If you are visiting Manila, Philippines over the weekend, I’m sure your days are packed with places to do, things to see. And then by night, you’d probably be getting yourself psyched for some partying at Republiq or Opus. But if you’re not really into the party scene and find yourself hungry at 11pm, let me recommend this place to you– because this is where you will find yourself deeply immersed in Philippine food culture.
Midnight Mercato (the night counterpart of Mercato Centrale over weekend mornings + early afternoons)
After coming from an event at Greenbelt 5 (Style Origins) with Lifestyle Asia Magazine’s Cheryl Tiu , I asked my husband to take me to Midnight Mercato. I have never been– but I’ve heard so much about it. It was 10:30 pm.
The folks responsible for Midnight Mercato? Anton Diaz (Our Awesome Planet) and RJ Ledesma
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| RJ Ledesma and his wife, Vanessa |
Let me start with the sweets first (just because I want to keep this post very sweet :D)
There’s “Dirty” Ice Cream (no, it’s not dirty, it’s just called “dirty” because this concept came from those roving street ice cream carts)
If you prefer something a little more fancy, there’s Mochiko (ice cream wrapped in mochi)
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| Allow mochiko to thaw a bit before eating. Soooo gooood!!!! |
Oh if I didn’t have to worry about my weight, I’d be wolfing these down!
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| Brazo de Mercedes Bars! |
Cakes by the Slice!
And then there’s the savoury part of the market
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| Takoyaki balls |
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| Hapadog Japanese hotdog |
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| Lechon |
Lechon came from this:
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| Roasted pig (or what’s left of it :D) |
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There are sooo many different kinds of food to choose from (I got full by just looking!)
And then you’ve got Chinese– fresh rolls called Lumpia
There’s freshly grilled burgers
And then English bangers (or sausages lol)
For serious, there’s A LOT of food
Everything imaginable on a stick 🙂
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| Isaw= Innards 🙂 Pork, Beef, and Chicken Innards. Name it! |
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| Chicken feet, Squid Balls, Prawns, Chicken Wings… all on a stick! |
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| Barbequed Chicken, Pork |
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| More innards! |
Have you heard of Kwek Kwek? I have but have never tried it. Maybe on my next visit I’ll try– it’s fried quail eggs in orange batter (someone enlighten me what’s in that batter, why it’s the color of an Hermes box :D)
And if you fancy saucy stuff,
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| No that’s not chocolate stew. It’s dinuguan= pork blood. But trust me, it’s seriously good. (Carnivore/ Vampire mode hehehe) |
The Midnight Mercato is really worth a visit– every weekend for that wonderful midnight food fix– and it’s really a very good way to introduce yourself to the wonders of the Philippine food culture 🙂
For more information about Midnight Mercato which is located just behind the MC Home Depot complex / across the Lexus car dealership in Fort Bonifacio Global City, visit
www.midnightmercato.com See you all there again tonight 🙂
x
TheBagHag
