the Philippines is worth the trip for the food alone. From inihaw na isda (grilled fish) to pancit (filipino rice noodles), here are the dishes to seek out across the Philippines.
Filipinos love grilling whole fish over hot coals, basting it with garlic, calamansi, and savory sauce until the skin chars and glistens. Served on a banana leaf, it is meant to be shared family-style with mounds of steamed rice.
Chicken inasal is the Philippines' beloved grilled chicken, marinated in calamansi, lemongrass, and annatto for a smoky, tangy flavor. It comes with garlic rice and a fiery dipping sauce, a staple of Filipino roadside eateries.
Buchi are chewy glutinous-rice balls filled with sweet mung bean or lotus paste, rolled in sesame seeds and deep-fried until golden. Crisp outside and soft within, they are a favorite Filipino snack and merienda treat.
Charred grilled meat plated over steamed rice on a banana leaf, the classic Filipino 'inihaw' presentation. The smoky, caramelized exterior shows it was cooked fresh over coals.
Pancit — stir-fried rice noodles tossed with vegetables, a little meat or shrimp and a squeeze of calamansi — is the everyday Filipino noodle dish.
