Live in the Philippines

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Can food draw the tourists?

Food/Drink, Travel / by

Can food draw the tourists? Yeah, exactly.

What are you smoking today, Bob?  People can get food anywhere in the world, why would they travel for food?

Well, people already do travel for food!

There are lots of food enthusiasts out there, they often call themselves “foodies.”  These are people who will travel to different destinations to sample different types of food or drinks.  For example, Thai cuisine is quite famous and well liked by millions of people, and people will actually travel to Thailand on a “Food Tour” where they will visit restaurants in different parts of the country to experience true Thai cuisine from different regions.

Even domestically, in the USA for example, people will travel to the South to experience true Southern Barbecue.

How about French Food?  Major Cities all around the world always have French restaurants.  When people start enjoying French Food in their home of, say New York City, if they become passionate about it, they may decide to take a trip to France and roam Paris and the Countryside in search of exquisite French cuisine.

What about the Philippines?  Can the Philippines make food part of the attraction in drawing tourists to the country?  Well, unfortunately, in my opinion, right now it is not possible.  People won’t travel half way around the world to come and experience eating Balut!  In fact, many would travel half way around the world in order to avoid Balut!  Unfortunately, much of the food that the Philippines is famous for is not appealing to many foreigners.  In fact, I don’t know that I would say that the Philippines is famous for it’s food, rather it is infamous!

That said, the Philippines does have some wonderful food, though!  Probably it’s most delectable that a fair number of people know about is the Lechon Baboy… a whole roasted pig.  Delicious!  Sure, it’s not the healthiest meal around, but for a once in a while thing, it is OK for most people.  People will travel for things like Lechon Baboy.  But, to get people to travel 18 or 20 hours on a plane, you will need more than one dish, without a doubt.

I wrote a while back about Pork BBQ on a stick.  How about Lumpia?  It’s great!  Pancit is something that many people enjoy, and there are dozens of varieties that people could travel the country and experience.  Siopao is something that I enjoy.  The thing is, though, the Philippines needs to start pushing the delicacies of the country that appeal to foreigners rather than the things that gross them out.  Right now, if a foreigner comes to visit, it seems to be a big thing for Filipinos to “see what happens if he tries balut” and such.  Instead, there needs to be a culture of “let’s serve him the best Lechon Bably available and he’ll be back again for more.”

One key to this, however, is that you have to let foreigners get a sampling of Filipino food near where they live, and don’t expect them to come all the way to the Philippines to get it.   How?  By having Filipino Restaurants in many areas around the world.  Let’s face it, in the USA, in any town, no matter how small, you can usually find a nearby Thai Restaurant.  Chinese Restaurants can be found on nearly every block in some cities.  If you go to London and look around you might think that Indian food is the local food of London – Indian Restaurants are everywhere!  It’s the new Fish ‘n Chips!  How many Filipino Restaurants have you visited?  When I lived in the States, I recall seeing, and visiting one or two Filipino Restaurants.  Both were bad experiences.  They were more like holes in the wall where somebody would serve you some Filipino food, which was not very good anyway.

The Philippines sends a lot of people overseas to work and earn money to send back to the country and support the people here.  OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) is an abbreviation that is known throughout the Philippines.  What if the country sought out trained Filipino Chefs and sent them overseas to open restaurants that would showcase Filipino cuisine?  Doing enough such restaurants could actually make money for the country by highlighting Filipino cuisine to the foodies of the world, and opening up the possibility for people to start touring the Philippines to experience the food culture here?  You have to start somewhere, and this is one avenue that the country could explore to get tourists that aren’t even thinking of the Philippines right now.

Another thing that is challenging is that many Filipino dishes are adapted from American dishes, or Spanish.  Of course, these American or Spanish dishes always have a Filipino spin on them, though… the spaghetti is sweet.  Spanish chorizo sausage, which is normally spicy, is another thing that is sweet here.  Maybe the country could start to re-formulate some of these foods to appeal more to the foreign palate a bit?  Offer multiple varieties that will appeal to a wide range of people.

What about the fruits in the Philippines?  Frankly, I honestly believe that there is no country in the world that has a better variety of great fruits than the Philippines does!  Yes, there are countries that can equal the Philippines, but I know of none that can beat the Philippines in the number and quality of fruits available.  This category alone could lure people who enjoy fruits, and also people who are interested in healthy foods and such.  Honestly, there are delicious fruits in the Philippines that many foreigners have never even heard of!  Why not highlight the delectable fruits of the Philippines?

Will highlighting Filipino foods solve the tourism problems of the Philippines?  No, not by itself.  However, this is one area where I do not believe the tourism officials are looking, and I believe it is an area where an entirely new Philippine Tourist can come from.  Right now, the number of people who travel to the Philippines to enjoy the food is probably ZERO, or very close to ZERO.  So, with even small amounts of effort and cash, the country could probably start a small flow of such tourists in a relatively short time.

Want to pick up on tourism in the Philippines Secretary Lim?  Why not give this a try?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Its hard to find food that is as fresh as it is in the Philippines. Everything tastes soooooo much better there than here in the US. I would travel for the food. That and to get the wife back home but thats another story.

    • Hi Darin – I agree that much of the food here is very fresh – mostly the fruits and vegetables. Much of the food, once cooked is quite bland though, or overcooked and almost tasteless. One thing about the Philippines, they take excellent ingredients and cook them so much that they almost become unrecognizable, unfortunately.

      • True. Sisig is one good example being as it is cooked three times. lol…… But my wife’s family flavors their food very well. Some of the vegetable dishes are bland but most of their meat dishes taste excellent. Love those Ilokanos. Maybe I am biased. haha

  2. Bob;
    It’s not the taste of the food I find wanting, it’s the preparation, Trim the Grissel off the meat, Remove the bones from the soup. And for heavens sake, skim that quarter inch of grease off the top of adobe. Cleaning the cooking area would help also. And last but not least hide the sugar from the cook! (Serving lukewarm drinks with the meal, is not a good idea either.) We can get well prepared food at home from our families, the tourist is at the mercy of the luck of the draw, when they eat.
    Lechon is served in most Spanish speaking countries, as with BBQ pork on a stick, it’s great here, but its a long trip to come here to eat it. Lumpia is worth the trip!

    • Exactly, Paul! The preparation of the food here is a big problem in many cases. Overcooked. Poorly prepared for cooking, etc. Drinks that are room temperature. All of these things add up to a poor dining experience.

        • I agree, Joe. I think that refrigeration is not a huge problem anymore… sure it is in some places, but limited. But, there was a day when it was virtually universal in the country, and much of today’s cooking was learned during those times.

          • Hi Bob,Where we rent in Leyte,it’s not a problem. My wife’s family still does not have a refridgerator. I tried to buy one ,one time,But they wanted money instead. So, no fridge! Eventually they will,if they want us to stay with them.

              • Hi Bob,The only reason I can get from the whole situation is that,so many family members are there at the Father’s house everyday. None of my 5 Brother-inlaws has a job! They rely on Copra harvest every 3 or 4 months! Now,if you have a family….How are you supposed to support them? My wife is not an overseas worker! But……We do what we can for her 70 year old Father. The rest…..???

            • In Leyte, I remember hailing a fisherman going home and asking what he had for sale. It was dusk, but I could still see what he had in his plastic container: freshly caught little fish (no bigger than the letter “I” on your keyboard) which he offered to me. “B-but, it’s raw,” I protested. He insisted I try it. Even now I could still recall its quaint taste! I bought the entire catch, and had a good time right there at the beach with the crew of the LST which carried our fiberglass insulation cargo. That was in the 80s.

    • Its not possible to duplicate the food of the philippines here in america, I live in an area on the west coast who has the 3rd largest population of filipino’s, and you know what we have 3 restuaranst of filipino decent, My wife makes wonderfull filipino foods, I love the food but it was hard to find, in asian stores, untill just a couple of months ago, Bob you have been away along time, i live in a city of 600,000 and a county of 1.6 million, and we only have 3 places that have some filipino food’s, finally seafood market from manila opened and now we have one chow king, and on sept 12 a jalibee, and tokyo tokyo, me and my wife went to them and ate at them, its not the same as back home, its hard to find even fruits from the philippines, until seafood market opened we could not find hardly anything relivent to the philippines soucies, meats, tacino, laginiso, we had a lechon for a friends birthday this summer, can tell the differnece, so to say why its differnet, they just don’t promote it here much, but i am happy with seafood market alot of filipino type of foods now.

      • Hi Tim – I am not sure I understand your comment… you start by saying that is is “not possible to duplicate the food of the Philippines here in America” – but then you go on to tell me about all of the Filipino foods that are available there. I don’t understand.

        But if it is not possible to cook Filipino foods there, how can the Thai people cook so much Thai food there? Chinese?

        Maybe I am missing something?

        • exactly what did i tell you, you do not understand my comment, i never once said there was alot of filipino foods here, you need to stop using your old sayings, then condrict them, my god who have you been fooling mr bobyes you are missing something, oh my god your just repeating yourself, bob your becomeing a fake, gotcha, thank god my wife works for the government taxes, I hope to expose you, my god you just gave me what i want

          • Ha ha… Tim did you forget to take your meds? It seems so.

            Fact is, you said it is impossible to cook Filipino food in the USA. Then you went on to say:

            Your wife makes Filipino food.
            You have 3 places in your area that offer Filipino food.
            You have “Seafood Market” from Manila.
            You have Jollibee.
            You have Chow King.
            You have Tokyo Tokyo
            You had Lechon this summer.

            So, yes, you did say that there was a lot of outlets for Filipino food in your area.

            BTW, if it is impossible to cook Filipino food in the States, how do all of these places do it? How can your wife do it?

  3. Bob
    You are right on the money on this one. As far as I know there is NOT one Filipino restaurant here in RI. My wife is a excellent cook and any time we serve Filipino food to them at our house they are addicted and want to learn how to cook it. With that being said anything that usually shows up on the TV in regards to Filipino is usually some type of freak show, only focusing on the odd ball foods of the RP.
    Not that there is anything wrong with Sucking Balut or eating some Chicken Heads or Feet on a stick but that is pretty much street food for eating when your on a binder.

    • Neal;

      The only TV personality/ Chef I have seen that has done any justice to Filipinos is Anthony Bourdain on the show No Reservations. He did a really good tour of the Philippines and showed foods like lechon in Cebu and alot of other dishes I can’t think of right now. But he was the first one I have seen that did not say anything about balut. HAHA! Just a side point if you wanted to check it out.

      But you are right, there are not many places or shows in the US that do the Philippines justice.

    • Thanks, Neal. Filipino restaurants are few and far between in the States, at least in the areas where I have been. And, when you find one, the food usually is poor. Why is it that Thai and Chinese restaurants are on every street corner? The Philippines can really improve on this, and that would help draw people to the country.

  4. Kidapawan is the fruit capital of the PH.In October we have the famous Fruit Festabel. I have met Phillipenos in the States, from the PH,that didn’t know what a Lansone or a rumbulton was. They were from the northern part of the PH. I never here aney thing about Marong or Santoles, which are verry delious too. You are right about the foods, a lot to be desired. Paul was rite on also.

    it’s hard to beat Mexican or Itallion foods. Lumpia is my faverit, also like the grilled fishes too. Excues my spelling,maybe iam haveing a stroke.

    kidapawan

    • Hi Jim – I believe that the fruit in the Philippines is among the best in the world! And, with different types of fruits in different parts of the country, a person could tour the entire country just sampling world class fruits!

    • Lansones and rambutan is coomon in the north. The reason they might not know it is because they may be 2nd generation

  5. I live in a fairly filipino community and I LOOOOOVE some of the shops that sell cooked foods! My husband doens’t speak the language so we both look silly asking the woman what everything is. I LOVE shrimp cakes. I think shrimp cakes were made special order by God himself, they are fantastic!!

  6. Bob, I have to disagree with you on this one – and with some of the posters above. Jawzz wrote about Filipino food several months ago and I posted a comment at that time. There was also an article in the Inquirer about the need to open more Filipino restaurants in New York and other US cities. Well, lots of luck. If you want to dump your money down a hole, can’t think of a better way to do it. I have worked and lived in 46 countries. The food in the Philippines ON AVERAGE is the worst by far. My wife is an excellent cook (with over 100 cookbooks, many of them on Filipino food). and she cooks some super Filipino vegetable dishes (using vegetables that are very difficult to find in the market). But on average, give me Mongolian food, Cote d’Ivoire food, anything but Filipino food.

    And not only does most of it taste lousy, it is bad for you: high sugar, high salt, high colesterol. Bob, go with someone from the area to a local cemetary (maybe when you are in Gen San or Polomolok smaller towns than Davao where many people now each other). Look at the ages of the people on the grave stones: many small coffins (high child mortality rate) and relatively young people (40s and 50s). Ask how they died. Almost invariably you will be told “high blood.” Think about it the next time you are wolfing down the baboy.

