For many travelers heading to Asia, food is half the reason to go. People cross oceans dreaming of Thai curries, Japanese sushi, and steaming bowls of Vietnamese pho. But the Philippines? Somehow, it rarely makes anyone’s bucket list for culinary reasons.
For years, food writers and culinary commentators have predicted that Filipino cuisine will be the next big thing. In many European cities, Filipino restaurants have appeared over the past decade, serving dishes that are sometimes authentically prepared Filipino – and sometimes… more creatively interpreted.
So the question remains: will Filipino cuisine really become the next global food trend? Are its signature dishes so irresistible that they will take their place alongside Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Indian, and Japanese cuisines?
Those culinary traditions have earned their places at the global table by serving food that is simply too good to ignore. Their ingredients, flavors, and cooking techniques are distinctive and unmistakable. Each has a clear culinary identity.
The restaurant industry, however, constantly needs new trends and fashionable novelties. Diners who believe they’ve tasted everything love the idea of something exotic and undiscovered. A Filipino restaurant sounds intriguing enough to try – if only out of curiosity.
Another reason for the rise of Filipino restaurants abroad is migration. Millions of Filipinos live and work overseas, and like every other nationality on Earth, they eventually start craving the food they grew up with.
A Taste of Multicultural History
Filipino cuisine has one particularly fascinating trait: it stimulates the mind almost more than the taste buds. You can read the country’s history in what ends up on the dinner table. In the ingredients, cooking techniques, and serving styles, the origins of different influences are clearly visible.
Traditional Filipino cooking has absorbed influences from China, India, the Middle East, Spain, and Mexico. When these influences blended with the resourcefulness of self-sufficient island villages – where people hunted, fished, and gathered whatever was available – the result was a cuisine built on practicality. Dishes were simple to prepare, affordable, and capable of feeding large families with minimal effort.
During the Spanish colonial era, the famous Manila galleons sailed regularly between the Philippines and New Spain (present-day Mexico). These ships carried not only silver and trade goods, but also culinary influences from the New World. Suddenly, the islands gained access to ingredients such as corn, chili peppers, paprika, tomatoes, potatoes, peanuts, chocolate, pineapple, and avocado.
Spanish cooking techniques also spread throughout local kitchens. Sausage making produced the Filipino longganisa, while bread baking gave rise to the iconic breakfast roll pandesal. Even today, many Filipino dishes still carry Spanish names.
The galleon trade also brought wealth to Manila, attracting Chinese merchants who eventually settled permanently in the islands. From them came noodles, rice dishes, and the widespread use of soy sauce.
Then, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the American colonial period arrived – bringing its own culinary contributions: hot dogs, hamburgers, fried chicken, and ice cream. Americans also introduced preserved foods such as canned goods, corned beef, instant coffee, and condensed milk, many of which remain staples in Filipino kitchens today.
Surprises and Oddities
Many Western travelers are surprised – and sometimes disappointed – to discover that Filipino food is not particularly spicy or exotic compared to much of the rest of Asia. Most everyday dishes are seasoned with little more than soy sauce, vinegar, salt, or pepper. A local citrus fruit called calamansi also serves as a universal flavor booster.
A typical Filipino meal consists of steamed rice (kanin) and a companion dish called ulam. The ulam might be dried or fried fish, other seafood, pork, or chicken. These days rice often shares the table with various noodle dishes made from rice or wheat. Noodles are quicker to prepare and sometimes cheaper – an important consideration for many families.
Although the Philippines is blessed with an abundance of delicious fruits and vegetables, they do not dominate everyday meals as much as one might expect. Fruit is often associated with celebrations, vacations, or special occasions. You’ll find fruit platters in resorts, hotels, and beach picnics far more often than at ordinary weekday dinners.
The most beloved festive dish in Filipino cuisine is lechon – a whole roasted pig that would make the feasting Gauls in the Asterix comic books nod approvingly. A young pig is cleaned, stuffed with herbs and spices, skewered on a large spit, and slowly roasted over glowing charcoal until the skin turns a glorious golden brown. The skin is sometimes brushed with Coca-Cola or other sugary soft drinks to create a perfect crunch.
