For regular readers of this website, you are familiar with the different writers here. I am Bob Martin (aka “MindanaoBob”), my wife is Feyma, and one of our kids is Aaron. All three of us write here on LiP. You are probably aware that Aaron has been in the States for the past 7 months or so. He has been kind of exploring his American roots, getting re-connected with my side of the family, etc.
Aaron is a real lover of Street Food in the Philippines. He has written of his love for street food often on this site, and he always tells me that aside from family, it is one of the things he misses most about the Philippines.
Well, while looking at some videos on YouTube, I came across a video all about Street Food in Davao! It was done by some UM (University of Mindanao) students, I believe as a class project. They go around and sample street foods around Davao City, talk to some of the vendors and customers at the street food stalls too.
Aaron will be coming home soon, and I wanted to get him warmed up and hungry by watching the Davao Street Food video! Not only warmed up, but hungry for home! I gotta make sure he really gets on that plane and comes home, after all! 🙂
In the video you can see some scenes of normal daily life around Davao City. Some of this video was actually filmed quite close to the area where we live in Davao City. Additionally, and importantly, they talk a fair amount about the safety of eating street food. You gotta make sure it is clean and prepared properly so that you don’t get sick! If you find street food vendors that offer healthily prepared food, make them your regular stop for trusted street food!
I am so looking forward to seeing my son again after such a long time away, and I know that Feyma is as well. In fact, when he gets home I think I will slip him a bit of money and let him go for a Street Food Feast! I know he will enjoy that, and be happy to be home! 🙂
Gutom ko sa turo turo , mga adidas,neck tie,beta max, ha Bob Martin,mga lami man gyod.
Sus, Jericho, “turo turo” tagalog kana! Sa bisaya, karinderiya. 🙂 Di ko tagalog! 🙂 Di ko ganahan ang betamax, pero ganahan ko daghang street food!
Food in the Philippines is fantastic. I forget about my diet every time I am there!!! You might want to go along with and join in the street food feast when your son returns haha
Don’t worry, Lou, I do eat plenty of street food. Not all of it, but I do partake! It is practically unavoidable! 🙂
Downtown Portland has a lot of Food Kart “Corrals” whole parking lots full of Food Carts/Wagons. A numberof them around the PDX area. He needs to try the Saturday Market and it’s food/ Not same as PI but fun.
Hi Tom – Yep! Portland has always been a haven for that kind of thing. I have told Aaron that he should also check out some of the food trucks in Portland, they might provide some interesting eating. Aaron has been to some events in Portland where they had some food booths and such, and he likes it, but he really misses the Filipino Street Food, though…. which I understand because it is what he grew up with.
This is what I used to eat way back when I was still in college.. Street foods!!
Lami gyud kaayo, Joed!
Lami jud kaayo, indeed! ??
Hi Bob,
I’m glad that Aaron enjoys street food, and I can’t speak for Davao City street food, but I myself stay away from it in Cebu. Especially in areas where vendors have no access to potable and running water. Profit wise, I can’t imagine that any vendor uses fresh oil for frying every day. Oil here by vendors is always re-used and often resold afterwards.
Recently in a small city outside of Cebu, there was a large outbreak of food poisoning among electronics employees at a local manufacturing plant. Many vendors sell their food outside on the street. The city had to hold seminars on proper food handling practices, to get a better handle on how food was being produced and cooked. It took a while for many to recover from their ailments.
I believe that local people build up immunity in their guts to better tolerate street food. Even they can sometimes be struck with stomach ailments. As a first time or occasional visitor to the Philippines though, I would not recommend trying to eat street food. Beyond food poisoning, tuberculosis among food and drink handlers and customers could be an issue too.
Andrew Zimmern, the international street food lover would disagree with me, but that’s my observation in Cebu.
Queenie
Hi Queenie – I can understand your concerns, and I do believe they are warranted. That said, I do eat street food myself, though not a huge amount. I particularly like kwek-kwek, although I have not had it for several years. I do eat a pretty good amount of Pork BBQ, though, on a real regular basis. However, I have one outlet that I get my Pork BBQ from, and it is in GenSan – I even have them ship my hundreds of uncooked sticks of BBQ, we freeze it and take out a few sticks at a time and cook it ourselves. This is from a trusted vendor (a lady that I call my Philippine Mom), and I have been eating her food for nearly 25 years now.
