VISIT THE PHILIPPINES
Where and what to eat
Lovers of no-waste and noseto-tail eating are sure to find heaven here
Surrounded by the tropical Pacific, the Philippine islands form part of the Malay archipelago stepping stones from Southeast Asia to Australia. The bulk of residents – around 104 million people – inhabit just 11 out of 7,000-plus islands. Increasingly, its buzzing urban areas are attracting gastronomic pilgrimage, and the varied eating places in Manila celebrate the 19 regions you’d be hard-pressed to taste in just one trip.
Often referred to as the original fusion cuisine, Filipino food and drink embraces its cultural heritage as warmly as Filipinos welcome new friends. The vestiges of the Spanish Empire (including Mexico and Portugal) exhibit strong influence on native Austronesian dishes, with Chinese, Japanese, American and French culinary presences felt, too. This translates to reassuringly familiar dishes, like slow-cooked stews and Asian favourites, with flavours and textures from the local produce. Hosts often ask, ‘Ano yung lasa?’ (‘Does it taste good?’ in Tagalog.) ‘Lasa’ means taste, but also conveys the concept of flavours in balance – umami, bitter, salty, sour, sweet, hot. So, the question more accurately means, ‘Does it taste good to you?’ Filipinos take no offence if you add salt or spice, knowing that balance is specific to individuals. Consequently, condiments and dipping sauces are myriad to suit your personal preferences. You’ll recognise some of the emerging food trends, but with a uniquely Filipino touch. Lovers of no-waste and nose-to-tail eating are sure to find heaven here, and the respect for seasonality underpins a love of fermentation and preserving, which sees produce conserved for use as flavourful ingredients out of season. Home-cooked dishes are given the restaurant treatment, but with reverence for heritage; and because few dishes are reliant on dairy or gluten, menus support healthconscious diners.
Sharing food and drink (especially al fresco) with friends and family is a credo of eating, extending past sharing plates to the ‘boodle fight’, where rice or noodles generously adorned with savoury delicacies are served on banana leaves on long tables, for eating in the ‘kamayan’ tradition (with your hands).
If you prefer to eat with cutlery, however, mainstream Southeast Asian chopsticks are often eschewed in favour of forks and spoons.