Embark on a flavorful adventure through the Philippines and you’ll quickly discover that the heart of Filipino cuisine beats strongest on its bustling streets. Filipino Street Food is more than just a quick bite; it’s a vibrant tapestry of flavors, aromas, and cultural experiences woven into the daily lives of Filipinos. From the smoky sizzle of grilled meats to the sweet delight of unique desserts, get ready to explore a tantalizing array of Filipino street food snacks that are sure to captivate your taste buds.
This guide dives into 21 must-try Filipino street food snacks that you can find throughout Manila and across the diverse islands of the Philippines. Prepare to be adventurous and hungry!
Grilled Filipino Street Food Delights
1. Isaw (Chicken and Pig Intestines)
Isaw reigns supreme as a beloved Filipino street food snack. As afternoon approaches in the Philippines, the inviting scent of charcoal smoke signals it’s isaw time. Both chicken and pig intestines are meticulously cleaned, coiled onto bamboo skewers, and grilled over hot coals until they achieve a beautifully charred and smoky exterior.
Pig intestines offer a chewier texture and a more robust flavor, while chicken intestines are milder, resembling miniature sausages. The magic of isaw, and many other Filipino street foods, lies in the dipping sauce – vinegar. Most Filipinos generously dunk their isaw skewers in a chili-onion vinegar, allowing the smoky meat to absorb the tangy and spicy liquid. This contrast of flavors is incredibly satisfying and a true testament to Filipino street food ingenuity.
Price: Approximately 5 PHP (₱) per skewer (around $0.10 USD)
Fried Filipino Street Food Favorites
2. Kwek Kwek (Quail Eggs)
Kwek kwek is another undisputed king of Filipino street food, especially popular in Manila. These vibrant orange snacks are made from hard-boiled quail eggs coated in a distinctive orange-hued batter and then deep-fried to crispy perfection. Their bright color and almost spherical appearance make them instantly recognizable.
Similar to isaw, the essential final touch for kwek kwek is a generous dousing of vinegar, often seasoned with chilies and onions. This tangy dip cuts through the richness of the fried batter and complements the delicate quail egg inside. Think of kwek kwek as a Filipino twist on a corn dog, substituting the hot dog with a flavorful quail egg.
Price: Typically 3 pieces for 12 PHP (₱) (around $0.24 USD)
3. Helmets / Adidas (Chicken Head and Feet)
For the adventurous food lover, Filipino street food offers some truly unique experiences. “Helmets” and “Adidas” are playful names for grilled chicken heads and chicken feet, respectively. Like isaw, these are skewered and grilled over charcoal, offering a smoky and slightly charred flavor.
While chicken feet might be challenging for some due to the minimal meat, chicken heads (“helmets”), especially when including the neck, can be surprisingly flavorful. These snacks are a testament to Filipino resourcefulness and a willingness to utilize every part of the animal.
Price: Approximately 5 PHP (₱) per skewer (around $0.10 USD)
4. Dried Squid
The Philippines, being an archipelago, boasts abundant seafood. Dried squid is a testament to this, transforming into an intensely chewy and flavorful snack. Squid is dried under the tropical sun, flattening and intensifying its natural flavors. When grilled over charcoal, it becomes slightly crispy on the edges while remaining satisfyingly chewy inside.
Just like many skewered Filipino street food snacks, dried squid is traditionally dipped in chili vinegar. Scoop up some of the onions and chilies in the vinegar for an extra layer of flavor and heat. This is a personal favorite for many who appreciate bold flavors and unique textures.
Price: Approximately 10 PHP (₱) per stick (around $0.20 USD)
5. Banana Q (Banana Cue)
Often found alongside turon, banana q, or banana cue, is a quintessential Filipino sweet street food. Saba bananas (a type of plantain common in the Philippines) are coated in brown sugar and then deep-fried or pan-fried until the sugar caramelizes into a crisp, golden shell.
Banana Q is undeniably sweet, but the slightly burnt caramel flavor perfectly complements the soft, cooked banana inside. The caramelized sugar provides a delightful crunch and a rich, molasses-like sweetness that makes it an irresistible treat.
Price: Approximately 12 PHP (₱) per stick (around $0.24 USD)
6. Turon (Banana Spring Rolls)
Turon holds a special place as a beloved sweet Filipino street food snack. It’s essentially a Filipino-style banana spring roll, made with a slice of Saba banana and a sliver of sweet jackfruit, wrapped snugly in a thin lumpia wrapper (spring roll wrapper) and deep-fried until golden brown and crispy.
The magic of turon lies in the delightful contrast of textures and flavors. The crispy outer wrapper gives way to a warm, soft, and slightly tangy banana and the fragrant jackfruit. It’s a comforting and satisfying sweet treat that perfectly encapsulates the Filipino love for fried desserts.
