Blogger: Maica Petrache

There are a lot of fishball stands in the streets with their karitons or in the malls. But there is this known fishball stand that has been there for years already. What I’m talking about is a fishball stand located at Shopping Center, UP Diliman, Quezon City. Me and my friends have always craved for the food here. Whenever we feel like eating but even just a snack or just light food, we think of it and our feet just brings us there. We don’t worry much about budget because it’s really cheap but it will still get you through the hunger you’re feeling. It always does with meJ

Reaching the fishball stand and then seeing and smelling the cooking fishballs, I just crave for more. Good thing that they don’t just offer fishball but also kikiam, squidball, kwek-kwek, hotdog and all the other tusok tusok foods. With just the same price or even cheaper than those in malls, you get to enjoy the real tusok tusok street food. But my favorite would be the fishball. For only P10 you get 15 pcs of fishball already. So for just P10, I get to feed my craving tummy already. There are sauces to choose from that would add up to the taste. However, I usually crave for more. I choose between kikiam and kwek-kwek which are both P12 for 4 pcs. Both are delicious but I prefer kwek-kwek than kikiam. If still not satisfied, I could still add up a little more to oversatisfy my cravenness. I am able to eat a variety of food for just a cheap price.

For you guys out there who are craving for the real street food, try this out and satisfy your stomach and cravenness.

Location: Rey’s Eatery, Marikina Public Market, Marikina City

Blogger: Mikey Panopio

During an exposure project called JEEP for my philosophy subject, I had the privilege to work in a small but homey place called Rey’s Eatery. Owned by my boss(during the exposure) Mang Rey, the eatery was dedicated to meals fit for the student budget and the thrifty savers.

Viands of different Filipino foods were readily available every day, with a variety of dishes ranging from sisig to bola-bola to mami. Every easy fix of Filipino dish actually. Whether it be goto for tatay, a regular customer, or the 20 peso student rice meals for students, or even a 25 peso spaghetti plus halo-halo meal, Mang Rey has it all and at a more than reasonable price.

This very simple yet timely eatery seems to stand out in the dark,secluded Marikina Public Market. I predict it will be there now and for times to come but why wait? If you are anywhere in the vicinity of marikina and looking for a quick fix, visit Mang Rey and I doubt you’ll regret it.

Blogger: Maica Petrache

Being stuck with the food served in the cafeteria and I start considering eating outside. However, offered only with restaurants that would daily eat up the contents of your wallet, I started to find and look for other affordable yet tasty food for my hungry stomach. Remembering that since before, a lot of my UP friends are already inviting me to try and eat at Rodic’s. Rodic’s is just a small restaurant which was very famous among the UP students and later also to students outside campus. It doesn’t just cater to students but also to anyone who just lives nearby. There are even other people who really go out of their way and prefer to eat at Rodic’s. It’s first branch and the branch that made it famous is located in Shopping Center inside the campus of UP Diliman, Quezon City, which is still now open to all customers who like to eat tasty and at the same time affordable food. Since there a lot of people who already know about this small resto and many have also liked the food, Rodic’s is now serving in Ateneo caf and in Makati.

But what is Rodic’s famous of. Through the years, customers just can’t resist their tapsilog. They also have a lot of other dishes to offer but the tapsilog is the bestseller. To name a few, they have other breakfast dishes like tocilog, longsilog and usual food like sinigang, beefsteak. So to see and believe for myself, I tried their tapsilog. To see, taste and believe for myself their top tapsilog, one lunch time I tried eating at the original in Shopping Center, UP Diliman.

Upong arriving at Rodic’s, it’s popularity would be proven at once by the number of people eating and even taking out food. Even though it’s just a small space a lot of people still opt to eat and that includes me. Looking at the menu, I figured that the average price of the meals is 60Php. I thought that’s affordable. Adding up a little more for drink would complete my lunch already. First spoon of tapsilog, then another, then another and I just uttered, “hmmmmm.. pwede! Top tapsilog!”. It’s really tasty and a price my wallet can afford! Good thing I knew about this and tried it. Now there’s an addition to my list of places to eat. There’s still a lot in the menu, which I can try but I’ll never forget to eat tapsilog every once in a while.

Blogger: Bryan Dy

On a hot Tuesday afternoon, one might not be in the mood to eat. But when you go to Elvies Canteen, you might just think twice.

Elvies Canteen is a small air-conditioned canteen located in the University of the Philippines campus. Most UP students boast of the good food that is sold in this canteen. Their specialty varies on a day-to-day basis. Some of the selections, which the canteen is known for, is their liempo and sisig. The food they serve is considered “lutong bahay” or in English, home cooked meals.

I personally went there one afternoon to see what its all about. I ordered the Sisig meal which consisted of some sisig and rice. I also ordered a bottle of Mountain Dew to go with my meal. The meal cost all in all just 60 pesos. This is a cheap meal, which is sure to give your taste buds a treat. The sisig meal was really great. I would definitely go there again to taste the liempo next time.

