More Manila Foodie Finds

Yowza, has it really been so long since I posted? I have found that my periods of blog silence tend to coincide with periods of trouble in the realz life of Pu. Nothing to be worried about - I'm going through a bit of a "thing" at work. These things happen from time to time, part of the growing pains of transitioning to a new job and new lifestyle. I still love what I do and adore my coworkers (they really make the job for me, in many ways!).

I've been keeping quite busy. Last month was my rotation to the American Citizen Services section (where Husband normally works). While the work is interesting and there's always something new and outrageous to face every day, I can safely say that I was happy to return to my old section for the normalcy of a daily routine. ACS work in Manila is very trying, and my hat is off to my colleagues who work there for longer stretches. I don't know that I have it in me to do that! I did have the opportunity to go on an ACS Outreach to Angeles City and Olongapo (where Clark AB and Subic Naval Base used to be before they closed in 1991). I won't say too much, but I would encourage you to google either location to see what they are famous for. I can also share that the highlight of the trip was when colleague S and I were waking back to our hotel down the Angeles "strip" from dinner one evening and were "Sir/Maam-ed" for girls rather than for something like bags or shoes. Stay classy, Angeles City.

But, I digress, I titled this post foodie finds for a reason. As we explore out city's culinary offerings (slim pickins, I'm afraid), I like to add what little tidbits I can find. Recently I discovered igourmet, which is a website that will ship many refrigerated items like cheeses to DPO addresses. This was a revelation for me, and I am thrilled to be able to order different varieties of gouda in addition to my beloved goat cheese! Husband and I are also on the hunt for a restaurant (any restaurant) that is worth the cash. While you can get cheap meals in Manila, believe me, you know they're cheap. If you want good quality food, you're going to pay for it. And, in my personal opinion, they're almost never worth the cost. Meals that go for American prices are rarely of American quality, and you have to avoid the pitfalls of everything being doused in sugar. I had a caesar salad yesterday that was totally inedible thanks to the amount of sugar dumped into the caesar dressing (who puts sugar into caesar dressing??), and that was at an upscale restaurant in Serendra (a fancy area in the Fort). Just gross. We did have a good meal last night at Kashmir, which we went to for a girlfriend's birthday dinner. The samosas were delicious and the food was pleasantly spicy (hard to find here) and flavorful. We also tried Cirkulo and were spectacularly unimpressed. Not only did they allow me to make a reservation for a time when the restaurant was closed (we arrived and they had yet to open the doors, they finally let us and in and then we sat around and waited for another 15 minutes before we were able to flag down a server)* but I was also underwhelmed by the food. I found the tapas to be of huge proportions and lacking in flavor, and the prices were outrageous considering the quality. If this is the restaurant that tops "best of" lists...well, let's just say I've become a lot more forgiving of the mid-range, mediocre restaurants because at least they're a better deal!

Anyway, here's some more foodie blogs for your reading pleasure.

Foodie Manila
The Manila Girl
Runaround Girl
Midnight Mercato
Salcedo Market

*And judging by the responses of my colleagues to my story, this is not uncommon. No one wants to turn away business so instead of telling you they're closed, they will allow you to enter and sit in the restaurant, but won't actually acknowledge or serve you until about 15-20min after the official opening time (island time, you know).