A Guide to Filipino Street Foods

Foodie enthusiasts might not think of the Philippines and its capital Manila as a top street food destination. However, visitors can find a variety of delicious treats both sweet and savoury in the markets and eateries in the city.

If you are looking to explore more Asian cuisines and try making them at home, take a look at our guide to Filipino street food.

Fish Balls

A lot of Filipino food is on skewers, which includes fish balls. Ground fish meat, combined with some fillers, is shaped into flat balls and placed on a skewer which are then fried to a perfect crispiness.

Once fried, they are dipped in a sauce, either sweet, spicy or chilli vinegar, which compliments the fish. Varieties of fish balls include squid balls, using squid meat instead of fish.

Isaw

Isaw is a chicken intestine that is cleaned, coiled onto a skewer and grilled. It is a very popular dish for Filipinos and can be accompanied by rice and some beer. The chewy, fatty texture may not appeal to some, but the flavour is delicious.

In addition to the meat, isaw vendors like to add their own vinegar mix. These sauces include garlic, onion, chilli, brown sugar, lime and soy sauce which helps balance the rich flavour.

Betamax

Betamax is not for everyone; it is grilled coagulated pork or chicken blood.

It may not sound appealing when described as such, but then it does not have an overly strong taste, and there are sauces to add for a different taste. It is similar to the British delicacy black pudding.

Kwek-Kwek

Kwek-Kwek is a delicious but simple snack. An egg, either chicken, duck or quail, is thickly battered with a mixture of flour and egg. Orange food colouring is added, giving the dish its trademark look.

The eggs are then deep-fried until the batter is crunchy, which goes well with the soft interior of the egg. Chilli or sweet vinegar is used as a condiment.

Helmet and Adidas

Little food goes to waste in Philippine cuisine; helmet is grilled chicken head, and adidas is grilled chicken feet.

Helmet is a regular on the street food scene as the head contains tasty fatty parts, which some people enjoy. In addition to adidas, there is also atay, which is grilled chicken liver and balunbalunan which is chicken gizzard. Much of the flavour comes from the sauce brushed onto the meat.

Mami

Mami is wanton or beef noodle soup and sold by vendors serving from a boiling hot cauldron, often bought to eat as a filling breakfast. The hearty dish is great for rainy days and could be considered comfort food.

Fresh egg noodles are mixed with beef or chicken meat, and condiment options include lime, soy sauce, fish sauce and black pepper.

Taho

Moving onto the sweeter street foods, taho is a combination of silken tofu, brown sugar syrup and sago (tapioca) pearls.

It is often eaten warm in the morning, making it a tasty sweet treat to wake up to.

Turon

Bananas are everywhere in the tropical Philippines and turon is a Filipino favourite. Slices of banana are wrapped with egg rolls and fried until crispy. They are then tossed with caramelised sugar syrup and sprinkled with sesame seed.

Variations add jackfruit that enhances the sweet taste of the dessert.

Halo-Halo

Halo-halo translates to mix-mix, which is the perfect description for this street food. It combines, tapioca, shaved ice, evaporated milk, sweet beans, coconut shavings, jelly, and various fruits.

Vendors serve it in a glass or bowl, and every bite combines sweet and milky flavours, and the shaved ice makes it an ideal treat for hot days.

Would you want to try some of these dishes yourself? You can find several of the ingredients you need in our online oriental supermarket, and our blog has guides, tips and recipes that will inspire you to make some tantalising dishes from Asian cuisines.