Summary
Highlights
Mark meets Reby in Quezon City to begin their food tour. Their first stop is Rodic's at the University of the Philippines, known for its legendary tapsilog. Tapsilog consists of cured carabao meat (tapa), rice, and a fried egg. Mark and Reby enjoy the sweet, sour, and salty tapa, enhancing it with vinegar, a popular Filipino condiment. The recipe has been unchanged since 1949.
Next, Mark tries cheese ice cream for the first time, along with avocado ice cream. He finds the cheese ice cream to have a mild, salty, and sweet flavor with actual bits of cheese. Alongside, they try 'cheese corn,' which is boiled corn topped with cheese powder and sugar, offering a very sweet and imitation cheese flavor.
They visit Mang Larry's, a legendary spot on campus famous for Isaw – grilled chicken and pork intestines. They order 10 skewers of chicken intestines and some pork intestines, which are quickly grilled over hot coals. The highlight is the custom of soaking the Isaw in a large jug of chili vinegar. Mark finds the chicken intestines delicious, smoky, charred, and tender, while the pork intestines are chewier with a stronger flavor.
The tour continues to Lagro Market, a busy local market. There, they discover a unique homemade rotisserie chicken stall called Kuya Abe, selling Lechon Manok. The creative rotisserie mechanism impresses Mark. The chicken is marinated and stuffed with lemongrass, resulting in a flavorful, golden-skinned, salty, and sweet roasted chicken.
After exploring the wet market, Mark and Reby refresh themselves with fresh buko (young coconut water), noting its natural and electrolyte-rich taste. They also scrape out the soft, sweet, and rich coconut meat. Later, they try green Indian mangoes served with spicy fermented shrimp paste (bagoong). The combination of sour, crisp mango with salty, fishy shrimp paste is a winning street food snack, especially the spicy version.
Their final stop is a roadside canteen serving halal Muslim food from Mindanao. They sample various dishes, including chicken with shredded coconut and chili, red beans stewed with onions, a fish curry with coconut milk, and vegetables (squash and long beans) in a light coconut milk sauce. The chicken with shredded coconut, spicy and rich, deeply impresses Mark. They also try chicken adobo, which is salty and less sour, indicative of regional variations.
Mark concludes the fantastic food tour in Quezon City, thanking Reby. He highlights the Mindanao food, the Isaw, and the fascinating homemade rotisserie chicken as his favorites from the day.