    So Bob, there is a good reason that there are so few Filipino restaurants in the US (even though there are so many Filipinos living there): in general (almost) NO ONE wants to eat Filipino food if there is an alternative available. As a marketer/promoter you know the difficulty/danger of trying to sell something to people that they do not want (think of the “Drink more milk” campaigns of the American Dairy Association). Good was to waste your money, seems to me (or the government’s money is they are the ones promoting the food).

    To end on a positive note, when I am in Manila, I eat at Via Mare and have Binagoongan (fried pig stomach), kare kara or Rellenong Bangus. My wife also cooks these from time to time. And I do this by choice. But in general, thanks but no thanks.

    p.s. I wrote more of less the same thing to the columnist in the Inquirer (who wrote that there should be more Filipino restaurants in NYC) and received a very nice email in return saying, yes he agreed with me, but he had been writing to try to get Filipinos to CHANGE their foods into something that foreigners would want to put in their mouths.

    • Hi Don – You start your comment by saying that you have to disagree with me. Then you go on and write a comment which pretty much 100% agrees with my thinking! Maybe I did not write well enough today to get my point across. I don’t see what we disagree on. Most Filipino food is bland, overcooked, not appetizing. There are, though, a few Filipino dishes which are world class. Only a few, though, which is a problem. But, many other Filipino dishes can be adapted a bit to please the western palate more.

      Think about this.. do you think that the Thai cuisine that is served in US Thai restaurants is the same as that the people in Thailand eat on a day in day out basis? No. What about Chinese? It’s the same – not the same as the food in China. Why can’t the Filipinos adapt some of their country’s dishes in a way that pleases the western palate, serve it up at Filipino restaurants, and that would attract tourists here. The system works for many other countries, without a doubt.

      I don’t really see what you are disagreeing with me about… it seems to me we are on the same wavelength, Don! 😆

      • Bob

        Are you kidding us, He is disagreeing with you alot, come on bob, here in america the most pop rest are chineese, thai and vietnamees, and they have some of the top chefs who come here for teaching, so don’t say filipino foods can’t do the same, filipino food is nice, and i also have a filipina wife, who makes wonderfull foods for us, but she would not want to make meals for alot of people, you need to get off your high horse and think you know all of philippines, my wife’s family is wonderfull, and we do know alot of how to run a business, so keep to your business of writing books, and telling other expats how to do thins, i have spent the last several years in how to do things and spent years on agricultral livestock, and busineess,

      • I agree with what “ProfDon” is saying, here, and realized after reading your response & re-reading the article that, yes, you are saying the same thing, Bob. I agree wholeheartedly with both of you! Before I first travelled to Asia, I went and ate in a Korean restaurant, as my first stop in Asia was to be Seoul. A friend and I were most impressed with the Korean restaurant we visited in Vancouver & I looked forward to fantastic food when I arrived in Seoul.

        I left Seoul 5 days after I arrived, very disappointed in the food I’d had; I ate my last 2 meals at Wendy’s & KFC, in fact. Taiwan had good and bad food, though it was nothing like the wonderful food I’d had growing up with a chinese amah(nanny/”grandmother”).

        When my new bride & I arrived in The Philippines, I had already experienced kinilaw and had had balut waved under my nose a few times. In Manila we stayed at The Philippine Plaza &, when not eating there, ate pizza at Shakey’s or Crab at Josephines. Not very experimental, to say the least.

        Davao was where I had the opportunity to begin my critique of Filipino dishes, though I couldn’t comment honestly to Jeanne’s family & our other hosts. My first meal in Davao was incredible! The bowl of shrimp was still alive when my sister-in-law placed it on the table and poured boiling water on it. The crab had been brought in from the sea that morning & suffered a similar fate to the shrimp, in a boiling pot of water. The fruits had been picked from the trees that morning and the sweet pineapple had been brought down from the family farm in Digos the day before. This was a wonderful, unforgettable experience, though I noticed – did not mention – that the sauces were basic. Over the next couple of years, I found foods that I loved; goat caldereta(?), lumpia shanghai, fruit salad, benignit(?) – until I found out that there were potatoes in it(thought it was fruit) – and others. I had mixed feelings about stews, adobos, lechon, etc., because I enjoyed the food but disliked the fattiness. Then there were the poor copies of foods from other lands. The pizza was lame(Which was a real shame because I had just come from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where the Brass Rail pub made the best pizza I’d ever had). Spaghetti – tasted like it came from a can and had unknown-meat weiners in it. Hot dogs at “Meralco” – who puts mayonaisse in a hotdog? Please, someone give these people a bottle of musard!(yes, sounds like the “why can’t they do it like we do” rant that Americans are often accused of making).

        In Vancouver, there is a well-known Filipino chef with his own show, “Cooking with Sandy”. We’ve copied & tried a few of Sandy’s recipes & he really creates awesome foods, foods that are worthy of challenging international standards. So, what I am saying in my long-winded manner is that the potential is there, it just has to be developed & reproduced nation-wide. When I travel, yes, the quality of food (by reputation) does, to a point, dictate where I choose to go, if that travel is for a vacation, rather than educational. Excellent cuisine should be a priority for a country that wishes to attract retirees.

        • Hi Mike – When you mentioned about the shrimp at your first meal in Davao, it made me think. I have already said that the Philippines has world class fruits… but I should also mention that seafood can be in the same class, if you are in the right area of the Philippines.

          Mayonnaise on a hot dog… heck they put mayo on almost everything here! Ha ha…

    • ProfDon, I have to disagree with you about native Filipino food on the whole being lousy. I have a strong preference for regional Viasyan food, and some foods from other regions don’t appeal to me, but on the whole I find Filipino food can be delicious and interesting if prepared properly and with respect, love and care. Maybe you aren’t going to the right restaurants and visiting the best Filipino fiesta foods from your area. Granted, many small neighborhood restaurants work with limited budgets and ingredients, but there are some great cooks and food in the Philippines worth trying.
      As far as most Filipino foods being unhealthy, I disagree. The seafood and vegetable dishes abound if you’re in the market for them. You say that your wife is an excellent cook, other readers have expressed the same about their wives–what are they cooking that’s so uniquely different?
      American diets are awful and it’s often salty, greasy food that appeals to many, so you can’t single out Filipino food as being especially so.

      Get out there and give Filipino food a chance. Be particular, and I don’t think that you’ll be disappointed.

      • Hi queenie – I agree with both you and Don. Many Filipino dishes are not appealing… too sweet is a common complaint. I often complain that the food is is usually way overcooked. Much of the food is bland and tasteless. However, I also agree with you that there are Filipino dishes that are very good, and very tasty. Like you say, you have to get out there and find them, though! Like you, I would encourage Don to do so too.

      • Sorry to repeat myself, but if you think Filipino food is so great, then WHY are there so few Filipino restaurants outside the Philippines compared to Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Japanese, Indian and so on. Why? And go to any cemetary and count the number of graves for persons in their 40s and 50s. 90% “High Blood.” You are stating opinions. I am stating facts.

        And Bob, about fruits, in thailand there are several delicious fruits that are not found here. I agree about the fish. The gulf of Thailand is pretty well fished out. Here there are still a few fish left.

        • Hi Don – Since fruits are regional, I am not too surprised if Thailand has a fruit or two that we don’t have. We probably have some that they don’t have too, though. I still say, though that the fruits of the Philippines cannot be surpassed.

          • Hi Mouse – We may all have our opinions of whether McDonald’s or Taco Bell are good or bad (I don’t like McDonalds… Taco Bell is just OK for me). But, they are popular. Lots of people like them both, justified or not.

      • Hey Queenie

        I agree with you ther are alot of quality filipino foods. You just have to find them. Any country you go to you are going to find healthy and unhealthy foods, its just not in the philippines. US has so many unhealthy foods. I agree philippines has the best fruit and seafood the is the cheaper than most any other place.

    • Having an Italian Mother and a Greek father and being born in Australia I think I have some understanding of what I enjoy in regards to food. I find the Philippino food in itself ok but the way it is prepared is beyond my comprehension.
      Having said that, if you go to the Mandarin Hotel Manila or the Shangri La Manila or Hilton or Shangri La Mactan Island Cebu for around 15 to 25,000 pesos a night stay, go to the restaurants there and you can enjoy Philippino food cooked the way it should.

    • Has anyone tried wild boar meat? They say it’s good. In fact, there’s a place along the Iligan highway which sells nothing but wild boar meat, and, judging from the Tigwahanon and other indigenous tribes for whom wild boar meat is staple, the food must be healthy.

      I know of a Cebu group who goes around the country looking for wild boar places where they could hunt. But I guess, it’s the hunt, not the meat. You know what the indigenous tribes use to hunt wild boar? Local “askal” mongrels, trained from birth to hunt wild boar. The tribesmen alternately starve the dog, then feed it with wild boar meat exclusively. In no time, the dog becomes accustomed to the scent.

      • Hi Abraham – I have! Nagkaon ko ug baboy ramo sa Tawi Tawi sa 2007, ug sa Dabaw sa 2008. Lami kaayo kanang baboy ramo!

        It’s illegal, though, to eat wild boar…. I do know some places where you can buy it, though.

  7. Hi Bob, A funny but sadly true post!
    I think you’ve got a great idea about the government training talented chefs and sending them abroad to open Filipino restaurants abroad. Maybe even seeking talented successful Philippine restaurant people or local regional chefs to work in these places abroad as OFWs. Why not placing these restaurants in some major hubs where local and international people could try them?

    My husband and I have traveled some in the US and Canada, and in every major city that we visit, for fun we always try to seek out the local Filipino restaurants in the area for a try or two. Even though admittedly we don’t know anything about running a restaurant, we both love to cook and eat all kinds of food and know what we like in Filipino food from the many locally cooked food in Cebu and elsewhere.
    In our opinions, bar none (many Filipino bakeries excluded) the worst food ever is the food from these local Filipino restaurants! I know that it might be comfort food for some missing the Philippines and that’s okay, but a lot of the dishes served are just lousy, and not even representative of how the dishes should taste! These are not all local turo-turo type places, but sometimes expensive ones too.

    Why is it that all other Asian countries restaurants have been able to represent and appeal to a wide audience’s tastes, from simple street food or take-out even, up to high-end restaurants? I don’t think that it’s the Philippine cuisine’s fault, but how it is represented.
    There is definitely room for improvement!

    I also like your idea about showcasing the many exotic fruits. How about tourism organizing some big exotic fruit festival yearly and advertising it abroad?( Once on vacation we visited Key West FL and attended a local citrus fruit festival that was really cool.)
    Designer fruits are everywhere in US markets and although expensive, are highly sought after by many. A venue like a fruit festival might bring in tourists…

    Keep thinking Bob–I think you’re on the right track!

    • Hi Queenie – Good morning…. or, I guess you are in the States now, so good evening! ha ha…. Do you find that in your travels, most of the cities do have a Filipino restaurant or two? Because in my experience it is hard to find even one. But, that is another point.

      I do think that the fruit is something to really key in on, because almost everybody likes fruits. Well… we won’t talk about Durian. 😉 But, truly, fruit is something that almost every body could enjoy, and it is world class here.

    • Thanks, Queenie, you’ve just given me an idea. I work with Xavier Sports & Country Club in CDO, and it’s my job always to have something novel in the pipeline. Would you have links?

  8. Hello ProfDon, if you decree that Filipino food tastes lousy, it only means that, that it is your personal observation. You cannot justify your personal claim that, that is the reason why there are few Filipino restaurants in the US. While it is true that Filipino cuisine is light years away from attaining the popularity of Thai food, I can assure you that it is for other reasons (& they have been discussed here at length why) and not because it is lousy.
    True, most Filipino dish is unhealthy but you cannot attribute the short life span of Filipinos to diet alone. How about lack of health care?
    The Inquirer columnist succinctly put it for you in his reply. Filipino food is something foreigners are reluctant to put it in their mouths, or it’s too exotic for “foreigners” (non-pinoys). Even their presentation (w/c inlcudes how the food looks like from where the food is consumed) is not at par w/ the standards of non-pinoys.

    • Hi Roy – It’s certainly true that everybody has a different palate. Some of us like one thing, others don’t. Variety is the spice of life, I suppose. But, what about adapting Filipino dishes in a way that is pleasing to the westerner, and using it to lure those westerners to the Philippines. It is a method that certainly works for Thailand!

