Food

So when I arrived here I had no idea about the food. I must point out that I've never become sick on Filipino food. I thought I would have since its a different culture but the food here is really good. People take pride here in preparing food since "food is life". There are many ways to eat in the Philippines.

Street food is cheaper and quite delicious. If you're not aware of the traditional food then a street vendor is great place to try Filipino food. There isn't any weird food here when compared to Western culture. Sure there's the occasional blood sausage or chicken intestine but those are rare. I should point out tho that they are quite delicious and good for you regarding iron and other nutrients. They are just different.

Rotisserie chicken and pork belly Lechon are quite common and delicious. I watch what I eat to stay fit since my Pinay girlfriend is younger and wants both of us to be in "sexy shape" so I stay away from saturated fats like Lechon. People love it here tho. Another thing is every meal here is served with white rice. I actually prefer "corn rice" or corn meal which is called Bigas Mais. It's a cheaper priced and better food alternative then white rice. It has a lower glycemic index and it's interesting to compare to rice if you wish to do so. It's a smarter food choice then white rice and cheaper. Rice here can also be bought in red, black and other alternative variations.

Fast foods like Jollybee chicken, McDonalds and Inasal Chicken are quite delicious and my girlfriend prefers Inasal Chicken for its unlimited soup and white rice. The staff walks around with a bucket and a rice scooper of white rice to give you more rice as you request it. Inasal chicken is prepared with calamansi (green lime), pepper, coconut vinegar and annatto (red nutmeg flavor spice). The chicken is cooked over hot coals. Its delicious and more expensive then street food but you'll have a place to sit with air conditioning.If you like spicy food then you can get hot sauce or red chili peppers (Labuyo) to add to your soy sauce.I eat hot peppers to kill any bad stuff in me and they are good for you. Especially men.

Malls are huge and frequent. There are many nice places to eat in all of the malls. Prices will be more expensive and malls vary in size and shape.

Food markets in the evening can be found. You need to know where they are tho. Live outdoor music is there and usually over 15-20 businesses to chose from for food and drinks. Choose a Boodle when dining with a large group of people. A boodle is a very large collection of food that is served on banana leaves. It comes with white rice and usually fish, shrimp, squid, clams, eggplant, duck eggs, lato (seaweed) and mango slices. There are variations tho. It's delicious and surprisingly inexpensive.

Nice expensive restaurants aren't really a thing in the Philippines. Sure, they are here but not like in the states. I just took my friends, 6 of us, to a Japanese BBQ. You cook your food over a grill and it has an exhaust fan above the food. It's a nice relaxed sit down dinner place. It's all you can eat for $8.50 US each. One of your friends becomes your chief but anyone at the table can get involved. Great food! Beef, chicken, pork belly (very popular and great after the fats cooked off), vegetables,condiments, salad and cucumber/various cold teas. The cost for the 6 of us was $60 US. In America, the cost would have been at least $120 US. My friends had never experienced such a meal and I humbly enjoy making a difference in peoples lives in the Philippines. Filipino people are very gracious and humble when dining with.

Merkado's (Mercado's- market) are the cheapest place to buy food and the local place to buy most of your food supplies including vegetables, fruits, raw and cooked chicken. You will see interesting things there but nothing bizarre or shocking. The dried fish portion of the market is quite shocking. So many variations of fish. You can also buy new shoes there for US$2. Any size, shape and color of shoe is avail. Really nice shoes! I'm picky and I liked most of the shoes. I just paid $40US in a nearby mall and I'm still upset I didn't buy shoes at the Merkado! I didn't know tho. Phone accessories. Just about everything is there regarding most products. The people there are very kind and the prices are the lowest you'll find when compared to a supermarket or street Sari Sari (small local shop). The quality is very high as well at the Merkados. Groceries stores accept credit cards while the Merkado is only strictly cash. Most of the Philippines is strictly cash or gcash. One of the things I teach my Clients is how to navigate throughout the Philippines with money. It can be a bit confusing and very frustrating.I make it easy for myself now. The problem is the Philippines generally doesn't like credit cards.

When you have a date then you can go to any of these places. If you continue dating the same person then she will end up taking you to all of these places. Having a girlfriend in the Philippines is beneficial because she can explain the various ways the Philippines operates in all aspects from their food to their cultural standards.