I realized that I have mostly confined my foodventures to Makati (where I live) and the nearby Bonifacio Global City (BGC). So I decided to explore the cities in the Metro, especially Manila and Quezon City (QC), and feature dishes and food spots that are worth a foodventure (see my first QC Food Crawl here). For this article, I will share 3 dishes of my recent Manila food crawl. They are:

Halal Roast Chicken at Moud Restaurant (QUIAPO)

Halal refers to Islamic dietary practices. In Arabic, it literally means permissible, allowed, or lawful (as opposed to haram, which means forbidden or unlawful). For a food to be declared halal, it has to go through a specific permitted process of slaughtering and preparation. Also, there are animals and products that are outrightly considered non-halal, in which pork is the most known one.

Deep in the Muslim district of the Quiapo area is an unassuming halal eatery called Moud Restaurant. This food spot is best known for its roast chicken, which is tender, nicely charred, and slightly sweet. It’s best paired with unique rice options such as Kabsa Rice, which has a lot of ingredients, and the bright yellow Java Rice, which is cooked in coconut milk. Unfortunately, the kabsa rice ran out when I visited so I opted for the java rice. I think it was a blessing in disguise because the rice has a nice coconut flavor, reminding me of Nasi Lemak, the national dish of Malaysia (check out my nasi lemak food crawl in Kuala Lumpur here).

I also ordered their lumpia. Unlike the typical log-shaped spring roll, it’s triangular in shape and is filled with either chicken or beef. It’s oily but delicious!

By the way, I’ll write about halal food in Manila soon. Keep in touch!

Address: Globo de Oro St., Quiapo, Manila | Operating Hours: TBA

Rhum Turon a.k.a. Bananarhum-a at Mang Tootz Foodhouse (Sampaloc)

Turon is a popular Filipino snack made with sliced bananas wrapped in lumpia wrapper then covered with caramelized brown sugar. Sometimes, it even has jackfruit in it.

But a carinderia (eatery) in the Sampaloc area added twists (yes, plural) to it. Mang Tootz’ version is unique in three ways. First, it’s smaller and shorter than a typical turon (think of lumpiang shanghai’s size). Second, it is sprinkled with a mixture of cinnamon, powdered milk, and sugar on top of the brown sugar (and sesame seeds) coating. And third and most fascinating, it is spiked with rhum!

The Bananarhum-a, as it is famously called, has a nice rhum-flavored caramel. The banana is nicely soft and the wrapper is both crispy and chewy, which I love. The sprinkle of sesame seeds and cinnamon-milk-sugar mix adds another layer of flavor. To be honest, I find this snack addictive!

Address: 1135 P. Noval St., Sampaloc, Manila | Operating Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9AM-9PM | Facebook

Tumbong Soup at House of DG (Tondo)

At first, I was uncomfortable with the idea of visiting Tondo as the media portrays it as notoriously unsafe. But I was ready to brave this place for a certain dish. That dish? Tumbong Soup.

Tum—what? Yes, it doesn’t sound good.

Literally rectum, the end part of the large intestines, tumbong refers to a soup dish with slices of pig intestines. I first learned about it when I saw a video where the journalist Ces Drilon joined Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, a.k.a. “Yorme”, for a dinner. Since I love soup made with innards like Papaitan (a kind of bitter soup) and Goto Batangas (innards soup from Batangas), I went to House of DG to get a taste of it. (I was looking for Rado’s Litchonan where Mayor Isko ate. But I couldn’t find it since it was wrongly pinned in Google Maps. As an extra precaution because it’s my first time in Tondo, I also didn’t bother asking people.)

The tumbong itself is soft and had a clean and simple taste. The broth was the winner for me. It’s light and porky, with a hint of garlic, reminding me of the broth found in La Paz Batchoy. Overall, it was a nice dish…at least to an innards lover like me.

There are other items in House of DG such as lechon (deep fried pork belly covered in sweet sauce) and asado (innards also covered in sweet sauce). But they’re eclipsed by the tumbong.

By the way, my Tondo visit turned out fine. I find it a festive place, with lots of people walking along the streets. I also didn’t feel unsafe at all (and anywhere you go, there will always be risk and it’s always wise to take extra precautions). When there’s an opportunity, I will visit it again just to eat tumbong.

Address: Varona St., Tondo, Manila | Operating Hours: Daily, 4PM-12AM

What dish or Manila food spot should I try next? Comment them below

Manila Food Crawl: Halal Roast Chicken, Rhum Turon, and Tumbong Soup

Halal Roast Chicken at Moud Restaurant (QUIAPO)

Rhum Turon a.k.a. Bananarhum-a at Mang Tootz Foodhouse (Sampaloc)

Tumbong Soup at House of DG (Tondo)