I asked a Japanese friend who resides in Manila, “Where’s the best place to get Japanese food locally?” She recommended a couple of restaurants, but she also said that if it was sushi I was after, I should go visit Kikufuji. A small restaurant that’s known mostly by word of mouth, Kikufuji is tucked along the side of Little Tokyo, along Pasong Tamo in Makati. A quaint little restaurant, it was quite full when we went there for lunch on a Saturday.

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Discovering new restaurants is always nice, but really, it’s the old standbys that never fail to answer specific cravings. One restaurant that never fails to satisfy me is Pho Hoa. Whenever I go there, I just take a cursory glance at the menu. A ritual I don’t know why I bother with, since I know I’ll be ordering a Pho #4, in either light or small bowl, depending on my appetite.

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I’ve heard good things about Mañosa Panciteria from punkednoodle, so when my mom started raving about it too, I knew I should investigate. My mom and I decided to lunch there so I could try their Crispy Hito (P100) (Catfish); since it was nearer her office (it’s a 15-minute walk from mine), she ordered for us as soon as she arrived.

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It was another Friday night and we didn’t know where to eat. We didn’t have dinner plans, but the lateness of the hour was enough motivation to find some grub. I suggested Café Mediterranean, since it’s been months since I last ate there. It wasn’t difficult to persuade my mom & J, since at that point, they were both in kahit saan (anywhere will do) mode.

While getting them in the restaurant was easy enough, ordering wasn’t. In the end, I ended up selecting the Kebab Platter (P640), figuring that you can’t go wrong with a selection of beef, pork, chicken and kofta kebabs. I was just beginning to order a sampler platter of my favorite appetizers when the server politely cut me short. Apparently, the kebab platter already had the appetizers I wanted to order. He also informed me that it came with 6 pieces of pita, more than enough for the three of us, so we simply got the platter and some drinks. It’s supposed to serve 4, I told my companions, so I guess not getting anything extra would be all right.

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Ah Christmas vacation. You’d think that with all the eating I’ve been doing, I’d have tons of stuff to write about. But honestly, I’ve been eating so much, I just threw caution to the wind and decided to eat first, take pictures and write later. Well, more like next year. Still, with the flurry of free food flowing into the office, buffets and parties, I figured I’d do a quick rundown of some of the most memorable things I’ve eaten. Forgive me if this entry isn’t very coherent. When you’ve been stuffing your face for two weeks straight, I doubt you’d make much sense either.

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For a delightful little burger nook nestled along Creekside in Amorsolo, Makati, Sango has a big claim to support. The Burger Master is what the signboard outside says. Stepping inside the store however, gives an entirely different vibe from the usual burger joints. Gone is the frenetic bustle of kiddie burger joints. Neither can you find the flashy high-tech metal grills of pricey grilled burger places.

Instead, you’re welcomed by friendly staff, cheerfully welcoming you with a warm “Irrashaimase!” Once you walk up the counter, you’re faced with a wide selection of burgers. It’s natural to feel confused, what with the wide array, but fortunately, the people at the counter are always helpful and ready to guide you.

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There are some restaurants that we keep coming back to, no matter how everyday the fare may seem. And usually, we order the same things, dropping by the restaurant to appease a craving for the old stand-bys.

One such restaurant is Recipes by Café Metro. A brightly lit, modern-looking café, Recipes falls back on old staples of the local cuisine, mostly given an interesting twist. While I have tried and liked a lot of their dishes, two things that keep me coming back is their rendition of pritong isda (fried fish) and lechon kawali (crispy fried pork back).

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