      • Hello Bob, that is my point. Westerners find Filipino food too exotic, i.e., too many ‘bones’ (no deboning, filleting here), oily, smelly, meat are unidentifiable etc) But how does one serve a chicken adobo w/o the oil, skin & bones? Use chicken breast, right? Now how can you serve kare-kare w/o its gross cow innards? Can its bagoong be less stinky for the western noses too?
        Actually Glenda Barretto of Via Mare has attempted to do that..tweaking Filipino fishes for western palates. And I’m sure some Filipino chefs. But most were done in expensive restaurants. Most small eateries in the US insist on just serving the Filipinos who are captive audience to their sometimes lousy cooking.

        • Hi roy – Yes, you are right that some of the stuff cannot be changed. Hey, I am sure that Thailand has it’s share of stinky foods too! But, if you go to a Thai restaurant in the States or the UK or elsewhere, they have prepared foods that do interest the western palate! It can be done, and I do believe that the Philippines could develop a following of foodies who would love to tour the Philippines and sample the wide variety of cuisines around the country.

          • Bob–I think that we can thank Anthony Bourdaine for really looking at Filipino chefs, local cooks and tasting local foods in an honest, appealing way. I’m sure his insights interested many viewers thinking about Filipino food for the first time. Granted he did spend a lot of time in Cebu so I’m especially proud!

              • To me– going around drinking and eating great food with new friends in exotic places like he gets to do is my idea of a dream job! I’m in love with him…

              • Absolutely. Feyma and I have a joke about him. We say that we used to think he is a cook… but we never see him cook anything.. he is really just and eater! 😆 Not a bad job!

              • Bob

                You know Anthony Bourdain being the pork expert he is, said Lechon Baboy was the best he has ever had, better than the Bali Pork. Though unhealthy thats something the filipinos can have pride in.

        • I guess to make the food more appealing to westerners they could smother everything in gravy and ranch dressing. That seems to be the norm her in OK.

              • I am skeptical of restaurants that do smother steaks with gravy. A good steak does not need any sauce or gravy or any other camouflage to make it taste good as it should. Straight from the grill is how I like my steaks. However, there are certain types of recipes that require steaks to be topped with mushrooms, sometimes peppercorn to bring out the flavor. This is OK, it’s a cooking style, but not necessarily a camouflage to mask how bad the meat is as gravies tend to do.

            • Hi Bob,
              I just had a great steak here in Tagum at the Golden Palace hotel restaurant. No gravy on it. Australia beef. cooked rare (I asked for med rare, but it was ok). it came with mashed potatoes and sweet gravy on the side, and some cooked veggies. very good. I think it was 475p. not bad for a good steak.
              Really I don’t think food will ever increase tourism in the Philippines. maybe all inclusive tours, better safety, and lot’s of pictures of smiling Filipina’s speaking in English.

              • The issues in the mind are the hardest to correct. The hostage crisis was seen around the world and what most people will remember about the Philippines.

              • Hi Richard – You get no argument on that from me.. “perceived danger” is almost impossible to combat, because since it is not real, it’s hard to disprove.

      • Hmm, I like this exchange. I’m learning. More please.

        Yes, why not? The presentation! Meaning you could actually get foreigners to eat “balut” so long as the presentation’s great. Hmm. I will tell our Kitchen. I might also send the link to COHARA people. COHARA is Cagayan de Oro Hotels and Restaurants Association, and the sitting president is the owner of Bigby’s Restaurant.

        • Ha ha… Abraham… presentation can help many things.. but I’m going to be surprised if you can garner a rush of foreigners who want to eat balut! 😉

          • It could be like the next big thing. For example, tapas bars, that seem to pop up throughout the whole US and all the yuppies end up running to them in droves.

    • here we go again. Yes, it is my personal observation after eating in 46 other countries where I have worked and fifteen more in which I have been a tourist. But, if it’s just me, then WHY are there so few Filipino restaurants abroad? Why as Queeniebee says are the Filipino restaurants in the US so lousy? Filipino food in general is not “so exotic” that it isn’t accepted in the West. The market shows that is it just plain lousy. If it could be changed to attract Western tastes, then why has it not been already? SSSSSOOOO many Filipinos abroad eager to make extra money. (See Chris’ post about his wife: she did so many jobs in england, but only on her return to the Philippines did she open a restaurant.) So why aren’t there oodles of high end, adapted Filipino food restaurants abroad?

      • Good point. Worth some pondering. Indeed, why? You know it’s in exercises like this that great (moolah-making) ideas emerge. Filipino talent shouldn’t be the problem– wan’t the Bush’s chef a Filipina? While our chefs have not reached the level of Ferran Adria of El Bulli in Spain, I think we have good chef materials. Otherwise Chef Norbert Gandler and Hans Schallenberg of ISCAHM wouldn’t set up shop.

  9. There is plenty of Filipino restaurants where I live, and for the most part most of the population here likes Filipino food. Yet the tourist here, in general, don’t like to eat to wild. I mean most of the time it is them at the fast food places.

    • Hi Jay – I am sure you are right, that Filipino restaurants abound in Hawaii… Hawaii is a little different situation than what I was talking about.

    • My favorite Filipino restaurant in Hawaii is Max’s, Jay. I love Max’s fried chicken. There’s also a Filipino chain outlet I can’t remember the name) that serves excellent food. They are found at the International Market and at shoppping mall food courts. The one at the International Market, however, needs to get their act together. One day I was about to order a favorite when I saw flies flying over the food. That grossed me out and I went over to the next stall instead to get my food. It was Korean.

  10. When I first started having heart problems back in the 1980’s I had a doctor from the Philippines. The first words out of her mouth was to stop eating Filipino food. Nothing worst in the world for your health then the food fixed here. My doctor here says the same thing. Too much sugar and salt. Both are killers. No white rice!!!!! No white bread!!!! Meriam is fixed good foods that taste great. I am losing weight and feel better. Don’t export Filipino foods. Fix them at home and leave it at that. I lived within 100 kms of Grand Rapids Michigan. Only one Filipino resto there and it didn’t last long. Lots of Asian food stores and they did carry Filipino foods but NO Filipino food store. Never did understand that.

    Want great Filipino food in the States? Attend a Filipino pot-luck dinner. You even get take home foods. 🙂

    Cheers,
    Gary

    • Hi Gary – Ha ha.. the average American (British, Australian, or whatever) couple will never cook Filipino foods at home. I am not talking about people who are married to Filipinos here. I am talking about trying to attract people to come and visit the Philippines, people who have no connection to the Philippines.

    • I like that. Such humor, but true. Wow. This is perhaps the longest time I’ve spent on an article/forum.

    • Gary, I love lechon, never mind that it is an unhealthy food. But, hey, you only live once, right? I love prime rib and steaks, too, but like lechon, I don’t eat them everyday. Besides, I drink red wine every night before bed, I eat a lot of sardines, and there are the usual pills and medication that keep my cholesterol level and blood pressure down. Plus, I go to the gym regularly, I don’t smoke, and I try not to put myself in stressful situations. With all these stuff that are supposed to keep me from having a heart attack or a stroke, I don’t feel threatened by lechon and other supposedly unhealthy Filipino foods that I love eating.

  11. To say that there are FEW filipino dishes that are good is absolutely totally 100% ridiculous. There are many filipino foods that are very very very good.

    It really depends on what you are looking. Also, to say the food is bland is simply a total contradiction of what you said before. How can food with too much salt, too much sugar, and the like be bland?? Impossible.

    People that I have known LOVE filipino food, except maybe the crazy stuff. I totally agree that this food might not be the healthiest for you but I really do wonder about that also.

    I have high blood pressure. When I am in the filipines I do NOT need to take medication. I have five to six other clients of mine that live in the US but also spend a lot of time in the filipines. They experience the EXACT same thing.

    I know many filipinos in my local area….they got more UNHEALTHY when they came to America. Has anyone actually seen the food prepared in most U.S. restaurants….come on!! Do not sit here and tell me it is healthy for most people. If it was so healthy why are 2 out of 3 people in the United States overweight or obese? American food is loaded with crap we should not be eating.

    The same goes for Mexican food, Chinese Food, and Thai food. I eat a lot of Thai food here, my goodness, it is not any better than food from the Philippines. Ever check out the salt and that used in Chinese food? How about the stuff in Mexican food? I have a Thai friend that owns a restaurant and they agree that Thai food is loaded with salt and other things that are not good for you.

    And Italian food? Come on!!!!

    There are so many terrific dishes in the filipines and as Bob said….GREAT fruit. The best I have EVER had.

    I do agree that the way some of the dishes are PRESENTED can be a turn off…but the quality of food in the filipines is EXCELLENT.

    A

    • Hi Todd – Ha ha… yes, the descriptions of “too salty” “too much sugar” and “bland” do contradict each other. However, I am talking about different dishes. I said “many foods are bland” and stuff like that. It’s all a mix. Some foods here I do not find appealing. Some foods, as I’ve said, I love. It’s a mixed bag. But, there is a possibility for improvement, IMHO.

    • Philippine food excellent ! Come on , maybe someone should publish a list of dishes that would be remotely acceptable to westerners or even visitors from other Asian countries .

      I have lived in South east Asia for the last four years including Thailand and Cambodia and am quite happy to try most local foods other than the eyeballs and testicle treats ! I have eaten bugs in Thailand and snake in Cambodia ! however on my recent 2 month stay in Davao I was hard pushed to find anything that rally excited me and I could say to a friend ” you really should try that ” in fact I ate Pork Adobo every day for nearly 60 days as it was the most appealing dish on the Hotel menu .

      Most days I ate in a local street corner restaurant which served local dishes with vegateables cooked to a reasonable standard and taste , but looking around me the food preparation areas were disgusting and had not been cleaned for years and when I asked the owner about the numerous mice running around the place I was told that they were their pets ! I’m not kidding this woman was serious !

      A great idea to promote fillipino food to the world but I think there needs to be a lot of work first on getting even the most basic of dishes to be acceptable to the worldwide palate .

      If the Philippines could find just a few decent cooks then maybe at international airport departure lounges they could offer free samples (exhibition style) of the Philippine delights to waiting passengers maybe in conjunction with Philippine airlines ! .

      Dont get me wrong , I am not knocking this wonderful country but a lot of work has to be done to bring up to par with other more popular Asian destinations .

      • Hi Tom – I hear you, my friend. I’ve eaten a lot of the things you said…. I’ve had snake in the US and also here in the Philippines. It can be quite good. A lot of the street food that you find on the corners is actually quite good!

        • Hi Bob !
          Yes , staying opposite Guisano Mall on JP Laurel gave me a plentiful supply of street food , and I don’t think this area of Philippine cuisine is really the problem as you can see what you are buying ! .

          As a relative newcomer to Davao it puzzles me why the Philippines do not have the variety of wonderful dishes that can be found elsewhere in Asia , even the most common of dishes , fried rice with just about anything seems elusive here ! they certainly do have a plentiful supply of vegetables but seem to lack the creativity ! .

    • Todd the quality of the raw product of Philippino food CAN be good and yes American food CAN be unhealthy but that’s beside the point, what the high end tourist wants is DELICIOUS food, beautifully cooked food, they are here on holiday and they want to enjoy themselves.
      One time I bought my family 2 kilos of tuna steaks at 260 pesos a kilo, I let them cook it assuming they knew what they were doing, after all these people eat fish for breakfast lunch and dinner. So they should be experts right? WRONG, the tuna steaks were cooked to close to carbon state! I was dumbfounded, I looked around and found some old cardboard and I started to eat it. I threw the black carbon tuna in the bin to their howls of protest. They said this is how they cook food in the Philippines……groan.
      Lazy unimaginative cooking pure and simple.
      So we started again, bought new tuna but this time we got some tin foil and crushed garlic, lemon, soya sauce and olive oil, with a touch of oregano and on the BBQ for ten minutes. In case they didn’t like something exotic I also got my partner to cut the tuna in cubes and roll them in fine bread crumbs and lightly fry till golden brown. Served with an alien dish of salad
      LOL they thought they were eating chicken!!!! Philippino CAN be good but preparation is the key!!
      Their eyeballs nearly popped out of there heads when they tasted it!!

      • Boss,
        I once cooked a pork loin on the stove using the dutch oven method for about 8 hours. We lost our oven a few years ago in a typhoon flood – virtually unused. I was met with a bit of protest from some extended family members for wasting 8 hours of cooking gas (it was only on low). It came out excellent – pulled pork! Little nephew JJ, age 6 insisted that it was beef. Boiled pork to him was little rubber cubes!
        Bon Appetite!
        Jade

    • Maybe we should have rundown, just to see if we’re talking of the same thing or not. Have you guys tried:

      Ilonggo food:

      La Paz batchoy; pancit Molo: piyaya; biscocho; tambo with gata (bamboo shoot in coconut milk); kinilaw; Pancit Loglog; tsorezo; lamparong (dessert plate-sized flat seashell which you don’t catch at sea- every so often they get washed onshore — thousands of them– and all people could do is cook them right there on the beach and wash down with beer); boriring (puff fish which is poisonous in all months except September, at which time, it tastes like heaven); inihaw nga dugo (grilled coagulated chicken blood); chicken intestines; crab meat (the best is found at Breakthrough in Iloilo)

      Kapampangan:

      Stewed fish cooked in ripe guava fruit

      Tagalog: Menudo; kuhol sa gata (escargot in coconut milk); adidas (chicken foot)

      Cagayan de Oro: Kinilaw (seviche); Lechon manok; kwik-kwik (hard-boiled eggs in batter);

      • Don’t forget the Ilocano pinakbet, Abraham. Now, this is one Filipino dish that maybe difficult to tweak to suit Western taste buds because of the bagoong, which is a necessary ingredient. Come to think of it, the bagoong tastes just like the anchovies with garlic that is used in making Caesar salad, a Western favorite!