A charming example of Filipino wartime ingenuity is banana ketchup. During World War II, tomatoes were scarce, but bananas were plentiful. Add some red food coloring, and suddenly the ketchup shortage was solved.
Filipinos also display a delightfully absurd sense of humor when naming their street food. At roadside stalls, you might be offered delicacies such as:
• Betamax – cubes of grilled pig’s blood
• Adidas – grilled chicken feet
It’s unclear whether these names are meant to attract customers or simply cause confusion.
Fast-Food Paradise
As the Filipino middle class grows and incomes rise, eating habits are changing. The moment people can afford something beyond traditional home cooking, they often head straight for fast food joints. Perhaps this says something about the vulnerabilities of traditional food culture – that it can be displaced so quickly by burgers and fried chicken.
Interestingly, the fast-food scene in the Philippines is no longer dominated by international franchises. Chains like Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut still exist, but they now face fierce competition from local giants whose menus and prices are carefully tailored to Filipino tastes.
Brands like Jollibee, Chowking, Max’s, Yellow Cab, Tapa King, and Mang Inasal have grown larger and more popular than many of their foreign counterparts.
Customs and Table Manners
In the Philippines, the social importance of food cannot be overstated. Meals come with their own set of customs that every long-term visitor eventually encounters. Often these traditions are more fascinating than the dishes themselves.
Some examples:
• Filipinos prefer to eat in groups. Eating alone often feels strangely unsatisfying.
• Almost everyone says a prayer before eating – whether from faith or simple habit.
• At celebrations, all dishes are served at once: savory main courses and sweet desserts side by side. Guests freely choose what they want and in what order.
• Refusing food can be seen as impolite. A small taste – or a polite explanation – is usually the safest strategy.
• Unlike many Asian cultures, Filipinos generally do not use chopsticks. The standard utensils are spoon and fork.
• In rural areas, many people prefer to eat with their hands, a style known as kamayan. According to its devotees, food simply tastes better that way.
• There is also a group version of this style called a boodle fight, where food is spread across banana leaves laid on a table – or sometimes directly on the ground – and everyone eats together with their fingers.
• Loud arguments during a meal are considered disrespectful.
• Leaving food on your plate can be interpreted as criticism of the host’s cooking.
• Leftover food from restaurants or parties is often packed up for guests to take home.
The Limits of Culinary Adaptation
Food is often a good measure of how well you’ve adapted to a new culture. If you truly feel at home somewhere, you usually learn to enjoy the local cuisine.
In my case, however, it proves that my adaptation to the Philippines will never be complete. If I’m honest with my inner food critic, the local cuisine is not the main reason I live here.
Over the years, a few culinary specialties have stood firmly in the way of my complete culinary assimilation:
• Balut – a boiled duck or chicken egg containing an embryo about 18 days old. You sip the broth first, then eat the nearly hatched chick along with the egg.
• Bagoong – a fermented paste made from fish or shrimp, used as a dipping sauce and flavoring. Think of it as salty seafood jam slowly fermenting in the tropical heat.
• Chicharon – deep-fried pork skin turned into crispy chips.
• Isaw – a popular street food made from grilled chicken or pork intestines pleated on a wooden stick.
A Culinary World Tour
If we look beyond traditional Filipino dishes, Metro Manila and the country’s major tourist destinations are actually excellent places for food tourism.
In the Philippines, I have eaten superb pizza, tacos, shawarma, pasta, steak, and sushi – as well as excellent Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, French, and Italian food.
In Manila and popular tourist areas you’ll find a remarkable selection of high-quality international restaurants. With a modest budget, you can take a culinary trip around the world again and again – without ever leaving the city.
So when it comes to food, the Philippines may not be the next culinary superpower. But it might be one of the best places in Asia to enjoy the cuisine of all the other countries.
Kain tayo! – Let’s eat.
