For people living in Metro Manila, the city of Manila isn’t always top of the mind when you want to go on a food trip, especially with neighboring cities like Bonifacio Global City and Makati City which has restaurants and cafes left and right. But if you want to fall in love with Manila’s old school charm all over again, there’s no one better to ask than the mayor of Manila himself, Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso or also referred to as “Yorme”.
In an interview with Summit Media journalists, he shared his food recommendations with Yummy.ph. Check out his list of food spots, which you can only find in Manila:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMZ0XCkhhbm/1 Ugbo, Tondo
Yorme’s first recommendation is none other than the popular tumbongan in Ugbo Street in Tondo. Tumbong is a soup dish made by combining marinated and boiled pork intestines, onion leeks, and fried garlic. He says you should also go there for the dila ng baboy (pig tongue), lechon, and kamto (beef soup).
At the end of Ugbo street, you can find old-school halo-halo, too. According to Yorme, you can find it there every day. “365 days in a year. Umulan o bumagyo, may halo-halo.”
2 Grand Cafe 1919
Yorme says, “If gusto niyo naman ng medyo chill-chill, naka-air condition, at may ambiance, go to [Grand Cafe] 1919.” Grand Cafe 1919 was formerly the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) building but was revived as a cafe and retained the bank’s original facade. Inside you can find photos of old Manila lining its walls.Â
What to try when you’re in Grand Cafe 1919? Besides the mouthwatering desserts, you should treat yourself to their signature 4 Cheese Pizza. The cafe has its own dough recipe, baked to a soft crust, topped with cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan, and cream cheese cubes.
Grand Cafe 1919 is located at Juan Luna Sreet, Binondo, Manila.
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3 Binondo
If you’re serious about your Manila food trip, nothing beats going to Binondo and stuffing yourself with Chinese food. Yorme says, “Kung gusto niyo ng hopia—lahat ng uri ng hopia [nandoon].”
He also recommends The Great Buddha Cafe found inside the relatively new Eng Bee Tin building. Yorme specifically mentioned the dishes that have the tender tendon in them, even jokingly saying it is a “pampaliwanag ng bahay” (a.k.a. heart-attack-inducing dishes).
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