  12. I guess it’s good morning at your neck of the woods right now! I guess you could call my husband and I “foodies” as we travel to experience food, and spend a lot of time cooking and eating different foods and talking about food! We love to vacation in big cities when we can, so we also try to research ahead to also enthusiastically seek out Filipino food. Mostly we get lucky to find the restaurants, but sadly get disappointed every time.
    As far as chains go– I guess I can say that the cutest and most favorite, was the Goldilocks that we found in Vancouver! Nice friendly people and diners, and the food was quite good we thought!

    • Hi Queenie – I’ve been to Goldilocks in Vancouver myself. It surprised me when I found it there back in the mid-90’s. There are starting to be a lot of chains like Jollibee, Chow King and such… I just hope that people in the West don’t start thinking that those are what Filipino food is all about! That would be like people thinking that McDonald’s is what American food is. Well… I guess a lot of people already think that, though! 😯

  13. Hi Bob,
    I agree with you wholhartedly on your idea of promoting Philippine foods.
    One indigeous regional food group that I had not heard mentioned is the Bicolano regional cusine – “Bicol Express” etc. Bicol is the only region that I know of that embraces hot spicy dishes. Some are made with the the combination of coconut milk- buko and chili peppers – sili,
    The flavors of these dishes are not that different fron the spicy Thai curries that have made the Thai restaurants so popular in the US.
    This might be a starting point…
    Hopefully, Jade

    • The chilli pepper in only indigenous to central and south america. It is not indigenous to India or Thailand nor the Philippines. And Korea too. In these countries it is an adaptation added to local cusines. All of this happened some 400 years ago.
      Food for thought, Jade

      • I’d like to roll with this thought a little further:
        Imagine a chain of fast food restaurants across the US and further, with a bamboo nipa hut themed decor – not unlike the popular parrot head theme of Jimmy Buffet.
        I’d call them “Bicol Express” (if the name is in public domain).
        The cusine of Bicol is undisputably Philippine in origin. The menu could be developed by borrowing from the popular Thai restaurants, but not directly copying.
        Such as some vareties of the traditional bicol express ‘stew’ adapted for US tastes.
        Featuring: Bicol Express spicy roasted chicken, Bicol Express lechon baboy and maybe even Bicol Express spicy burgers.
        The other traditional items of pancit, lumpia, adobo (already popular), kaldereta and others could adjusted to US (and others) tastes to complete the menu.

        Oh well I’ve gone far enough with this…

        Jade

        • I think that something like that could succeed, Jade. I do think, though, that there is a lot more to Filipino food than just Bicol. Food from all around the country could be featured and become popular, if the right dishes are chosen.

          • I was thinking in a “toungue and cheek” sort of way that it might allow an entrepreneur to get get his ‘Foot In The Door’ without calling into the forefront the Philippine origin and possible initial negative reaction.
            It is obvious that no other method has worked as well as the Thai, Chinese and the Japanese sushi restaurants. And the Philippine methods haven’t worked at all.
            So I had a sort of personal brainstorming session with myself and tried to think ‘outside of the box’.
            Spicy food and spicy chicken are already popular fast food items.
            Thus Bicol Express!
            Start small and simple, grow the business and gain popularity and then once successful, expand the formula to include more traditional foods; and ruin the whole thing. (just joking on that last part)
            What has been tried before hasn’t worked. Try something different.
            This is not a calling for me, but rather for an accomplished Philippine master chef who has the desire to adjust the cuisine to a more acceptable palate.
            The marketing of the cusine must be the critical difference that a successful business or chain cannot copy or mimic the Thai or Chinese restaurants.
            Try something different… Who knows it might work…
            Jade

  14. GOOD POSTING MATE

    YES IT IS THE FOOD AND THE PPL THAT MAKE A PLACE NOT MATTER WHERE IT IS MATE GOD BLESS U FOR A GOOD POSTING KEEP UP TH GOOD WORK

    FROM PETER MARTIN TASSIE

  15. BTW, Bob which Filipino food that you find sweet? I happen to cook & more importantly, I love to eat. I am fault finder as well. 🙂 I have fairly travelled from north to south so I am quite familiar w/ regional cooking. In my opinion, the best dishes come from…drum roll..Luzon! 🙂
    May I also point out that Filipino food is divided into different categories, there’s the everyday food, fiesta food, and even Christmas or traditional holiday food. There’s even a peasant food which I love.

    • Hi roy – Well, there are lots of foods that are quite sweet. Spaghetti for sure is probably #1. Breads are usually sweet. Other dishes too. Your favorite food is from Luzon? Well, we all have our favorites, no doubt.

  16. Hi Bob – You have set the cat amongst the pigeons with this particular subject. Although I have seldom if ever let a chef down that doesn’t mean to say I have enjoyed everything that has been served up to me here in the Philippines. I find I’m avoiding fatty and oily dishes by choice as I know eating food like this in excess is not good for you. I do not like sugar in either starters or main course dishes but I do obviously in deserts. Here in the Philippines I find that depending on the chef depends on how much sugar their recipe contains so if the chef has a sweet tooth your really in trouble. Yes there is lots of delicious food to be found in the Philippines but unlike the other Asian countries unfortunately to date it’s not been seen to be an exportable success. The Chinese have no doubt been the most successful when it comes to exporting their food to other countries and I think because of the vast difference in climate in China there is something for everyone and of course the Chinese have varied the recipe to suit their locale. The same can be said for the Indians with their willingness to conform to local market tastes. The Thais are trailing a little bit behind the former two but again their hot and spicy variety of menu is catching on fast.
    So back to the question, would tourists come to the Philippines just to sample the local cuisine? Personally I doubt it very much at least in sufficient numbers to justify such an arrangement. I think yes the Philippines could show off her culinary delights to tourists but it would be in conjunction with viewing her magical scenery and fine beaches etc but not on the draw to taste the food alone.
    You mentioned fruit Bob as being a possible attraction for tourists but since fruit is seasonal I don’t think that idea would be practical in order to taste all the islands have to offer on one trip.
    One thing I have always found with eating Filipino cuisine. Its best eaten round the table at home with family and friends where it’s appreciated by all with no complaints, for fear of not being invited back.
    Kind regards.
    Jim.

    • Hi Jim – Ha ha… interesting comment. Like you, I rarely let the chef down! 😉

      In the States, I would say that Thai food is quite a bit more popular than Indian, but I know that Indian cuisine is loved in the UK, though.

      Yes, I agree that right now, Philippine cuisine would not draw many tourists, but I am proposing that it’s time, perhaps, for the country to develop a cuisine, or modify it’s cuisine, so that it is of more interest to the western palate, and to promote it by encouraging Filipino restaurants in worldwide locations. It will take a long time to accomplish, but perhaps it is one way to draw a few more tourists.

      • Hi Bob- You are correct when you say Philippine cuisine could be developed given time as it took the others from the end of WW2 to date to be appriciated world wide.
        The old saying “one mans meat is another man poison” seem appropriate with some of the replies.
        Regards.
        Jim.

    • Hi Jim,
      I enjoyed reading your well thought out and succinct comments.
      You very well summed it up.
      Jade

      P. S. Your first sentence intrigued me. Now I need to find a cat and a flock of willing pigeons.

    • Jim, since you’re in CDO, I think you should try Annabel’s Restaurant at Xavier Sports & Country Club. I could give you the rundown, even list down all the items on the menu, but Bob might not like it. So let me just tell you that we have healthful food here specially for health-conscious gentlemen like you. Bring the wife and your buddies. The first two bottles of “perspiring” SMB’s on me.

      • Hi Abraham- I’m sure we can arrange to go to Annabel’s Restaurant sometime as we pass by Xavier each time we go to CdeO from Talakag.
        Kind regards.
        Jim.

  17. Hello Bob,

    I have to agree with you on this one too, food is another great way of promoting the Philippines, and to attract more tourists. Just like any kind of food, we all have our preferences. I for one loved a lot of the filipino foods and fruits I had while over there. I have also eaten at Filipino restaurants here in the USA. One that comes to mind is a small diner type outside of Washington, DC called “Lumpia & Pancit”, its a buffet style restaurant and had excellent food.
    I for one don’t understand why there isn’t more filipino restaurants here in the USA, just to add to and give more variety, heck we Americans love variety so much!!
    There are so many things the Philippines could do to booster tourism, but so many problems they need to sort out before really getting the people to want to come there, either for the food, eco-tourism, culture, history, beaches, diving, and just to visit a fascinating place, etc…I really don’t know the answer, but I hope it comes someday soon.

    Take care,
    Danny H.

    • I really do love the fruits here, Danny! And some of the foods are great too! I like Adobo a log. Lumpia is super! Oh, there are lots of good dishes, without a doubt. I don’t like every Filipino food, but there are plenty that I think are great. The DC restaurant sounds like it could be pretty good!

      With the number of Filipinos in the States, you would think that it would be a natural to have Filipino Restaurants!

  18. When we lived near Carson, CA there were tons of Filipino restaurants, holes in the wall and chains (I’m sure there are way more now). I never visited one until I met Rose, and I rarely, if ever, saw non-Pinoys unless they were accompany by Filipinos.

    Blending Pinoy foods into a more western friendly style, or taking the dishes upscale, are things that Rose and I have actually talked about in the past. I don’t really see a role by the government leading to success of this. I think the 1000’s of Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Japanese… restaurants that appeal to people in the west are the result of entrepreneurs.

    • Hi Gary – I do think that the government has a role in the restaurant thing. I am not saying that they should open the restaurants themselves, but rather assist in training chefs, give some entrepreneurial training and such. I think it would pay dividends in the long run.

      • Interesting. I don’t really see it, but perhaps. You’re talking about two things, chef training, and entrepreneurial training. They could certainly go hand-in-hand, but entrepreneurial training could also be applied to other endeavors obviously.

        Would this be for the local domestic market, or overseas to get people in western countries interested in Filipino foods? Or both? If the second, are you going to train Filipinos (or former Filipinos) who are currently legal residents or citizens of western countries? If not, how are local Pinoys going to get visas and capital to open their restaurants overseas? Last time I looked in the US (mid-90s), an investors visa required $1M investment plus hire a minimum number of legal US residents (perhaps citizens can’t remember).

        Now you may be talking about training chefs to work in restaurants around the world, and to infuse some Filipino flavor into high-end cooking / presentation. As they get hired, if they can convince the management to some additions to the menu – who knows. But this is certainly not the way the aforementioned ethnic foods became widely popular.

        Cristeta Comerford has been the executive chef of the White House since 2005 and she won an episode of Iron Chef not too long ago. I wonder if she is introducing Filipino dishes to the international community?

        • Hi Gary – You bring up good points, and I have certainly not sat down and worked out a business plan for this. It is just a thought off the top of my head. I just think it is a direction to consider… maybe after consideration it would not be done, maybe it would. What I do know for sure is that what is being done now, in terms of attracting tourism is not working a bit.

      • I have an idea. It’s a pity that the next one’s in August 2011 yet, the most recent one was held in August, two months ago.

        But there’s this KUMBIRA- it’s a showcase of CDO hotel;s and restaurants food preparation, and you could see literally dozens of food styles.

        Why, you could even volunteer as judge! Yes, there’s so many entries that judges are needed. What better judges than people who’ve been around the globe?

  19. Here in Killeen a few years back a Philippines restaurant opened and yes it was a hole in the wall. I tried it twice but nothing enticed me to return. I am betting it is closed.

    The Golden Coin (I think that’s the name) chain on Oahu had some tasty food and some halo-halo that was oh so good.

    • Hi Pete – As I noted in my article, I visited a couple of Philippine restaurants in the States, and they were really low end places. I’m not even sure how they passed the health dept inspection. Very sad.

  20. I’m not a finicky eater and will sample pretty much anything but IMHO the RP is certainly not a culinary Mecca, it has its moments but they are far and very few. My most common complaint is the lack of sauces or seasonings to embelish the taste, Order tuna steak and thats exactly what you get…no sauce..no seasoning, no enhencing garnishment. I know it has to do with costs but hey , I always say, its easier to keep a customer returning than to find a new one…so toss em alittle ‘bone’…and they’ll come back.

