Manila Explorer

Succulent, exotic, tangy, spicy, sweet, sour, colorful and always a feast. Whether in a cramped sidewalk stall (kainan) or in a posh restaurant, dining in the Philippines is a guaranteed adventure. The wide array of cuisine - from native to Asian to continental - is matched only be the myriad choices of restaurants and eateries around town.

Philippine cuisine is a mirror of its culture, thus the variety in what is cooked and how it is cooked. Rice is the staple, although influences of foreign recipes have become a regular practice in food preparation. For instance, coconut milk or gata is still used often as ingredient, a gastronomic legacy from the Filipinos' Malay ancestors. Popular dishes like lumpia (rolls) and pancit (noodles) are Chinese. Even the lechon (roast pig), which is considered the country's most famous dish, has its origins in China. Spain's contribution to Philippine cuisine include adobo, mechado, menudo and pochero.

Because of its coastlines, the, Philippines boasts of seafood galore. In fact, most, if not all, restaurants offer seafood cooked one way or another. The most popular though is broiled (inihaw). Standard seafood dishes include shrimp, rock lobster, crab, oyster, squid, and fish. A delicious type of crustacean which looks like a cross between a crab and a crayfish, the curacha, is an attraction in itself in restaurants in Zamboanga while Davao has become synonymous with the inihaw na panga, tuna head split and broiled. To cap a sumptuous meal is a wide array of desserts, from the fresh fruits to baked delights. The sweet mango is almost always the first on the list of after dinner fares.

A wide choice of food establishments awaits the visitor whether it be in Metro Manila or in the various provinces in the country.

Entertainment often follows a good meal. Metro Manila bristles and bustles with nightlife and is often heralded as Asia's entertainment capital. There are nightly show bands dishing out bouncy numbers or soulful ballads. There is a wide range of music to choose from - pop, rock, jazz, even Broadway. Some entertainment establishments feature bands or singers that specialize in original Pilipino music (OPM) or have cultural show presentations featuring the traditional folk dances of the country.