This will be a short and simple post! I have a question for other expats living here in the Philippines:
What foods do you miss from back home?
Let me answer the question first:
1. The big russet potatoes from Idaho! Nothing is more delicious when baked up!
2. The other day, my wife bought some “Chex Mix” at the grocery store. Boy, it sure is good! It’s just a simple thing, and I’ve never been a Chex Mix junkie, but after having some, I realized that I indeed missed it!
3. Good pizza. There are pizza places here, but the pizza doesn’t compare to what I am used to in the USA. I have yet to find a great pizza here, although I have found a few that were pretty good.
How about you? What do you miss here? Make your list and leave it as a comment!
foods i miss when in philippines; a nice big beef steak, my wifes big juicy hamburgers(cant get the ingrediants) If you are in the provinces it is hard to get any imported products. even though the food is nice and fresh you start to crave for processed junk.
I just left the phillipines in april and i had yellow cab pizza with hot wings before i left i can't wait to get back to have some of that pizza and hot wings it was very tasty!
Hi Anthony – thanks for letting me know what you miss! I am not sure where you go when you are in the Philippines, but let me recommend the Del Monte Clubhouse in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon for a great steak! In my opinion, it's the best steak you'll find in the Philippines.
Over the years that I've been here, I must say that more and more foreign products are becoming available in the stores here. It is great to find some of those hard to find items!
Corn tortillas are at the top of the list! I have made them here, from scratch, using feed corn… definately better than Chippys but not as good as what I could buy in California. Sigh. Tacos made with flour tortillas are not really tacos. 'Real' cheeses have become available in the last few years, happily, even though they are a bit pricey. Quick Melt, which never melted, never quite did it for me! 🙂 Really dark, 70% cocao chocolate is hard to find, and we really need that for a vitamin supplement. Back in the Mexican department, I would dearly love to find some fresh poblano chilies…
Good Morning Bob, Provide me with your mailing address and I will send you some Chex. Ron
I remember that Don Henrico's had a pretty good pizza when they were open a few years back in Davao. I had a steak at the place the is now what used to be Regine's when we were back in Davao a few months back…I can't remember the name of the place to save my life…but it really wasn't that good. I think the thing that bums me out the most is that it is really hard to buy the fixings for a good bowl of chili. I recall that I was able to get most of the items for it the international section at G-Mall in 2000-this included kidney beans, chili beans, and various spicey peppers . This past spring I couldn't find that stuff again. I first turned my wife on to chili in Davao. Now, we can't go a month without a big crock of it. It is especially good on a chilly late autumn day in Minnesota after being outside.
The one thing I truly miss in the Philippines in Pomelo Tang. I have to go about 15 miles to a small asian store to buy it here. When my wife shops at the store, which is only occasionally, I put an order in with my wife. Now that I'm thinking about it, I want some now…
Hi Bob, I'm not an expat but whenever I'm in Davao, I keep craving good mexican food. The big fat burritto you can find everywherre here in California.
Hi Kenny – Wow, interesting that your food that you miss is here in the Philippines! I didn't expect that. I am not a big fan of yellow cab pizza, I find it very greasy. But, we all have different taste buds!
Hi AmericanLola – Nice to see you here! Thanks for your comment. I am with you on the corn tortillas, they are delicious and I have never seen them here. Feyma makes flour tortillas which are quite easy to make, but I do miss the corn ones. A few months ago, I bought some 70%+ cocao bars at SM Department Store, but they were clearing them out! I guess they didn't sell well.
Hi Ron, I appreciate your offer on the Chex, but it really isn't necessary! Actually, Feyma saw some Chex cereal at the store too! Thank you very much for being so thoughtful.
Hi Stebujiji – Yes, I agree, I used to like Don Henrico's they had good pizza and other good items. As I recall, they had some super onion rings. The place where Regine's used to be is Coco's Grill. It is still owned and operated by the same people that used to own Regine's. Ah, Pomelo – I love anything Pomelo!
Hi Macky – Mexican food is running through this thread a lot! Both you and AmericanLola (and me too)! There used to be two mexican restaurants in town, and both were decent, but they didn't survive. Too bad!