    • Hi brian – Nice to hear from you. I agree, that the Philippines is not a Mecca when it comes to fine cuisine. The kind of things you were saying about dressing up the dish a bit and such are some of the very things I was thinking of. How much does a few sprigs of parsley cost? Not much!

      • Right Bob. Here at Xavier Sports & Country Club, we grow our own herbs: parsley, mint, dill, rosemary, thyme– name it, Bob, we have it, and we USE them, we USE them. Remember the invitation stands– do drop by the next time you find yourself in CDO.

        • That’s what White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford does, Abraham. They have a small vegetable plot on the White House grounds where they grow herbs and vegetable for the kitchen. That’s as fresh as you can get, and if they can build a man-made stream from where they can fish bass, carp and even bangus to serve at state dinner for visiting Philippine head of state, they’d probably do it as well. But, that would be pushing the envelope a bit far. LOL

    • Oh, oh. Brian, you should try the Annabel’s restaurant should you find yourself in CDO one of these days.

  21. Bob I’m sure most of the popularity of ethnic restaurants in developed countries is a matter of fads ands fashion and doesn’t have much to do with the intrinsic merits of the food on offer. For example, 20 years ago in Australia there was a mere handful of Japanese restaurants in the capital cities, and many people regarded the food as bland and over-priced. Now, sushi bars are more common in malls than sandwich shops (and still, to my mind, bland unless you use soy sauce liberally, although at least they are no longer expensive).

    In my lifetime I’ve seen the fashion move from Italian, to Chinese, to Mexican, to Thai, to Japanese, to Vietnamese. I’ve lost track of the latest fad. You’re right that there are not many Filipino restaurants but there’s no great shame in that. There aren’t many British or Russian or Kenyan restaurants either! Maybe the turn of the Philippines will come one day and the ‘New York Times’ will have contests to find the nation’s finest truffle oil adobo.

    • Hi Ken – I believe that some ethnic foods are fads, but I disagree that it is mostly that. Foods like Indian and Thai have gone way beyond being a Fad and are practically part of the daily diet in many countries. I can’t speak for Australia, but in the USA that is for certain. Chinese food is just a part of everyday life.

    • Hi Ken – Good comment on the fad and fashion of ethnic restaurants, Your mention of the various ethnic restaurants brought to mind a curious phenomenon I have observed in the past few years. The prevalence of Ethiopian restaurants. It seems to be a paradox with all of the reported starvation occuring in that country.
      Just an observation, Jade

      • Just Googled local Ethoipian restaurants vs Philippine restaurants in my Palm Harbor, FL area.
        Results:
        Ethiopian 6
        Philippine 2

        • Hi Jade – A guy was coming out of an Ethiopian Restuarant when he was approached by a begger who informed him he had not eaten for two days.The guy said he had no loose change but he admired the beggars will power.
          One has to laugh.
          regards.
          Jim.

  22. Hey bob,
    Your spot on when you say most of the foods are bland or too sweet. However, the best pork ribs I’ve ever had were at The Ranchero Grill in Davao.
    Soup with all fat and bone is not appealing. Neither are crispy patas (fried pig feet with bone, cartilage and skin) I’m wondering where are all the prime cuts of meat going?

    • Hi Hudson – You ate at Ranchero Grill and didn’t call me! 😯 Ha ha… that’s less than 5 minutes from my house! In fact, Ranchero is originally a GenSan restaurant, and we ate there often. After we moved to Davao in 2002, they opened a branch here! I think they didn’t want to give up our business! You are very right, Sol’s (the owner is Sol Sunglao) Baby Back ribs are to die for! They are soooo gooooood! ha ha…

      You are right, I have often wondered myself what is happening to all of the best cuts of meat!

      • I’m sure they would have called you but as you said in another blog it would have taken you an hour to drive that far. HAHAHAHA!!

      • Bob;
        There are no real Butchers here, just a guy who will chop up the pork/beef or chicken onto a thousand unrecognizable pieces of mystery meat and toss it into a plastic bag and send you on your way. I know I could save money by buying my meat in the market. But I prefer to go to the few Butcher Shops we have here in my area, that are owned by foreigners and get the cut I want. (You get what you’re willing to pay for.)

        • Lots of truth in that comment, Paul. We tend to buy our meat from a butcher company that has shops all over town. The company is owned by a Filipino fellow that I know, but the person who manages the operations is from Denmark. Very high quality meats.

    • Hudson, I know it’s not right saying this because I’m working for it, but the best ribs I’ve tasted is right here at the Annabel’s Restaurant at Xavier Sports & Country Club in CDO, and it’s not even its specialty yet. Its specialty is Paella Valenciana, which many swear is the best outside Manila (because the best in Manila is found at Annabel’s in Tomas Morato).

      • You’re going to have to try hard if you want to beat Ranchero, Abraham! I’ve eaten ribs in a lot of places around the world, and Ranchero is one of the best I’ve ever eaten! I might have to come up to CdO and give those ribs a try! 😉

  23. Philippines for food. women yes. beaches perhaps. Food……absolutely, positively NOT!!! hahahah. Yes I do like Fried Adobo and beef sinigang but food it about the worst thing the Philippines has to offer. A real shame as I would like to eat it but find myself eating western food still after all this time. Fact is almost everyone I know over 15 years in the Philippines would be living in Thailand if it weren’t for the language issue there because they have better food and beaches and cost of living is pretty good as well. Bob in my humble opinion the only reason people come to the Philippines other than business or religion is companionship (generally very young) and of course cost of living. Food…..good one Bob

      • Mike;
        The Philippines have the better beaches for sure, but Thiland has the better beach towns, you can’t stay in the water all day.

        • LOL, Too true, Paul! Hey, wait a minute. I used to spend most of the day in the water on Talikud! But, you’re right about the beach-side lifestyle being better developed in Thailand, in comparison to most Philippine Beach areas. Mind you, the Philippines has a lot of beach area. There’s a topic for another day; What makes for a great beach-side lifestyle?

            • Hi Abraham – I have several other articles on the tourism subject in the works. I had not planned for beaches, but I will think about it and see if I can come up with anything that would be new and exciting on the topic. Thanks for the suggestion.

          • Mike;
            A cabana bar, where they stock more then just three cold bottled/canned consumables and have ice in stock for other beverages.

  24. Hi Bob,
    Great food for thought! As you know Im presently living and working in Muscat, Oman. Its got a population of around 2.8m people (1m are expats of which I think about 20,000 are Philipino OFW’s).

    My first experience of Philipino food was at a restaurant called the Palayok in Ruwi whilst I was dating Nelyn (who is now my wife) , and we still go but only about three times a month, and thats because its hard to find parking, the traffic is busy and the driving is bad (Nelyn says the driving is better in the Philippines)!

    Other Philipino restaurants have opened here,but most have closed , as the community is small and once the custom drops off (after the initial 6 month excitement), the ingredients are reduced to save on money, hence the flavour and quality drops, and finally they close.palayok however is still here and has an excellent menu.

    My favorites dishes at the Palayok are Lumpia Shanghai, Calamari,Tapsilog, Sinigang,Caldaretta, KareKare and Bifsteak. I haven’t tried all the dishes yet as I usually opt for my favorites. There are several foods I have not tried as it did not look appetizing and that after all is why people usually choose a dish in the first place, either because of the presentation or because of the described ingredients on the mneu of ny the waiter.

    I will admit that I am not a big fan of Ampalaya (bitter gourd…even if it is rumoured as ‘good for the blood!’) . My wife Nelyn makes a dish (I can’t recall the name) thats basically scrambled eggs,onion, garlic , tomato and amapalya. When she makes it, she leaves out the ampalaya for me and you know what I reckon its the best scrambled egg you’ll get in the world. That recipe I reckon any westerner will eat ,like and that I think those types of changes is the key to getting Philipino food accepted around the world. She also makes Banana spring rolls that are fantastic, but she will only make these when she can find the right Philipino Bananas here.

    So after all my ramblings my point is, its sourcing the ingredients that make it difficult to make an authentic dish, but you don’t always need to make an authentic dish for people to like the food and most international food is not authentic anyway.

    • Hi Paul – Your last paragraph rings very true. The Chinese, the Thai and the Indians can get ingredients that can make great cuisine that people all over the world enjoy. I am betting the Filipinos could too!

  25. A lot of people don’t know how awesome our food is….especially in the US. It’s probably not because of lack of restaurants offering Filipino cuisine, but because there’s really no distinctive Filipino cuisine that we can claim as ours—everything is borrowed and re-hashed and altered to suit to our tastes. I also learned from reading online posts on other sites , that Filipino food has never been presented to “international taste”—-it’s just like a sloppy , careless combo of everything just scattered and strewn on a plate. Most Americans like their food “nicely” presented, hence they shun away from any food with “heads and eyes” still intact.
    Here are links;
    http://www.8asians.com/2010/02/25/filipino-food-assimilation/
    http://www.myfilipinokitchen.com/filipino-chefs-versus-filipino-chef/

    I certainly wish that a lot of foreigners should think twice about tasting our food –to taste it beyond what it looks like.

    • Hi Bingkee – Thanks for sharing the links. I already checked out the first one, and will have a look at the second one shortly. I think that it’s not only Americans that like their food to be presented to look nice, but Europeans, and others too. I just would love to see the Philippines step up and try to adapt some of their traditional foods to westernize them a bit, and introduce them to the world. Other cultures have done it, and it has helped their countries in areas like tourism.

    • Hi Bingkee – Great comments!
      I checked both of your links – and the links from those links – There are a lot of positive ideas out there. From what I have read I believe the turnaround is already underway!
      Jade

      • With further checking I found the Manila Machine a successful fast food mobille, read; food truck, enterprise. Hurray! Good going, and best success th them.
        Jade

          • And more from the second link:
            Filipino food = “underpants soup”. Ha! Ha!
            Filipini vs Indian food: “this Filipino food is really good, I am surprised there are not a lot of Filipino restaurants out there.” I asked her, is it visually appealing as I was doubting now because one Filipino Chef says it is. She says, “look at Indian food, it looks like something that goes out of a person instead of something to take in.”
            Quite true…
            Jade

  26. Hi Bob, boy, what a topic, just drove 600 miles to Georgia and another blockbuster discussion with so many food critique/chef participating. As I mentioned in other post last week about Filipino foods, it could be prepared as healthy as any American food there is, but the problem that I notice is the failure to adapt to American taste or sight such trimming the fat or removing the skin of the chicken when making adobo. US farm-raised chicken is feed with so much chemical and hormone it is poisoning our society.The main reason that Filipino foods in most restaurant are overcook is because most of them are buffet style, “turo-turo” or poin-point joint. Foods normally cooked and held at the steamline all day long enough to kill everything except the fat.

    Filipino foods if cooked right are mostly healthier than American foods. Americans now are the number 1 overweight , fattest people amongst the first world countries, because of the food that we eat and the portion that we consume and also how our food supply is grown. If you guys have a chance to see the movie “Food, Inc”, maybe you’ll have second thought of eating chicken again here in the US, so lucky for you guys there in the PI for eating mostly natural and organic foods.

    As for me, I’ve been following the the advised of my friend doctor, see below:

    His practice has no room for new patients! Now, he’s a medical wizard!

    cid:84C636E10E78449E8B4F733204473159@LocalHost

    Q: Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?

    A: Heart only good for so many beats, and that’s it… Don’t waste on exercise. Everything wear out eventually. Speed up heart not make live longer; that like say you can extend life of car by driving faster. Want live longer? Take nap.

    Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

    A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does cow eat? Hay and corn. What are these? Vegetables. So, steak nothing more than efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef also good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And pork chop can give 100% recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

    Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

    A: No, not at all. Wine made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine. That means they take water out of fruity bit; get even more of goodness that way. Beer also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

    Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

    A: If you have body and you have fat, ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, ratio is two to one, etc.

    Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

    A: Cannot think of single one, sorry. My philosophy: No Pain…Good!

    Q: Aren’t fried foods bad for you?

    A: YOU NOT LISTENING!!! …. Foods fried in vegetable oil. How getting more vegetables be bad for you?

    Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

    A: Definitely not! When you exercise muscle, it get bigger. You should only do sit-ups if want bigger stomach.

    Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

    A: You crazy? HELLO… Cocoa beans! Vegetable!!! Cocoa beans best feel-good food around!

    Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

    A: If swimming good for figure, explain whales to me.

    Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

    A: Hey! ‘Round’ is shape!

    Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
    AND…..
    For those of you who watch what you eat, here’s the final word on nutrition and health. It’s a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies:

    1. The Japanese eat very little fat
    And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

    2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat
    And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

    3. The Chinese drink very little red wine
    And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

    4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine
    And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

    5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats
    And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

    CONCLUSION
    Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

    Why is all the oil in Texas, and the dipsticks in Washington DC?

    and as I was driving down the east coast pelted with rain for 9 hours this came to me:

    Why rain fall and snow drops?

    Looooool!

    Mars

    PS. Never trust a skinny cook!

    • Hi Mars – You are so right about the American diet being very unhealthy. Food has become more of a business in the States, and less about making a person healthy. I’m a walking advertisement! Ha ha…

      I see the reasons why food is always overcooked here. I feel a lot of it also dates back to the days when a lot of people had no refrigeration available to them too. Still, though, knowing the reason doesn’t make the food more appealing.

      Anyway, thanks for your comment… you know, as I wrote the article I was thinking of you and how you could get the ball rolling by opening a place to sell your famous Pork BBQ! 😆 Take care, Mars.

    • Three years ago Australia held the glorious title of the fattest people plus the longest living people, Mexico second, USA third and New Zealand 4th.
      Latest figures out have the fattest people in Mexico in first place, second USA, New Zealand third, Uk 4th, Australia now 5th and Canada 6th.
      MacDonalds in Australia have a healthy choices ( low fat) menu alongside the standard chew and spew menu of old. Subway also has a low fat menu, so not all is lost.

  27. Whoops! Two other foods that I really like, but forgot to mention are empanada(?) and curry. While I prefer an Indian curry, the Filipino version is also excellent! empanada seemed very difficult to find when we lived in Davao, but we had a neighbour who made it & she became our official supplier. Gee, I hope she isn’t too old to make it by the time I return, there isn’t a better finger-food for parties.

  28. Hi Bob,

    Did you see Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation-Philippines a couple years back? Here are the links, on Travel Channel:

    His tribute to the lechon:
    http://blog.travelchannel.com/anthony-bourdain/read/hierarchy-of-pork/

    His series on Philippine cuisine:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD1Fvt4QWHI

    Philippine cuisine is not homegeneous, like that of its neighbours. Lechon is Spanish, but traditional Pacific islander’s main meat (everywhere in the Pacific islands). The noodles, the lumpia are Chinese/Southeast Asian origins, the deserts could be Southeast Asian or Spanish derivative. And there’s the variations of dishes from region to region, adobo in Batanes is dry; while the rest of the country it is wet. Pinakbet in Ilocos is cooked with fish paste sauce, in other parts with shrimp paste. Dinuguan is wet originally, but up north it is dry (Spanish call it sangrecilla). Rice served in Batanes (and Lanao, years ago) have turmeric – yellow in colour. Sinigang could be with pork, beef bones, fish, prawns with tamarind, guava, and any sour fruit to give it tartness. Bicol has its hot and coconut dishes which only Bicolanos can do.

    One thing that I wish they bring back is the tradition of cooking in the country. All the smaller restaurants tend to use powdered stuff even for sinigang, I discovered working there. In the early ’60s, in Paris, Nora Daza, the original Filipino foodie had a restaurant in Paris called Aux isles Philippines, Michelin 3 star. My favourite restaurant that serves Filipino food is Cabalen in the Metro Area, and Golden Cowrie in Cebu.

    My only comment eating in the country is just because a Filipino cooks the dish, doesn’t make it Filipino. I’ve eaten a lot of bad Filipino food, because people didn’t know how to cook! Maybe the tourism dept can have a tour product on cooking real Filipino dishes, sort of like Anthony Bourdain.

    Alex

    • Hi Alex – Not only did I see the Anthony Bourdain Philippine show… we talked about it in this very comment thread! 😆

      I fully agree with you on bringing back real cooking. So much is now “packaged stuff” as you say.

  29. Bob,

    I am craving a red nuke hot dog. Especially after your great write-ups about them. I better buy my ticket now.

    On a serious note, there are several Filipino restaurants in the DC area (Lumpia Pancit and Pampanguena Cafe). The places need our support or they will end up “out of business” like the Manila Cafe in Northern VA. Cho from the Lumpia Pancit is a great person and I always enjoyed when she would sit down at the table and talks to her customers.

    • Hi Jack, I tried eating only once at Manila Cafe, only mediocre. Try visiting the Kababayan @ Woodbridge, you might find their food to your liking.

      Mars

      • Hi Marz,

        I had 1 cut up in Spaghetti the other night at a friends birthday. Lami kaayo. I guess I don’t have to buy the plane ticket now.

        I will check out Kababayan. Thanks for the suggestion.

  30. in england we recently had a tv series by a popular chef, rick stein who toured and presented the foods of asia, yet missed only the philippines. my wife makes for us a mean chicken curry and as almost all agree empanadas too. she even makes special non sweet spaghetti for us too.
    as you say ingredients are amazing but often lacking fresh vegetables of any sort. i love the simple foods fresh steamed prawns steamed crab or sweet and sour lapu lapu, along with the greatest of them all, kinilaw.

  31. Regarding my liking for Philippino foods, well I lost 77 pounds in 6 months. Adobo chicken is my only favorite dish. If I was a crusader I would burn all the Philippino cook books and start again. Enough said on that topic.
    Can food draw the tourist, hell yeah, we’ve been back to Thailand 2 more times after I fell in love with the most delicious pizza’s I have ever tasted, just perfect for me. My partner jokes with me every time she wants to travel, she says you feel like pizza this week?
    At the end of the day, our trips to Thailand have been flawless and luckily for us just perfect. It helps that it is cheap and quick to go there, you can duck off to Laos just as easily and sooooo cheap.
    Everything was too easy to organise, on the way to Bangkok our Cebu Pacific plane had lost it’s navigational equipment which meant we had to fly back to Manila. This resulted in a four hour delay. So we arrived in Bangkok at 4am with what you would call a not too happy pinay by my side, man that bottom lip tells a story.
    I took the risk of not booking anything because friends told me it is easy to organise everything when we are in Thailand, too true. I saw 5 tourist information booths at the airport, fully manned and a stack of free maps with no one sleeping on the job. The tourist people organised a hotel for us and a car to take us there, all in a few minutes, too good. It also included a FREE one day tour of the city, how good was that! While on the free tour the guide showed us a huge array of places to visit, brochures, pictures, prices you name it, everything lock stock and barrel. At the end of the day I asked them to take us to a travel agent to book our three week holiday.
    The travel agent asked me what I wanted, I said a two day mystery tour, a place for my wife to shop, a place for me and a place for both of us. That’s all I said.
    For the mystery tour he booked us two days in Laos, for her the Armari Watergate hotel opposite the Platinum Fashion Mall which had 1,500 shops for my partner, for me he sent us off to the Sunshine Hotel in Soi 8 in Pattaya near the Famous Walking Street, for both of us to reconnect it was the entertainment haven Phuket.
    In less than 20 minutes, he had four destinations all planned and paid for, tour guide, all new car transfers, airplane tickets, accommodation, sight seeing tours. Just amazing and effortless.
    In two weeks were going back to Thailand again on route to Australia, those pizzas and steaks are calling me!!!

    • When I was in thailand I first did not like thai foods very very spicy but in a short time love it very much. Now I cook thailand foods very often so easy. I see many many thin thai girls because they eat a lot of grass foods our foods are very simple but make you fat.

    • What a difference between your description of Thailand and the reality of the Philippines, Boss. Free tour? Heck, you get nothing in the Philippines for free! 😯

      The pizza place… do they deliver? To the Philippines? 😉

      • I swear to god that was a stroke of genius Sir Bob. International Pizza Delivery. I love you. Wonder if LBC delivers, don’t mind if it’s a bit cold. Saves me having to fly over there!

        The point was the “free” tour guide was making a commission on all the places he was taking us to, in the end we spent a stack load of money buying this and seeing that. Smart cookies.

        • Ha ha.. you mean they can’t get it here hot? That spoils my whole idea!

          You know, Boss, there are a lot of Filipinos with no work… why can’t they start up some kind of tour guide type business on commissions like that? Oh, I just remembered… there are no tourists here! 😯 Never mind!

  32. Bob,

    Just an observation, most Americans don’t like picking the bones out of fish. I have had some of the best meals in my life (mostly at peoples homes) and some of the worst (restaurants) in the Philippines.

    rob

  33. I’m not surprised that you have received so many comments, mine among them. In all my travels, i have found two constants among countries: the people think that their woment are the most beautiful in the world and that their food is the most delicious. For the Philippines, one out of two ain’t bad.

  34. I do not think tourism could be increased by the strength of the local cuisine as it stands. Filipino foods are different and suit the locals tastes and I agree with you Bob the local dishes are underdeveloped and would need to be tweaked towards western tastes that is the key. Balut and fried dried fish makes my husban vomit he calls it sheet food. Meat that is tough as leather and foods over salted/under salted and too sweet leaves him in a bad mood unless I cook for him. When I do cook it is still local ingredients but the balance of ingredients is different I cater for his tastes. The problem I have is that my foreigner husban has such refined tastes that to serve him boiled native corn he will turn his nose up at it if you serve him sweet corn on the cob and New Zealand butter he will eat 3 cobs. Give him green mango and fish paste and soya sauce he chews it and spits it out then he sends out our housekeeper to buy ripe semi sweet mango and he add to it white ice cream and chocolait syrup or canada maple syrup eeeyu. He will eat green mango but only coated in raw sugar so weird. We like to put cheese and condensed milk in our fruit salad and he hate it but he like fruit salad with just a coating of pure icing sugar we are different tastes.

    • Hi Saviour – On the corn thing…. you can now start finding sweet corn here in the Philippines. I wrote about it a while back in my article, Corn in the Philippines. I agree with your husband, the “regular” corn here is terrible, and not worth eating. I recently tried a green mango salad, and enjoyed it. I also enjoy green mango shakes! Ha ha….

  35. No offence here Bob, but my thoughts are that if there is to be a budget for this part of the increase tourism project, better spend it on the bigger areas. There may indeed be a market for food tourism, but I’d reckon its smaller than people who want to lie on a beautiful beach under the warm sun and be pampered with the occasional massage and the option of jet-ski hire down at the hotel jetty. That, for me, would be the big market. Also, I have to consider myself as pretty much an average Joe when it comes to holidays (vacations), and the thought of Filipino food would send me immediately scurrying off to the travel agent for a brochure on the South of France. Of course, I speak as an expatriated Scotsman who regards Haggis as “er….very nice, but not for me thanks”.

    That said, nothing wrong in mentioning the availability of “wonderful Filipino cuisine” at the end of the line in the advert that guarantees the availability of the very best French and Italian foods for the less adventurous amongst us. All mention of pig offal and chicken feet should be rigorously avoided.

    • Hi Jim – Great idea! Promote the beaches! Oh… oops… that’s what they have been doing for 2 decades already. Doesn’t seem to be pulling many tourists!

      On the food, it seems like you are in agreement with me. I have said many times that as the food is now, it won’t draw many tourists. It needs to be refined, cooked to higher standards and such.

      • You’re right Bob, in that promoting the beaches has not been particularly successful so far, but I would still say it is an almost essential component, especially for families, which is undoubtedly a large part of the “big market”; what is missing is the other parts of the package. Ease of access, great night life, great hotels, great food, real quality service.

        Pearl Farm is an interesting case study, as they do market themselves quite well and as far as I can tell are quite successful; the service is wonderful, the food is okay, (though far from world class), the facilities are very nice, but the beaches are stony and not particularly pleasant, or were on my last visit there. IMHO that place could easily have the issues I identified, and others, sorted out, then rubber stamp the formula around lots of other places and people will come.

        As a marketing exercise, the whole tourism project, I would say, revolves around removing the obstacles that are preventing the flow of people. You’re right though, Lim is going to find his remit challenging, to say the least, but I do hope that even in some small way, he can gain some insight into the thoughts of westerners through this and other sites, and react positively in working to diminish those obstacles. I, like you I suspect, would really love his job (especially in a culture where you can be radical and take a risk because of the reduced accountability).

        • Hi Jim – Well… for me, if you have been doing something for 20 years and it has not worked even the slightest, it’s time to reevaluate and try something different. If beach promotion is essential, somebody needs to figure out a really different approach, no doubt on that. I think that maybe it’s time to look at coming on strong to smaller markets that are more manageable and approachable, currently underserved, and see if if a difference can be made.

          Pearl Farm is great, but 75% of people can’t afford Pearl Farm anyway, even foreigners.

    • Hi Jim Hannah – I’ve just removed you from our invitation list to attend our Burns Supper your a disgrace to all Scots living and dead by your addmission, I speak as an expatriated Scotsman who regards Haggis as “er….very nice, but not for me thanks”.
      The only thing better than Haggis is more Haggis with neeps and mashed tatties of course and a liberal dash of gravy.
      Fare fa’ your honest sonsie face, hahaha!
      Now that will get them all thinking.
      Hail Caledonia.
      Regards.
      Jim.

