If you’re ever in the Philippines, trying out their local meals should be the first thing on your list. From savory to sweet dishes, the Filipino food culture is as unique, creative, and vibrant as the country.
The best place to find some of the best food in the Philippines is in Manila. But don’t worry, even if you’re exploring other local areas, you’ll still find Filipino restaurants serving local meals you’ll love. So, to start your culinary adventure, here are the 20 best foods you must try during your stay in the Philippines.
20 Best Foods in The Philippines To Try in 2025
1. Fresh Lumpia
Just imagine eating a spring roll and a burrito in one; this is what this Philippine food tastes like. Fresh Lumpia is a fresh, crispy, and flavorful snack that is so addictive. It’s big and fat flour wrapped with meat, lettuce, carrots, peanuts, and a hint of coconut.
And for an even better experience, you’ll need to try the deep-fried version when it’s golden and becomes the perfect snack. Head over to the Legazpi Sunday Market and try to go early so you won’t miss out on this delicious lumpia served with a sweet and sour sauce.
2. Chicken Sotanghon / Tinola
No food in the Philippines screams comfort like the Chicken Sotanghon. This Filipino chicken soup is packed with chicken, mushrooms, sweet carrots, green onions, and vermicelli noodles. You just have to try it to know how tasty and soothing it is.
It’s the kind of meal you crave when you need comfort food, but the truth is that once you taste it, you’ll always want more. Most traditional Filipino restaurants have this chicken soup, but you can check out the Recipes at Greenbelt 3 if you don’t know where to go.
3. Beef Mechado / Kaldereta
Beef Mechado needs a bit of getting used to, but if you try it, you might just love it. This dish is super tasty and is filled with beef, pork fat, and enough tomatoes. Does that sound like your kind of food? This stew is also filled with vegetables like carrots and potatoes, just to make it more comforting, and it does its work all right.
The tomatoes added are more than enough, so it might not look like what you’ll normally taste, but just go ahead, and you may be surprised. You can get this delicious Filipino stew at Fely J’s in Greenbelt 5.
4. Paksiyo Baboy Bisaya / Pork Adobo with Bananas
Trying out different types of food in the Philippines is all about having a new experience, and this meal comes with enough wild, flavorful, bold experience. This meal is made by cooking pork in a soy-based sauce and then adding the sweetness of bananas.
The way the savory and sweet combine makes this one of the most delicious foods in the Philippines. And when you taste it, you’re sure to never forget the experience. For this meal, you can check out Fely J’s in Greenbelt 5.
5. Lechon
Imagine slow-roasting a pig until it becomes golden brown and crispy but still soft and flavorful. Then imagine how it will taste eating its crispy skin and tender meat. Delicious right? Well, that’s how it feels to eat this juicy street food.
There are so many variations of this meal, such as the lechon kawali and the crispy pata, which taste even better with the Mang Tomas All-Purpose Sauce. The best version of this meal can be eaten during Filipino celebrations held in Cebu City, but you can also head to Sabroso Lechon for a delicious experience.
6. Bibingka
If you want to eat sweet Philippine food, then this Filipino treat might just be for you. This coconut milk cake is baked in a banana leaf, so you get the flavors of coconut and banana all in one. And even better, it’s served with butter and extra coconut.
Taking a bite of this soft and spongy cake is like having a warm, sweet sensation on your taste buds. During Christmas, you can get variations of Bibingka like biko or the cassava bibingka. All you need to do is head to the street stalls or places like Bibingkinitan, which are open all year round.
7. Kare Kare
Kare Kare is a delicious peanut stew made with oxtail, tripe, eggplant, and Chinese vegetables. This stew stands out as one of the best foods in the Philippines for you to try during your vacation. It can also be served with a side of shrimp paste for a unique, salty, authentic experience.
But if you want, you can go for the creamier version, kare-kare sa gate, which is made with coconut milk. You can get this stew from any traditional Filipino restaurant, and don’t forget to order a side of shrimp paste too.
8. Sinigang
Sour soups like Sinigang are what make everyone believe that food in the Philippines is made to taste even better. This tangy tamarind soup is filled with pork, shrimp, tomatoes, green beans, and spinach, and sometimes you’ll even find green mango, guava, or calamansi in it.
You also have the option to season this soup with dips like chili and fish sauce. You can enjoy this stew at any Filipino restaurant, but if you want something even more delicious, then try the corned beef sinigang at Sentro in Greenbelt 3.
9. Adobo
Not all food in the Philippines is traditional Filipino meals, but if you want to try the traditional Filipino foods, then you’ll need to try this adobo. This dish is a regular Filipino staple, so you can get it from a Filipino local kitchen or any local food truck. Adobo is a simple dish of meat marinated with soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic.
Then, pan fry till it’s crispy brown before vegetables like onions, potatoes, and capsicum are added. You can enjoy this meal with rice or just on its own, but no matter how you take it, it is still delicious.
10. Balut
If you are going to try some of the most popular food in the Philippines, then you shouldn’t miss out on the infamous Balut. This street food is a boiled fertilized duck egg that is served scorching hot, so be careful not to burn yourself.
This meal also comes with a delicious broth that you’ll need to sip either from the eggshell or a cup. Despite it being odd, it tastes more like regular boiled eggs, but it’s still one of the country’s most distinctive foods. You can get this Filipino snack from street vendors found in the evening market and enjoy it with a cold beer.