Hey Bob…Bill Huff again. Wow….i find this amazing…hehehe I have noticed this in past post also Bob, on what foods people miss when they come here to live. Now i have not lived in the Phili as of yet, but will in about 80 days. I am going to the Phili without a thought of missing any US foods…i must be a minority. I am going to the Phili as a grand adventure, and will be marrying a Filipia, and will live there for the rest my days. I am excited about thier foods & thier culture. I will eat what they eat, and will enjoy every bit of the experiance. But with that in mind, i will let you know when i start to go co-co for my Cocoa-Puffs…..i really do not want to bring much of the US with me, wish me luck…
Hi Bob,
I did have some tex-mex meals in Toto's (Casa Leticia) with my wife and friends. We did enjoy the meal (especially my 2 local friends), still not the same but I was glad to at least have a choice. Quality restaurant too, by the way.
Hi Bill – If I can remember, I'll ask you in a year what foods you miss! Believe me, you will miss some things that you don't even realize right now! It's inevitable. Of course, I could be wrong – maybe a year from now you'll be chowing down on balut, bulad, noodles and rice! I kind of doubt it, though. Ha ha…
Hi Macky – I have never eaten at Toto's although I've often intended to. I know Rey, the owner, and he is a nice guy, very nice. I usually end up downstairs at either Hanoi or Tsuru, though. I'm gonna have to give Toto's a try. Honestly, I didn't know they had any tex-mex on their menu! Thanks for the tip!
my husband says that he misses all his favorite food in the U.S… Pizzas, burger king, lasagna steak and big potatoes.. here he ate vegestables, root crops , green leafy vegestables and he would say… ' oh i miss the U.S..' hehe… can you please give me some recipes that I can cook for him?….
by the way, he doesnt eat pork and shrimps…
Hi Janet – Ha ha… I understand how your husband feels! I am adjusting to the food here, but there are always things I will miss from the States. Another thing, though, there is more and more imported goods becoming available here than when I moved here. That is a great thing!
Sorry to hear that your husband doesn't eat pork and shrimp, the Philippines offers excellent pork and shrimp! I am really a shrimp lover!
I will tell Feyma that you are looking for US type recipes and see if she can assist you on that!
Hi Bob,
Tell Rey I said hi. I know him well. We had fajitas in Toto's (that's his name too). It's not the exact type you may be used to, but still was a good meal.
Hi Macky – I haven't seen Rey for a while, but next time I bump into him, I'll pass along your best wishes. I just had lunch at a new place in Davao. Not Mexican, but the food was excellent! Watch for a review of the place on my Mindanao blog shortly!
Hi Bob,
Though I am not an expat I have been to the Philippines six times. When it comes to Pizza I found that unfortunately all too often the pizza sauce tasted like ketchup. In the province mustard, dill pickles, and ranch dressing was hard to find. All the banana ketchup, sweet pickles and thousand island dressing I could ever dream to have was abundant but I don't buy any of those. I would sure love to have some lansones (I'm not sure about the spelling). The yellow mangos and the pineapples there in the Philippines was wonderful. One day I hope for me and my wife to live there.
Sincerely,
Michael
Hi Michael C – Thanks for dropping by and leaving your comment. I remember when I first started coming to the Philippines in 1990, only a few places had "pizza". It was indeed ketchup for the sauce! It was a piece of bread (from a loaf of bread) with ketchup on it, and some sliced up hot dogs! Oh my! You are correct, Mustard can be very hard to find, it is not widely eaten here. I personally don't care for banana ketchup, unless it is the only thing available.
The fruits here are indeed excellent!
I miss a good overstuffed cheesesteak with crispy fries n gravy. Munchies grill back home in Baltimore, Md. had the best.
Ah… that does sound good, Louis!
big boy western style ground round with lots of brown gravy on real mash potatoes with side of fresh green beans andddd if course all you can eat salad bar. washed down with am couple cups of there great coffee am AND am piece of the strawberry pie. wow wow wow
Hi Franklin – My goodness…. I was off to a good Saturday morning, until I got your comment! I just ate breakfast, but am hungry again after reading that!!! 😯 We can only hope, Franklin! 😉
mmmmmm forgot to mention the hot home made rolls,so soft and dripping with real butter