Location: Luyong Restaurant, 23 Estaban Abada Street, Loyola Heights Condominium, QC

Blogger: Jaru hermano

Are you a dormer? A student? An innocent by stander? Or perhaps a hungry soul plainly looking for two things in life: Cheap Food and lots of food!

Along the busy streets of katipunan avenue thrives numerous quick service restaurants. However, we always strive look for good and cheap food that is definitely worth your while to visit and devour. Undoubtedly “Luyong Restaurant” falls under this category. Their branch is located street known to be behind katipunan avenue that is Esteban Abada. Just past the corner of the streets one could smell the delectable dishes their simple yet neat place offers.

Luyong restaurant offers a variety of noodles, soup, fish, fried dishes and rice toppings. Among these they also serve special dishes and set meals that would definitely make your mouth water not only from flavor but also because all their dishes have been recently cooked.

Being pesce-vegetarian, I decided to order the set meal seven which consisted of Assorted Vegetables, Sweet and sour Fish Fillet, and a cup of plain rice. Why my fiend, I mean friend, who graciously came with me with the offer of a free meal on my account got set meal three that included a bowl of pancit canton, lechon kawali, and an accompanying cup of plain rice.

Service was absolutely slow. Yet the open kitchen door reeks of the aroma of fresh food being cooked, the sound of undeniably fresh filipino cuisine being fried was enough to get our mouths watering like the pagsanhan falls.

After a few minutes or so the food came. Lo and behold! As the waiter came in not with one plate, not even two. In fact, his sturdy arms were shaking away from the weight of six bowls of pure, unadulterated FOOD. We started to devour the feast set before us and after thirty minutes or so we were unbuttoning our pants for more food space.

When all food was lost and as we sat there patting our stomachs contentedly, we decided to call for the bill. It was my turn to shake on my seat as the waiter handed on the cost of our beastly feast. I almost cried with delight and an over flow of mixed emotions when I learned that our food trip costs only 215 pesos. My, oh my! This was definitely worth every penny.

I can’t wait for the next time I would be setting my foot upon this place!

Location: B. Gonzales, Loyola Heights, QC (beside Xocolat)

Blogger: Eero Regino

Next to the higher-end restaurant Xocolat near the vicinity of Katipunan lies a very humble apartment complex which houses one of the best grillers in the area. With no name and no sign board, a little barbeque stand opens at around 4pm in the afternoon and serves the best barbeque, isaw, tenga and hotdog in town.

Kuya Jun is the name of the cook/griller. With his secret sauce that he smothers around the food, he cooks everything within a reasonable amount of time without compromising the taste of the savory delicacies. His menu ranges from the all popular barbeque, to hotdogs, to chicken and pig isaw (intestines), to the unusually tasting dugo and tenga. According to kuya Jun, his best sellers are the isaw, barbeque and the tenga. Although the hotdog and the dugo are not that popular with the buyers, the taste they give off is still magical.

Some might say, what might happen to the cleanliness of the food? Don’t let the place fool you, although the place might seem a bit dirty, the cleanliness of the food is not compromised. Before serving his food, kuya Jun and his family makes sure that all are well cleaned and good even for the most sensitive stomachs. Besides all the off-the-grill food though, you could opt to order rice meals, including pork chop and liempo. The griller/mini carinderia caters to everybody, big or small, high class or low class, kuya Jun makes sure that the food is definitely to die for, in a good way of course.

If you’re worrying about price, forget it. If you have around fifty pesos in your pocket, you’re all set. Kuya Jun’s place also offers softdrinks, juices and the famous Cobra energy drink. The humble stall that Kuya Jun put up offers good clean food, with a very reasonable price. It’s a really nice place to visit if you’re really hungry or just looking for a snack.

Location: Macky’s Eatery, 290, JP Rizal St, Sta Elena, Marikina City

Blogger: JV Tan

Macky’s eatery is a small restaurant famous in Marikina for its delicious “goto” (a.k.a. lugaw). Some say it is the best “goto” they have ever tasted.

Being from Marikina, I grew up eating “goto” from Macky’s and I have to say that I haven’t tasted anything that comes close to it. Macky’s set the bar high for other cookers of “goto”. Macky’s “goto” really is the best. You have to taste it to believe it.

Being of great quality, Macky’s “goto” is priced significantly higher than its competitors. One bowl of “goto” from Macky’s is priced at P 22; other “gotohans” only price them at P 15. However, most of the establishments who sell cheap “goto” often do not have slices of beef in them. Macky’s, on the other hand, puts beef slices and “dugo” (coagulated blood) in their “goto”, making them even more mouth-watering.

Macky’s “goto” has the perfect blend of spices that make you want to have more of it. This is why Macky’s significantly higher price is really worth it. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’d give Macky’s a 6. Trust me it is the best “goto” you will ever taste in your life.