      • Yer a wee sleekit timrous beastie! Now for me laddie, All jist hae the neeps thanks, and loads ay them anaw!

        Hey, I attended one Burns Supper only during my life…and that was in Jeddah, Saudi. Still didnae eat the Haggis though! Same goes for the black pudden. I’ve got an excuse; my Mother was English, if only just, from Carlisle! Does that make my exclusion from the list double? If not, could you hold it in March, as I will not be in the Phils. again until then?

        Aw the best!

        Jim

        • Well Jim – Its January 25th unless it falls on a Sunday so March is out I’m afraid. We used to have brilliant Burns Suppers in Nigeria with the Haggis and Piper as well as a guest speaker supplied by in those days British Caledonian Airways. The supper was always a sell out and a good time had by all as the Lassies were always in attendance as well.
          Oh I miss the real Black Pudding my favourite is Hall’s of Broxburn as sold by ASDA no branches here in Mindanao hahaha!
          All the best.
          Jim.

          • Oh yes, Halls of Broxburn; they do the fruit pudding too, a favourite of mine. My wife loves the Black Pudding (and Haggis too) and says it is a bit like “dinuguan”, I don’t know if you have had the chance to try that? You must miss the neeps too; I never saw a good old ‘nip in the Phils., certainly not in Mindanao anyway.

  36. Hi Bob,

    One of the Aesop’s fables was about and old man with two wives. The older wife plucked his dark scalp hairs so he would look like her age. The younger wife plucked his grey hairs so he would look younger. He ended up…well…..

    I was in the San Francisco area this summer and stayed in the San Bruno area. I made it a point to eat all my meals at a Filipino restaurant for five consecutive days. So for all those Filipino foodies….the El Camino Real from San Bruno all the way northwest to Daly City…this is Filipino food country: Patio Filipino, Tribu Grill, Henry’s, Intramuros, Ongpin, Max’s, Tastebuds, Goldilocks, etc… to name a few.

    Anyway, the one thing common in all those restaurants….not a single soul that was not Filipino.

    So I’m afraid that if these restaurants heed your advice to westernize a little bit and not serve those greasy Chicharon Bulaklak and Lechon Kawali, they will all end up bald like Aesop’s old man.

    I agree with some posters that it’s all an acquired taste.

    Good topic.

    Cheers.

    • Ha ha… Dr. Long… I’m afraid you missed my point! I am not saying that changes should be made to existing Filipino restaurants who have an established base of customers who are Filipino! I am saying that perhaps some new palate pleasing Filipino dishes could be created or refined from existing dishes and served in new places that might attract western customers. The Thai, Chinese and Indians do it every day! Go in most Thai restaurants and you will see no Thai people, except for the staff! If they Thai, Chinese and Indians can do it, are you telling me that Filipinos can’t?

      • I’ve made the same observations about Filipino restaurants in the US, but I can say that I’ve been to Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, etc. places that were frequented by both people of those cultures along with, umm, people not of those cultures. Certainly there are places, perhaps the majority, that really cater to the American palate, but there are more authentic places that still seem to attract a wider patronage. So it is interesting.

        • Of course, me too, Gary. I’ve been in Thai or Chinese places where there were only white people (or should I say, non-Chinese). I’ve also been in when there were Chinese people eating there alongside Americans, or non-Chinese. But, in most cases, the food served at a Chinese restaurant in the States is a bit different than what you might expect to be served if you are in Beijing! 😆

    • Hi Dr. Sponk Long,
      Very interesting comment!
      If this blog gets up to 500 comments or more , maybe we will come collectively upon a viable plan to market Philippine foods in a manner that is compatible to the taste of the general international public! … Well the other eastern countries have…
      I feel that there is a very good and viable concept, in its infancy, that is awaiting all those of who feel the need for the Philippines to assert the country to it’s full potential; albeit through culturally acceptable restaurants!
      Hopefully, Jade

      • There’s the spark of an idea. Why don’t we, the LIPPERS, wiki a document to send to Lim with a host of low budget action plans he can consider? Any thoughts on that one Bob, or do you think that might be seen as foreigner interference?

        • Hi Jim – I think we are building up a nice repository of information right here, would be a good resource for the DoT to just look at. Of course, the final decision is theirs.

    • Hi Doc, there is a Fil resto @ Fremont near 880 called “Kalisa” with excellent food. Nice atmosphere.

      Mars

  37. Wow! This thread hit a nerve with some of us. I can only speak for my friends and I that have been to the Philippines….WE LOVE THE FOOD! I do agree that the presentation of the food can be a big turn off….but the food itself is very very good.

    The more exotic crazy looking stuff might be a turn off to many but there are so many other foods in the filipines that are excellent.

    I simply have a hard time with a lot of Thai food and think it is overrated, but I do like some of it. I was at a Thai place yesterday in Vancouver, Washington and noticed that many of the popular dishes were very similar to what is also in the filipines….except some of this stuff in the Thai restaurant is so spicy.

    Anyway, the filipines has terrific food, and NO WHERE is there better pork.

  38. Much have been said about re-inventing or customizing existing native Filipino dishes in order to make them more appealing to Western palate like the Thais, the Indians, and the Chinese have done in North America and Europe on the belief that Westerners would flock to the Philippines as a result. As we all have correctly noted, good food alone is not sufficient inducement for a potential tourist to visit the Philippines. Granted that all the necessary tourist-friendly elements are present in the country (world-class infrastructure, political stability, etc.), how can chicken or pork adobo, for example, be tweaked to conform to Western taste buds without losing the original flavor that made the dish famous in the first place? Or the Bicol Express, for that matter?

    • Hi John – Firstly… I think you misinterpreted the thread a bit. Nobody that I know of every said tourists would “flock” to the Philippines. What I have said, and I believe some others implied is that it might bring a “few” tourists to the Philippines. I even pointed out that “foodies” are not a huge group, but it is a place to start.

      How would dishes be tweaked? I am not a chef, nor do I offer recipes. But I will repeat a comment I made earlier:

      The Thais did it. The Indians did it. The Chinese did it. Are you telling me that Filipinos cannot do it?

      I personally believe that Filipinos are a very resourceful people, and if you offered them the challenge of tweaking traditional Filipino dishes to suite the Western Palate a bit more, you would have hundreds of great possibilities.

    • Just wanted to add an additional comment in reply, John.

      There is a Restaurant here in Davao which is a bit of an “upscale” restaurant, which features Filipino dishes…. many of which are refined in exactly the way that I am talking about… to appeal to a more “high end” market, and to Westerners. You asked about Adobo. This restaurant has a dish that they call “Abodo” (yes, as I spelled it). It is a twist on Adobo, still tastes like Adobo, but more upscale, better presentation, and in my opinion, it does appeal more to westerners that I’ve taken there, as opposed to traditional Adobo. It’s less “liquidy” and more “saucy” with a thicker sauce, and such. No bones floating around in there, etc. This restaurant, although I had not thought of it when writing this article, is much along the lines of what I am talking about.

  39. Hey Bob,
    A bit off topic, But does Davao have a “Big Box” store like Costco or Sams Club where you can buy food in bulk?

    • Hi Hudson – There is a place called “Makro” which purports itself to be such a place. However… in truth… no, there is no such place in Davao. At least no such place that I would say is a Costco type place.

  40. With the high number of comments on this post I guess Filipino Food can draw some attention Bob ! One thing that I feel should be addressed are all of those food and beverage consumption ” advisories ” aimed at potential tourists contemplating a visit. Those lists are issued to people here by travel Doctors, and websites such as the CDC, Travel-Med websites and others. When I first read them I thought I would have to bring my own food !

    People think it’s a joke when I tell them it was Jollibee that was ” The Clincher ” in finalizing my decision to actually come and visit The Philippines but it is very true. After seeing hundreds of pics, many hours of videos, and many hours of reading about Iligan City, it was still a place in my imagination. When I saw a pic of Jollibee, Tibanga branch, Iligan I stared at that pic for about half an hour trying to imagine sitting in there looking out the window at the traffic, various new ( to me ) vehicles, the people etc. going by. The design and colors of that Jollibee branch got my attention too. In researching the past and present history of Jollibee, I knew I could trust the food there even after reading page after page of food consumption ” Advisories ” I was given here.

    After all those hours of studying Iligan City, it was when I saw that pic of Joollibee Tibanga, I was on the phone with my travel agent the following day, and that is no Joke LOL !

    You never really know what is going to attract someones attention from a distance so I think yes, not only food, but the places it is served in could attract a lot of attention if presented properly.

    After my first few days, I did start going to some local places and sampling different kinds of food. I can not remember the names of a lot of it as it was still all very new to me.

    One item I really liked although I do not know if there is a name for it or not, is when I was at the Dynasty Court Hotel in Cagayan De Oro. It is some kind of beef that is sliced and mixed with vegatables and a bit of gravy or sauce. It is served hot inside of a partially hollowed out Pineapple on a flaming plate. The beef and veggie part was excellent but what I really liked was scraping out the inside of that Pineapple ! I had never tasted Pineapple that fresh, sweet and tasty as that. After a while my friends commented ” Bob I think you have finished that Pineapple ” I just kept scraping away at it enjoying every bit of that pineapple I could get. Since that time I have enjoyed this item at least 10 times on additional visits.

    Yes, I think food can be a selling point of Tourism as well as the kind of places it is served in. Some of those food ” advisories ” however should be reviewed and made a bit more accurate than they appear on health advisory lists.

    So far, I have never had any digestive problems on my visits and in addition to Filipino Food specialties I have also had some great Burgers, Hot Dogs and Pizza in The Philippines too !

    During his recent visit to New York City I was happy to see a pic of President Noynoy while he enjoyjoy’d New York Hot Dogs from a street vendor and enjoyed some ” Only in New York ” things !

    • I would have to guess that the photo-op showing President Noynoy eating hot dogs from a New York City street vendor is probably as much a statement of denunciation of GMA and entourage’s ostentatious dinner at Le Cirque in NYC that cost the Filipino taxpayers a whooping $20,000 as his genuine craving for American-style hot dogs, don’t you think, Bob?
      🙂

      • Photo OP or not, millions and millions of tourist visitors to New York City enjoy those very same things, New York Hot Dogs, Hot Pretzels, New York Pizza and those eateries of the rich, famous and every day person, the Famous New York Deli’s . You can only do these things in New York City. Yes, maybe it was a publicity photo op but if you think about it you are viewing the promotion of tourism in two countries at once and may bring some favorable interest in tourism the Philippines. Yes, there are some great Burgers, Hot Dogs and Pizza to be enjoyed in The Philippines too !

        An additional item I liked in The Philippines was home made for me by a friend there, ” Mango Float “. When I was first told about this I thought it was some kind of drink. Better than that, it is a desert of sliced Mango, Grahm Crackers, Condensed Milk, Sugar and maybe even a few ” secret ” ingredients. I think it is first baked and then refridgerated.

        I feel there are now too many products in the USA that have replaced real sugar with High Fructose Corn Syrup which has recently come under the attack of the ” Food Police “. It was nice to enjoy some ” real ” coca cola made with sugar and packed in the more traditional ” real ” and returnable glass Bottles ! Something I have not experienced in many years. You can get more carbonation in those bottles than you can with the disposable containers we have become accustomed to here in the USA for the past few decades. The returnable bottles may come back into being fashionable in the USA as they are re-usable as well as offering a better tasting contents. I am glad I was able to enjoy ” The Real thing ” in The Philippines, brings back so many fond memories of my childhood !

        • Hey Bob, I’ll tell you something you might like. Here in Davao, we also have Mango Float, as you mentioned. However, we also have a Davao treat which is almost the same – Durian Float. Most people, even if they don’t like Durian also like Durian Float. Feyma does not care for Durian Fruit, but she likes the Durian Float!

        • Hi Bob New York ,
          In my reply to Femyas article “What’s for breakfast?” I made mentionof my aversion to high fructose corn syrup, commending her recepie for home made maple syrup.
          This high fructose corn syrup, as it seems to me, is one of the highest causes of obesity in the US. I never did like sweet stuff except for apple or cherry pie.
          I weigh 150 lbs at 5′ 8″, (Daisy would like me to be heavier, but I am comfortable as I am).
          The sugar based maple syrup sounds excellent as the commercial pancake syrup is corn based, and nothing else is available anymore, except for real maple syrup at a high price.
          I won’t go further, as this subject deserves its own blog.
          Jade

          • The High Fructose Corn Syrup is supposed to be lest costly to manufaacture food than sugar which carries a high import tax here. More money for the CEO and stockholders, peoples health comes secondary. It is really a shame and yes, that could be what is adding to the overweight problems here. When I was younger and real sugar was used I don’t think we had so much of a problem.