11. Chicharon
Chicharon is the Filipino version of Doritos, but it’s even more addictive and crispy. This is one of the best snacks in the Philippines. It’s a deep-fried pork skin with so much taste and flavor that you can snack on while watching movies.
Chicharon is delicious enough to be eaten on its own, but you can also order it as a side dish when eating other Filipino meals. You can easily get this snack at most supermarkets and local markets, you just have to keep an eye out for it.
12. Lomi
If you visit Batangas during your stay in the Philippines, then you’ll have to try Lomi, a delicious local meal. This meal is a perfect mix of noodle soup and stew. It’s served as flat egg noodles with a rich, thick, eggy sauce. It’s the kind of dish you won’t find on a hotel menu, you’ll have to travel like a local to discover these hidden gems. Someone says Yummy! And depending on the variation you get, it comes with pork, seafood, or chicken.
But what makes it one of the best foods in the Philippines is the experience when you combine this dish with a side sauce of onions, chili, calamansi, and soy sauce. So, head over to Lomi King in Lipa to get a taste of this savory, mouthwatering comfort dish.
13. Bulalo
Most Philippine foods are comfort meals, but Bulalo is a whole new experience. This dish is made by boiling beef in a broth until it melts totally in the soup, giving it a beefy flavor. Then fresh veggies like cabbage and corn are added to give it richness.
The fact that it’s cooked all day allows all the flavors to melt into each other, making it more delicious than you could think. This food is not very common, but since it’s your first time, you should head over to AI Goto King Special Bulalo so you can be hooked.
14. Buko Pie
Most street vendors in the Philippines are always selling Buko Pie, and it’s so delicious that both locals and visitors are always eating it. Buko pie is a delicious baked pie filled with coconut and condensed milk to form a buttery pastry with a crispy golden crust.
The scent of this freshly baked pie is so mouthwatering that you’ll be tempted to taste it. And you’ll not be disappointed. Then, if you want to eat it as a dessert, you can pair it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which makes it even more yummy.
15. Ilocos Empanada
Ilocos Empanadas are a bold neon orange pastry that is sold in various markets in Manila. This treat is one of the best foods in the Philippines, not just cos of its color but cos of what’s packed inside its thin shell.
It has sausages, meat, papaya, and eggs all deep-fried in its dough and served with a splash of vinegar. If you want an exciting local Filipino food, then this is it. You can get this at the food market at the Mall of Asia or the Legazpi Sunday Market.
16. Sisig
And for those who like drinking alcohol, this is one of the best foods in the Philippines you can enjoy with a cold beer. Sisig is a stir-fried dish made with chicken liver, pork, onions, chili, mayonnaise, calamansi, lime juice, and egg. It is the perfect combination of crispy, savory, and tangy flavors.
You can also enjoy this dish with a side of boiled rice. And it’s a good way to use the leftover meat from a lecon feast before it goes bad. A yummy, popular, and practical Filipino food you can make with leftover meat? Check Check Check.
17. Silog
If you’re wondering what to have for breakfast, then you should eat this delicious Filipino dish. Silog is made with leftover rice and egg. The rice is fried with crispy minced garlic, and the sunny-side-up egg offers the best pairing.
And when you add proteins like hot dog, meat, ham, or adobo, you’ll get a more delicious taste. Silog is proof that some food in the Philippines might not be as wild or creative, but they are still delicious.
18. Bicol Express
This spicy and delicious Filipino dish is one of the best foods in the Philippines to try during your vacation. Named after the train route to the Bicol region, Bicol Express is made by cooking fatty pork in coconut milk to create a thick creamy base.
And then add seasonings like shrimp paste, garlic, onion, ginger, and chili peppers. This chili is what makes it spicy, so if you enjoy eating spicy meals, then you’ll love it even more. If spicy is not your kind of fun, then you can get this dish with a side of boiled rice to balance it out, or order one that isn’t too spicy.
19. Arroz Caldo
Arroz caldo is made by frying chicken pieces and adding rice, garlic, and onions, then simmering them in a broth. Just imagine eating this creamy, delicious stew when you need something warm and soothing.
This Filipino dish is also very versatile, so you can add several toppings like calamansi, scallions, and boiled eggs to your taste. So on a rainy day, just head to any local Filipino restaurant to enjoy this comforting meal.
20. Dinuguan
This dish looks like chocolate meat, but there’s no chocolate or sweetness in it. It has a deep brown color because it’s made with pork blood and other parts like liver, ears, snout, and lungs to give it a rich texture.
Of all the food in the Philippines, dinuguan is one most visitors are scared to try, but it’s a favorite for locals. You can also enjoy this stew with white rice or steamed rice cakes.
Conclusion
The Filipino food scene is a mix of flavors, tastes, textures, and influences that combine to give you a mouthwatering adventure. It’s not every day you eat delicious stew like Kare-Kare or street pastries like buko pie, but in this country, you’ll get to taste it all.
These Philippine foods are so delicious that you’ll stuff yourself with them and be tempted to pack your suitcases full of them. But apart from their deliciousness, eating these meals is another way to experience the local Filipino culture. So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and take a bite of some of the best local food in the Philippines.
