Manila is no exception for all of the above. Filipino food, as a rule, is good also, but for the untamed palate it can be heavy and greasy - Adobo, pancit, sisig. If you're very brave, you can try the local delicacy of balut.
Manila is as western as it comes and, as much as I like to eat (at least try) local, there are so many incredibly good global-gastro restaurants and eateries not to try. Variety is the spice of life, after all?
So, if unhatched duck embryo is not your canapé du jour, Manila is one of the most cosmopolitan cities you will visit, so don't think you will be limited in your choice.
The heart of lifestyle dining starts in glitzy Makati. Some of my favourites include Sala, which is owned unexpectedly by a Scottish chef and offers amazing Eurasian fusion, not east with incredibly good pineapple mojitos. Same owner, a floor above is People's Palace, renown by the expat community as the best Thai restaurant in the city, once more followed with a deluge of dessert prowess. Mesa, is modern Filipino and has a great menu of fish and seafood. No visit to Manila is complete without one meal of Lapu-Lapu.
Steak, another surprise hit, is a Kobe guarantee. Wagu, for hot perfection to order, only you can ruin this meal or, in Rockwell a fabulous and less busy alternative is Bistecca - every cut of beef, cooked to perfection and the best truffle fries in APAC.
A Spanish heritage gives way to a good effort at tapas and paella. Barcino might push it too far with local flamenco, but the food is good.
If there is one thing the Filipino people do best, is sweet. Low key patisserie and brunch pitstops are plentiful, but I have my personal favourite in the candy coloured Cafe 1771 in Ortigas, or Soho-esque Chelsea Market, in Serendra.
The crème de la crème for me is the fantastic foodie fix in Aubergine. With a kitchen of the next international protégées of cuisine, the result is something else. Degustation menus at a pat with big ticket restaurants in London, New York and beyond, this s a real special occasion visit in the city.
Every chain and franchise form US east to west coast is in Manila. If you feel the need to be lovin' it, go right ahead but you are missing out. What is nice, and needy, in a city that never stops is the 24 hour Starbucks.
So, in brief, you are what you eat. The choice is yours. Bon apetit.
'Til next time, Pandora