          • Maybe more of them should, they may not know what they are missing ! I will always feel that Noynoy had an enjoyable time doing that. Who knows maybe someone will start a chain of ” Nathans Famous ” in Manila that will spread throughout the country !

            When I visit The Philippines I look forward to having Hot Dogs at Jollibee. Here I can usually put away 3 hot dogs with mustard and relish from a street or roadside vendor. When I was on the road all the time I used to love those places. In The Philippines I seem to feel full after having just 2 Jolli Hot Dogs. Must be the cheese they put on them LOL.

            There are a lot of unique food items that may be an ” Only In The Philippines ” kind of thing and a little at a time I am discovering and trying them. I also enjoy things that are familiar to me like burgers, hot dogs, pizza etc. just to compare ours and theirs. It is not a matter of one being better than the other, it is to see if there is a difference and then find why the difference.

            • You don’t have to go to NYC to enjoy good, old-fashion American hot dogs, Bob. You can go to any 7-11 and garnish your own hot dog with lots of onions, relish, mustard and ketchup. If you like, you can put hot chili topping on it as well at no extra cost. When I’m real hungry, I can put away not 3 but 4 or 5 of those in 5 minutes, I kid you not. Speaking of NYC food vendors, a couple of favorite are the falafel sandwich and gyro platter. For me, one of the joys of visiting Manhattan is having a falafel sandwich or gyro platter at an outdoor table in front of Macy’s on a beautiful evening while watching the world go by.

              • Ha ha… my whole theme in this article was about the possibility of refining Filipino foods to meet a little higher standard…. now, since we are moving into 7-11 Hot Dog discussion, I guess we need to talk about refining American food! 😯 ha ha

      • That Beef Pineapple dinner has been enough to keep me comming back to Dynasty Court in Cagayan De Oro. I like to be near the Airport a day or two before my departure and I have found Dynasty Court Hotel to my liking. A few hours after a great dinner at Dynasty, it’s just a short walk to Jollibee, Divisoria for a late night Burger and a JolliSwirl ( soft serve ice cream ) Sundae. And just think, those food precautions said to avoid dairy products in The Philippines !

        Durian Float ? Well, thats something to cinsider in the future. For my next visit I am going to try Jack Fruit. I’ll try and have some ” first Taste ” pics taken.

        • Jackfruit vs Durian… Well, Daisy and I both like jackfruit…,and I have eaten both… Funny thing ,… I can’t remember the taste of jackfruit, but I certainlly remember the teaste of durian. I like them all.
          Jsde

        • You have convinced me… next time I am in CdO I am going to try that Pineapple Beef dish! I’ll go to Dynasty Court and tell them I was the “Bob NY Pineapple Beef” and see what they say.

      • Speaking of exotic, have you tried the Dragon Juice, from the Dragon fruit? I don’t know why it’s called the Dragon fruit, but it’s a red fruit which looks like it’s a flower, not a fruit. Next time, you’re in CDO, drop by the Annabel’s Restaurant inside Xavier Estates.

        • Hi Abraham – I have never had Dragon Fruit Juice, but I have eaten Dragon Fruit many times, and I love it. Dragon Fruit is readily available in Davao, it is grown up at Eden in the mountains here in the City. Actually, IMHO, Golden Dragon Fruit is much tastier than the Red Dragon Fruit that you mentioned, although both are good.

  41. Hi Bob, one measure I used to determine if a certain Chinese restaurant is serving good food is if there’s a lot of Chinese or Asian patronizing the place. It almost always guaranteed the food is good.

      • Hi Bob, Mars Z, Jose Reyes and Jade,

        I think Bob is now leaning towards the argument that authenticity is paramount as we food purists want.

        I went to Cafe Iberico in Chicago couple of months back and ordered Jamon Serrano with Manchego cheese. The cheese may have been Manchego but the ham was not Serrano. It was prosciutto. The manager politely took the cost of the tapa from the bill. Funny, Jamon Iberico is not even in the menu.

        Anyway my best sikwati and suman was in Bankerohan (Davao).

        My best sotanghon chicken soup (with soy sauce) was in Cogon (Cagayan de Oro).

        My best Lechon Baboy (with puso and fully ripened mango) was in Carbon (Cebu).

        By best smoked mackerel (tinap-ang mangko) was in Baybay pier market (Leyte).

        Those places are all wet markets (tabu-an/mercado/palengke).

        I can symphatise on Bob’s point to make those places more appealing to the western palate, eyes and nose. Afterall, I really enjoy Barcelona’s La Boqueria, Seattle’s Pike Place, Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal…

        But, it will not be the same…especially the smell..and oh the smell…. of a Philippine wet market.

        Cheers.

          • Hi Bob,

            I lit a light bulb. It will be big project for you.

            Just remember, when you ” kindolized ” that (your) e-book…, who lit the bulb.

            I will need my royalty….usa ka tasang sikwati ug duha ka suman… will do.

        • No way, Jose. LOL. I think you mean, JOHN Reyes, Dr. Long. Will get back to this thread. Right now, we’ve got to go watch one of my grandson’s football game here in Frederick, MD. My other grandson played yesterday and scored TWO touchdowns to beat the other team. They’re 8 and 9 years old, respectively…

          • Hi John,

            Yes it’s you. I’m sorry, the” purist” in me instinctively wrote Jose in front of Reyes.

            Just kidding…enjoy the game.

            • No problem, Dr. Long. I get confused with Jose Reyes a lot, and you’re right, John and Reyes do not exactly fit in – from a “purist’s” point of view, that is. Likewise, based on your previous postings, I have a problem understanding how a person with your name knows so much about Philippine culture and speaks one of its languages to boot.

              My grandson’s team lost the game, but it’s a learning process for them.

              Regards.

        • Bravo Dr Sponk Long! Few more weeks & I will grace old wet market favorites. It’s one of those things that’s for the purest of pinoy to appreciate.

    • Hi Jim – I have pretty much always worked weekends… but I am doing something I enjoy, so it’s not really work for the most part. But, the amount of time I spend on the weekends varies, depending on what I feel like doing, and also if I am busy doing other things.

      A new record for comments indeed. Just a couple of weeks ago, Roselyn set a new record with like 270 comments or so on her post about Great Expectations. Now, this post beat that one with over 300 comments so far! Wow, it shocked me, because I really did not think it would get anywhere near this many comments. Ha ha.. we have an active group of participants on the site these days, it seems!

  44. Fantastic post Bob and thanks for the link Bingkee. I have been in contact with the Department of Tourism regarding this and hopefully something good will come out of our coordination regarding pushing Philippine Tourism through food.

    They actually had a promotion about this before called Kulinarya Trips but I don’t know if it worked well or not.

    On your discussion about Filipino food, I want to share this link to you about what Filipino food is:

    http://www.myfilipinokitchen.com/what-is-filipino-food/

    I feel sorry for some of your food experiences actually. And how I wish I could cook for you guys to let you taste and attest that Filipino food is not bland at all; if you’ve noticed we mostly cook our food by starting with a saute of garlic, onions and tomatoes which is a burst of flavors right away.

    Bob, I think this site needs a food writer (and I raise my hand to that). Shameless yes, but I want to share to you wonderful people and to those who want to live in the Philippines -that OUR food can become the main reason why people want to live in the PI.

    Two thumbs up for this site.

    • Hello ziggy – Thank you for stopping by and commenting! I appreciate your input!

      One of the problems with the DoT, with things like the Kulinarya Trip is that they do it, but they don’t give it enough time to take off. And, they don’t promote it well either. There are so many things they can do to better promote tourism in the Country!

      Hey, I am open to having a food writer here on LiP! If you are serious about it (I did see your hand raised, after all) please let me know, and let’s get going! I would be happy to have you as a regular contributor hereon LiP!

      Thank you again, ziggy! It’s my pleasure to meet you!

  45. Bob,
    I hope this is OK to post.
    For all of you foodies out there there is a web blogger called Marketman or ‘Market Manila’ .
    He is the representative chosen to be the host of Anthony Bourdain’s segment on Lechon Baboy in Cebu a year and a half ago. His blog covers many excellent Philippine dishes. I read his blog regularly. He is very discreet, not showing his picture (usually) or his real name, ever.
    A real good read!
    Jade

    • No problem on your posting, Jade. I have talked about Marketman many times here on LiP over the past years, and I have been a regular reader of his. Unfortunately, about a month ago, he packed it in and quit blogging, although he seems to be having trouble quitting cold turkey, because he still comes back and posts from time to tim now.

      • Bob,
        Yeah, I noticed that too. Hope his withdrawal reluctance continues for a long, long time!
        Jade

      • Bob,
        I thought I had discovered his blog on my own. I have over the past 9 months, since I discovered your website, have read all of your posts and probably nearly all of the comments. I just don’t remember. Ha Ha.
        Jade

        • Hi Jade – You may have found MM on your own, or seen us talk about him here…. he has gotten discussion here before – both good and bad! I like MM, though… he does go off on rants from time to time, though! Sometimes they are hilarious!

    • Jim,
      Thanks for the link.
      I did a little further research on ‘squab’ and found that it is a healthier meat than chicken.
      The name squab traces back to scandinavian origin; re: wikipedia (probably of Scandinavian descent; skvabb, meaning “loose, fat flesh”) hmm… sounds like describing americans…
      Dark meat and doesn’t taste ‘just like …….’.
      Learning something new every day.
      Jade

      Forget the cat, I’m looking for pigeons!

  47. Hi Bob,
    I read a while back that the Italian diet is the most healthiest in the world.
    Must be all that pasta,olive oil,fish,red wine,garlic,herbs and veggies.
    regards,Chas.

    • I thought it was the Japanese that has the healthiest diet, Chas. They have the lowest incidence of heart attack and stroke, because of their natural proclivity to eating a lot of seafood and sea weeds, I believe. This is why I am into sardines – for health reasons.

      Regards.

  48. Hi Bob,

    Lumpia. Worth dying for. Here’s an e-mail I got the other day that I want to share to you all.
    A TOUCHING LUMPIA STORY….

    This is for all the Filipinos out there, and those who are lucky enough to have Filipino friends, those who have Filipino spouses and those who have Filipino next door neighbors. The story goes like this:

    The elderly Foreigner lay dying in his bed. While suffering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite food, Filipino Lumpia.

    Gathering his remaining strength, he lifted himself from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort, steadying himself against the walls with both hands he inched his way to the kitchen. With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame and gazed into the kitchen. Were it not for death’s agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven. For there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favorite food, LUMPIA.

    Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted Filipino wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man? Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself towards the table, landing on his knees in a crumpled posture. Painfully, he reached up with his right hand and weakly groped on the table surface until he felt the oily warmth of one of his rolled favorite dish. His arthritic fingers wrapped around one, gingerly picked it up and brought it down. His parched lips slowly parted and as he slowly brought to his mouth, the wondrous taste of that lumpia already overwhelmed him, seemingly bringing him back to life. The aged and withered hand trembled on the lumpia, when he was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife.

    “Git out of hir!” she shouted. “dis are por your puneral!”

  49. Hi Bob,

    New reader here (I know this post is somewhat dated). I am currently living in Singapore and will be moving to Metro Manila so am trying to find out all the informaiton I can find on living in the PI.

    A couple of comments I would make on Philippino food.

    1) the first time I visited Manila was for a project. The PI team took me out to dinner 3 times. Twice two Chinese restaurants (which I had to say was poor quality). Finally, I asked to try some Philippino food and they took me to a place called Dads, a buffet Japanese/Philippino style. I thought it was rather poor quality. So given my colleagues (who are rather high paid) took me to 2 Chinese and 1 bad buffet rest, I gathered that PI food wasnt anything to write home about.

    2) as I live in Singapore, it is pretty much considered a foodie paradise. Many people from around the globe travel here thanks to Anthony Bourdain, Bobby Chin, etc. Its always a stop on the celebrity chef tour. SG has a lot of OFW (maids). Lucky Plaza on mainstreet Orchard caiters to them. On any given Sunday, its like being in Manila. But the food places in LP are bad. So if Phil restaurants cannot get it right in Singapore, which is close to home, how can they be expected to get it right in the US? Maybe I just havent found the right place, but the only Pinoy food I like is barbecue, but its really not all that different from other BBQ places.

    I would think the Phil tourism board would look to place a good restaurant and toursit outlet in Lucky Plaza in SG. People coming to SE Asia from the states and Europe are bound to stop over in SG and it would be very convenient for them to visit PI. I know most always target Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, but no PI.

    Anway, thats just my 2 cents. Will hope to learn more as I read through the posts.

    Regards,
    Don

    • Hi Don – Happy to have you aboard! Great that you found my site!

      Frankly, I would tend to agree with your assessment that Filipino food is probably not really something to write home about. I hope that can change with time, though.They do have some excellent BBQ here, though! 😉