which is boiled and eaten with salt. The younger the egg, the more tender and tastier it will be. There are not many especially known places for Balut, but you will find vendors shouting its name almost everywhere in marketplaces. Elias by Chrisostomo on the Bonifacio High Street serves one of the best Baluts in town with garlic and sauces. A single balut costs you about PHP 15.

17. Kinilaw

This dish is more like a non-veg salad which includes cold fish cuts with onions, garlic, vinegar, coconut cream etc. The Macapagal boulevard offers you to choose and fish from the seaside and get it tossed with your choice of vegetables. An averagely priced restaurant might charge you PHP 150 - PHP 200 for a portion of kinilaw.

18. Lechon

This is a unique dish one can find only in Manila. It is a full pig roasted with spices and oil till it has a juicy flesh inside and a crispy crust outside. Very few chefs master the art of perfection in its cooking. Loring's Lechon costs you around PHP 900 for a kilo and PHP 6k-8k for the whole. The most reliable lechon makers can be found on Eustaquio street and cooks the pigs using less fat and less oil.

Best Street Food Places In Manila

1. Quiapo Market, Palma Street

One of the busiest streets of Manila

What to eat: Isaw, Sinigang, turon, etc
Timings: Open 24 hours

2. Mang Larry’s Isawan

What to eat: Isaw, Kwek Kwek, etc
Timings: Daily, 9 AM - 9:20 PM

3. Concepcion Public Market

What to eat: Palabok, banana cue, etc

4. Chef Arch’s Lime Street Food Na Pinasosyal, Mandaluyong City

What to eat: Crispy Pata, Kare-Kare, etc
Timings: Daily, 12 AM - 2 PM and 6 PM - 12 PM

5. Three Sisters Restaurant Of Pasig

The most famous and affordable restaurant in Manila.

What to eat: Halo-Halo, Isaw, Tapsilog, etc
Timings: Daily, 11 AM - 10 PM

6. Mang Tootz Foodhouse, Noval street, Sampaloc

What to eat: Turon, Sisig, etc
Timings: Daily, 9 AM - 5 PM

7. Sisig Sa Rada, Makati City

What to eat: Sisig, Tapsilog, etc.

8. Mang Frederick's BBQ, Marikina City

What to eat: Isaw, Taho, Adobo, etc
Timings: Daily, 1 PM - 8 PM

Now that you know about the various Filipino delicacies and their locations, get yourself ready to experience the best Foodgasm ever. These various street food dishes in Manila truly define the palette of every Filipino and the locals are the happiest ever for you to go try them out. Bon Appétit!