I agree with you, we seen on the news fairly regularly about food poisoning outbreaks, although I have not heard of a case in Davao – though it certainly could happen here. I find that in most cases those cases seem to be due to food being left outside too long and such. Still, it has to be a concern.
i was thinking what should be my next meal, i guess this is the answer (y)
Ha ha… enjoy!
Hi Bob, I buy street food and enjoy it but you have to be careful I always look at
Vendors selling food if they look dirty or are smoking I don’t buy, I like the food
At the market always looks clean, my wife was hospitalised last year with typhoid
Doctor said it probably the vendor washed the bananas in contaminated water,
She bought those fried bananas on a stick, I like the pork barbecue on a stick
Never bought the chicken had a few narrow escapes with the chicken undercooked
Most of the time, so you just have to be careful and street food can be delicious,
Hi Derek – Nice to hear from you. I am so sorry to hear that your wife got sick! I have had good luck buying food at the public market, I buy stuff there all the time. I even buy tuna and other types of fish and eat it raw, but it never made me sick before. I do have select vendors that I deal with (Suki) so when I have good luck with a certain vendor, I keep going back to them. It has always worked out good for me. But, as you said… you have to be careful.
I avoid the average street vendors. The only exception is at Night Market in Iligan City where most of the vendors are local restaurants exhibiting and allowing samplings of their restaurant menu, street vendor style. All of these night market vendors are registered and licensed by the city so there is some form of tracability should a problem ever occour.
I will always remember prior to my first visit about 10 years ago now. So many food precautions on the travel Health websites, I thought I would have to bring my own food. I e mailed Bob Martin about my concerns and he commented that if my digestion system is anywhere ” normal ” and I used common sense I should not have a problem eating in The Philippines. Bob was correct, I use common sense and have never had a problem eating here on my visits and I eat out exclusively. If I have any problem the only thing is trying to remember the names of so many things that have appealed to my taste buds. fortunately my Filipino friends remember my favorites for me. Of course the good stuff like Leche Flan and Halo halo are easy to remember. Additionally some of the best Pizza I have had in decades I have enjoyed here as well.
One consideration if you are coming as a tourist or visitor, Get real, ignore the diet and just Enjoy Yourself, you can shed some of the extra poundage after you get home. If you outgrow your waistline while you are here and can not find pants over a 40 wasteline, not a problem as you can go to real tailor shops and get custom made ones that will even beat the Big Box Store prices at home. thats my secret hehehe.
So many great restaurants and other eateries, and so little vacation time but with the time I have, it’s MORE FUN in the PHILIPPINES !
There you go, Bob! I agree that you have to use caution with street foods, but eating in the Philippines does not have to be hard, as you have learned over the years. 🙂
I love the street food also. Since I am not there enough yet to know my system is OK with it, I just take two precautions. I try to make sure that whatever I eat is likely to have been cooked to at least 140 degrees F if possible and I drink bottled water.
I have never had any problems to date but I pack Immodium AD for insurance.
Always good to have insurance, LeRoy! 🙂 No doubt on that.
It seems many videos are the same, where they say how great the street food is, then they warn you about it…
Like selling you a pit bull that never bit, but telling you it is possible for it to bite your whole hand off.
I don’t know, it is my first time to see that before.
I like the isaw.. I will make a special trip to get it from one particular guy.. I like to see that big smile of his when he see’s me coming.. he knows he has a good sale now
Ha ha, I am not an isaw guy, but my kids seem to like it. 🙂
Bob,
Do not eat food off the streets. If i want BBQ i just go to Mang Inasal or cook it at home.
Hi Bob,
I’m sure Aaron will be back home in a flash once winter starts to creep in. 🙂
Hi Chas – Ha ha… actually, Aaron will be back before winter. He will arrive home this weekend. 🙂
I’ve only had two brushes with dodgy food in the Philippines. At the end of my first trip I had fried chicken for breakfast before going to NAIA. I still feel sorry for those passengers sitting beside me on that 18 hour flight home. The second time was after eating a burger in KFC at the Landmark Mall Makati. I was in hospital on a drip over night after that one, so it’s not always the street vendors to be watched. Any food that has been laying around kept warm can be big trouble. Apart from fish one of the most dangerous meats is under cooked pork. I can be a killer.