As I often say, our pleasure barometer has nothing to do with the price tags. Dining options, for one, can range from cheap to pricey. But there is always a fine middle ground where something really good can be enjoyed for a reasonable price. Not necessarily cheap cheap, but value-for-money. Yum without burning a hole in the pocket.

I like soupy dishes so that explains my love affair with porridge, ramen, laksa. The first photo — goto or beef tripe porridge — is from Goto Monster which is listed in the international book “Where Chefs Eat”. It is truly a comfort food, and by itself a wonderful, satisfying meal. It is also the kind of food you’d like to serve someone who’s sick or on the mend. Don’t ask me why. But it seems uncomplicated but filling enough. As for ramen or laksa, now this is a tad more complicated. It may look like a simple dish but in actuality, requires good kitchen wizardry to come up with a good version. And it’s always easy to tell if it’s good or not with the first spoonful. Trust me.

If you like quick meals but do not favor sandwiches, these soupy dishes can solve your hunger pangs in a few spoonfuls. Another foolproof tip on where to find affordable eats is to search within, around or near campuses. Here and abroad, this theory applies. At student prices, you can scour the area for good eats. That means where students line up. Gyud Food Hub is one such example. It is inside the UP Campus near the College of Fine Arts and just off Jacinto Street. Many choices here from Thai to Chinese, Persian, Indian or Pinoy. They even have steak meals at affordable prices. These dining outlets price their meal sets within a student’s budget. Overhead is kept to a minimum as paper plates and bowls are used and dining is al fresco.

Around Makati, our random finds include 2 coffee shops with good food. Panco Cafe may have a limited menu but quite frankly, we keep ordering the same food because, well…. they’re good! In my book, it is always a choice between the breakfast brisket or the Inasal. And yeah, try their coffee or their not so ordinary beverages. Great concoctions! But if you like Vietnamese coffee and food, try Pao Cafe in Yakal Street. We have been searching for iced coconut coffee which we first tried in Sapa and Hanoi, Vietnam and we’ve found Pao Cafe. They also serve good bentos (tried the roast pork), Bahn mi, spring rolls, and buncha, which we now prefer over the more popular pho (though Pao Cafe serves good pho too). We noticed they also have good cakes and pastries so we’re sure to try those come next visit.

One can easily do a cafe crawl within the Poblacion area in Makati. So many choices. It is easy to miss Annex House as it is really a house in what looked like a compound behind a closed gate. But if you’re one who loves to discover new places, here’s a good one for you. They don’t serve hot meals to pair with your coffee but there are buns and pastries. The coffee concoctions are interesting so you can just imagine what they come up with in the cocktails department. Annex House presents itself as a social club — so feel free to drop in for coffee or some pub drinks. But hey, where do you bring your balikbayan friends for good old Filipino dishes and snacks? Cafe Via Mare is one of those default places if only for their bibingka (rice cake), puto Bumbong or halo halo. Priced higher than the average snack shop but if you want a reasonably decent place, and guaranteed good food, this is the place.

Lastly, let me mention Avocadoria. Seen this almost everywhere. A small food booth in many malls. Never gave it a thought till a cousin fetched a cup for me to try. OMG it’s sooo good. I bet it’s packed with calories but trust me, it’s worth all the calories 🤣 I love frozen desserts — halo halo, maiz con hielo, bingsu, kakigori, anything with ice shavings OR ice cream, sorbet, sherbet. Try this sweet ending as an alternative to what you’ve been having thus far. If you love avocados, all the more that you should give this a try. Yum. Won’t regret it. 👍

Update:

Just needed to update to include more value-for-money eats. We need not skip those bonding moments with fam and friends just because dining out can be expensive. There are still many dining spots offering under P500 meals.

Located in Linear Towers at Yakal Corner Mayapis