Price: Approximately 10 PHP (₱) per piece (around $0.20 USD)
7. 1 Day Old Fried Chicken
For another adventurous Filipino street food experience, try the “1 day old fried chicken.” While the name might sound unusual, this snack is commonly found in Manila, particularly around Quiapo Market and Church. These are reportedly day-old chicks, often surplus from poultry farms, offering a resourceful way to minimize waste.
Despite initial hesitations, 1 day old fried chicken is surprisingly crispy and flavorful. It’s a unique snack that highlights the Filipino spirit of resourcefulness and culinary creativity.
Price: Approximately 10 PHP (₱) per piece (around $0.20 USD)
8. Fish Balls / Chicken Balls
Fish balls and chicken balls are undeniably popular Filipino street food snacks, especially loved by children throughout the Philippines and Southeast Asia. These bouncy balls are typically made with a mixture of fish or chicken and a significant amount of flour, then deep-fried to a light golden brown.
Street-style fish and chicken balls are all about the experience. Vendors keep them hot in oil, and you grab a bamboo skewer to pluck them straight from the fryer. Dipping them generously in chili-onion-vinegar is essential for that signature tangy-savory flavor combination.
Price: Approximately 2 PHP (₱) per ball (around $0.04 USD)
Filipino Street Food Noodles and Savory Dishes
9. Palabok
Palabok is a prominent Filipino noodle dish that also transitions seamlessly into a satisfying street food snack. The base of palabok is made of тонкие rice noodles (rice vermicelli), generously smothered in a rich, thick, and flavorful shrimp-based sauce. This sauce often incorporates ground pork and crunchy chicharon (fried pork skin) for added texture and depth.
Palabok is frequently garnished with slices of hard-boiled egg, further enriching the dish. The sauce is notably garlicky and savory, creating a delightful complement to the delicate rice noodles.
Price: Approximately 20 PHP (₱) per serving (around $0.40 USD)
10. Sotanghon (Cellophane Noodles)
Sotanghon, or cellophane noodles, is another popular noodle dish in the Philippines often found as street food. The sotanghon encountered in Manila’s Quiapo Market features slippery cellophane noodles immersed in a light but flavorful oily broth, intensely fragrant with fried garlic.
Common additions to sotanghon include slices of hard-boiled egg and slivers of long beans or green beans, adding further substance and texture to the dish. Sotanghon is the kind of comforting noodle soup that encourages you to slurp until the bowl is empty.
Price: Approximately 30 PHP (₱) per serving (around $0.60 USD)
11. Lechon Manok (Roasted Chicken)
While lechon manok is technically a Filipino main dish, its prevalence as a street food warrants its inclusion. Street-side rotisserie chicken stalls in Manila offer incredibly flavorful and affordable lechon manok.
The chicken is typically stuffed with fragrant lemongrass and marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and kalamansi (Filipino lime), before being slowly roasted to golden-brown, crispy perfection. Street food lechon manok is a must-try for anyone seeking a satisfying and flavorful meal on the go.
Price: Approximately 85 PHP (₱) for half a chicken (around $1.71 USD)
12. Rice and Dishes (Street Food Canteens)
No exploration of Filipino street food is complete without acknowledging the ubiquitous “carinderias” or small, family-run street food canteens. Tucked away on neighborhood streets, these eateries offer a diverse array of regional Filipino cuisine.
Similar to “rice and curry” establishments in Indonesia or Thailand, dishes are prepared fresh daily and displayed in pots. You can point and choose from a tempting selection of stews, soups, curries, and stir-fried dishes. These are the places to find authentic and delicious renditions of Filipino classics like adobo (considered a national dish), sinigang, and kare-kare. Often, seating is available right by the food display, offering a chef’s table experience right on the sidewalk.
Price: A full meal with rice and several dishes can cost around 230 PHP (₱) (around $4.62 USD)
Sweet Filipino Street Food Treats
13. Mango Shrimp Paste
For a truly unique Filipino flavor combination, try green mango with shrimp paste. Consider it the Filipino equivalent of a caramel apple, but instead of a sweet apple, it’s a tart green mango, and instead of caramel, it’s intensely flavored, spicy shrimp paste (bagoong).
Typically using Indian mangoes (as they are locally known), vendors cut the unripe mangoes off the seed, skewer them, and generously slather them with shrimp paste upon ordering. The crisp, intensely sour mango perfectly complements the salty, fishy, and spicy shrimp paste, creating an unforgettable explosion of flavors and textures.
Price: Approximately 7 PHP (₱) per piece (around $0.14 USD)
14. Buko (Young Coconut)
Being a tropical island nation, coconuts are ubiquitous in the Philippines. Buko refers to young, green coconuts. While coconuts are incredibly versatile in Filipino cooking, one of the simplest and most refreshing ways to enjoy them is to drink the buko juice straight from the shell and then scoop out the soft, jelly-like coconut meat.
