I don’t often dedicate posts to travel – while I consider myself very adept at flying and figuring out different routes, itineraries, and comparing cabin products, I don’t have nearly the same know-how when it comes to visiting cities. However, I figured I’d keep this quick journal in to chat about the time that my dad and I spent in Manila, Philippines.
For context, I booked myself a day trip to Manila – I was excited to check out Manila, though mainly wanted to review Cebu Pacific’s A330neo and my “home” low-cost carrier, HK Express. My dad also joined me, flying Cathay Pacific out to meet me, and we flew back on the same flight. We originally had scheduled to spend around 7-8 hours in Manila, though I was hit by a 1.5h delay, and immigration took a while (which I had planned for – Manila Airport is not known for being efficient).
While I only managed to spend 4.5 hours in Manila this time round (given I left immigration at around 2:30 PM, and we needed to be back at the airport by around 7 PM), this was five more hours than I’ve spent in the city in past, since last time I visited we immediately boarded a bus to a different part of the country. My dad and I are big foodies, and get to know a city by its flavours more than its sights (though I’m currently trying to get more into the country’s people and culture, and the history that has led to a city reaching its current point). So naturally, we decided to eat our way around the city, and walked between eats as much as we could to try and get to know the place more.
I had so much fun during my 4.5 hours in Manila, and I can’t be back to explore more of the country. I feel like while most southeast Asian countries share some similarities amidst their unique traits, the Philippines has comparatively less crossover than its southeast Asian counterparts, partially because of its location on an archipelago separated from everywhere else. That made for some fascinating facts, and I can’t wait to be back.
The growth of Manila is interesting
One of the most fascinating things about Manila is that it wasn’t actually meant to be a city – it’s 17 unique municipalities that have overgrown into each other. It was quite interesting to walk around the city’s CBD in Makati, and be in a completely different-seeming area after a 15-minute walk.
Makati, Manila
Despite the fact that driving can be quite “spicy” here (people seem to drive on all sides of the road), I still found the city to be relatively walkable, and locals were always very friendly.
Manila has a unique feel compared to Asian cities (though is similar in others)
In some ways, Manila shares a lot of similarities to a lot of southeast Asian cities. I think that Bangkok came to mind the most when I was exploring the more modern CBD, with a sparser but developing metro system.
Yours truly in Manila’s CBD
However, I’ve heard reports from others that the city has a very Latin American vibe. I’ve never been to Latin America, and would definitely want to visit someday. However, I definitely could see Hispanic influence in some of the architecture/graffiti, transportation, etc..
Buses in Manila
Apart from Latin America, I also found that there was more U.S. influence – there were more meat imports from the U.S., cars were more likely from the U.S. than from Europe or even other parts of Asia, etc..
The Philippines is a foodie’s paradise!
Although Filipino food retains a Southeast Asian foundation, its cuisine has evolved in greater isolation, making it more distinct from its regional neighbors. Countries like Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Myanmar each have interconnected culinary traditions, but due to the geographic divide of the South China Sea, the Philippines has seen less cross-pollination of household dishes with the mainland. The flavours are as strong as in neighbouring countries, though lean away from fresh herbs and chilli (presumably since both don’t grow as abundantly in the Philippines), are mainly sweet, sour, salty, fatty, and extremely meaty.
The friendly flight attendant on Cebu Pacific recommended Sarsa Kitchen and Bar in Makati, so we went there. Over a couple of beers, my dad and I had sisig (chopped pork with liver paste), as well as some isaw (grilled pork intestines), which was absolutely delicious.
Sisig and Isaw in Sarsa Kitchen and Bar
We then decided to venture to A. Venue Outdoor Market, an outdoor market in the Makati area. I decided to have more barbecued meats, and also had a calamansi juice.
Isaw and other barbecue in A. Venue Outdoor Market
We then went to the Milky Way Cafe, which my friend had recommended, and had some sinigang and another pork ribs stew dish that I can’t quite remember. The sinigang was flavourful, though more sour than similar soups I’ve had in other countries, and the ribs were tasty as well.
Pork ribs stew and sinigang
I couldn’t not have a delicious halo-halo while I was in the Philippines either!
Halo-Halo at Milky Way Cafe
Conclusion
I had a few hours in Manila with my dad, and as foodies, we had a lot to learn and eat. Through our limited adventures, I got to know a little bit about Manila and how the culture differs slightly from that of mainland southeast Asia, and I can’t wait to be back to learn more.
Have you been to Manila before? What are your impressions?
Hi Alvin, If one only has a few hours layover in Manila, you can actually walk 10 minutes to many authentic Filipino restaurants from Terminal 3 (Cebu Pacific, ANA, United and many others). Take the Runway Manila pedestrian overpass towards Belmont Hotel, head northwest on Newport Blvd a few minutes and you will see many restaurants on the right side. Glad you found Halo Halo.
My dad actually did this while waiting for me! We would’ve done it if it was legitimately just a layover, though I wanted to see how much of the city we could explore.