10 Filipino Comfort Foods You Need to Try in Manila

Manila's food scene moves fast — new cafés and fusion concepts open every month — but the dishes people actually crave on a rainy Tuesday haven't changed in decades. This is a guide to the Filipino comfort food that's worth detouring for, whether you're new to the city or just looking to rediscover it.

1. Sisig, straight off the sizzling plate

Born in Pampanga and perfected in Manila's countless carinderias, sisig is chopped pork face, ears, and liver seared on a hot plate with calamansi, chili, and onions. The best versions arrive still sizzling, with a fried egg cracked on top that you stir in yourself. Pair it with ice-cold beer and rice, and you understand why it's the unofficial national bar food.

2. Arroz caldo on a rainy afternoon

This ginger-heavy rice porridge, topped with chicken, fried garlic, and a squeeze of calamansi, is what Filipino households make when someone's under the weather — or when Manila's afternoon rain refuses to let up. Look for stalls that make their own toasted garlic in-house; it's the difference between an average bowl and a memorable one.

3. Kare-kare, for the peanut-sauce faithful

Oxtail and vegetables stewed in a thick peanut sauce, served with bagoong (fermented shrimp paste) on the side — kare-kare is a special-occasion dish that's thankfully available every day at most Filipino restaurants. The bagoong isn't optional; it cuts through the richness and pulls the whole plate together.

• Sisig — Pampanga-style, best eaten sizzling with rice
• Arroz caldo — ginger rice porridge, ideal for rainy days
• Kare-kare — oxtail in peanut sauce with bagoong
• Bicol express — pork simmered in coconut milk and chili
• Halo-halo — the definitive Filipino dessert for Manila heat

Where to start

You don't need a reservation or a food tour to eat well in Manila — some of the best versions of these dishes come from unassuming carinderias and turo-turo stalls in Quezon City, Makati, and Manila proper. Start with whichever one has a line at lunchtime; that's usually the tell.