At any market or even roadside stall, look for piles of green coconuts, and you’re in for a naturally hydrating and refreshing buko juice experience that’s uniquely Filipino.
Price: Approximately 30 PHP (₱) per coconut (around $0.60 USD)
15. Ice Cream (“Dirty Ice Cream”)
Filipino street ice cream, often pushed around in colorful carts, is locally known as “dirty ice cream,” though the nickname is somewhat misleading. Despite the moniker, it’s a hugely popular sweet snack enjoyed by Filipinos of all ages.
A variety of flavors are available, but cheese ice cream is surprisingly one of the most beloved. Don’t be skeptical – it even contains small pieces of real cheese! This unique flavor combination perfectly balances sweet and savory notes.
Price: Approximately 20 PHP (₱) per serving (around $0.40 USD)
16. Taho
Taho is the Filipino adaptation of soft silken tofu (douhua), a dessert with Chinese origins popular throughout Southeast Asia. The incredibly soft tofu is served warm in a cup, typically sweetened with a simple sugary syrup and sometimes with sago pearls (small tapioca pearls).
Filipino taho is so delicate that while it can be eaten with a spoon, many prefer to simply sip it through a straw, enjoying the smooth texture and gentle sweetness.
17. Halo-Halo
Apologies, photo unavailable.
Halo-halo (meaning “mix-mix” in Tagalog) is arguably the most iconic Filipino dessert. It’s a colorful and refreshing concoction of shaved ice piled high and mixed with a seemingly endless combination of ingredients: fruits, sweet beans, coconut, sweet milk, syrups, tubers, jellies, and more.
Halo-halo is intensely sweet, icy cold, and visually appealing, making it the perfect antidote to a hot and humid Philippine afternoon. It’s a dessert that truly embodies the Filipino love for sweet and elaborate treats.
18. Ginataang Halo-Halo
Ginataang halo-halo is another popular Filipino street food dessert, distinct from the shaved ice version. This warm and comforting dessert features a base of sweetened coconut milk, enriched with a medley of ingredients like chewy rice balls, tapioca pearls, purple yam (ube), and various other sweet components.
Ginataang halo-halo is served warm, almost like a sweet pudding or porridge. If you appreciate the rich flavor of coconut milk and a comforting sweetness, this Filipino dessert is a must-try.
Price: Approximately 20 PHP (₱) per serving (around $0.40 USD)
19. Kutsinta
Kutsinta is a type of Filipino steamed rice cake with a unique, slightly chewy, jelly-like mochi texture. This subtly sweet dessert is often sold by street vendors, sometimes topped with freshly grated coconut.
Another popular topping for kutsinta is a Filipino-style “dulce de leche,” made by reducing sweetened condensed milk into a thick, sticky caramel-like spread. This adds a rich, decadent sweetness that complements the mild flavor of the rice cake.
Price: Approximately 5 PHP (₱) per piece (around $0.10 USD)
Adventurous Filipino Street Food
20. Balut (Duck Embryo)
Balut is perhaps the most famous, and for some, infamous, Filipino street food. It’s a partially developed duck egg embryo, considered by many to be the “king” of adventurous Filipino street food. Balut is widely available and especially popular as an evening snack.
To eat balut, first crack a small opening at the top of the shell and sip the savory broth inside. Then, peel the rest of the shell, season the egg with salt and vinegar (essential Filipino condiments), and eat the yolk and embryo. Exploring a local market in the Philippines is an excellent opportunity to try balut and experience this unique cultural delicacy.
Price: Approximately 15 PHP (₱) per piece (around $0.30 USD)
Where to Find Filipino Street Food
Filipino street food snacks are available virtually everywhere in the Philippines. In Manila, you’ll find street food vendors on almost every street corner. However, it’s wise to be discerning about where you choose to eat. Opt for stalls that appear clean and have a high turnover of food, indicating freshness. Exercise more caution with street foods that use water or ice in their preparation.
That said, with reasonable caution, you can safely enjoy the incredible variety of Filipino street food. Local markets like Quiapo Market and Divisoria Market in Manila are excellent starting points, offering a concentrated and diverse selection. Don’t hesitate to also explore smaller, local neighborhood streets – you’ll often find hidden culinary gems and authentic flavors there.
Conclusion
This guide has only scratched the surface of the vast and delicious world of Filipino street food. From the smoky allure of isaw to the sweet satisfaction of turon and the adventurous intrigue of balut, Filipino street food offers a sensory explosion that reflects the country’s rich culinary heritage and vibrant culture.
Beyond the incredible flavors, one of the most rewarding aspects of exploring Filipino street food is the warmth and friendliness of the people you’ll encounter along the way. So, venture out, be adventurous, and prepare to be captivated by the incredible tastes and experiences that await you on the streets of the Philippines!
