Cities Where Street Food is Better Than Any Michelin Restaurant

24. Manila, Philippines: Sweet, Savory, and Everything in Between

Manila’s street food scene is a vibrant, dizzying spectacle of flavor, variety, and fearless experimentation. With roots in Spanish colonial heritage, Chinese trade, and native Filipino traditions, street vendors in the Philippine capital offer a kaleidoscope of dishes that range from sweet to savory, familiar to wildly adventurous. Walk down any barangay (neighborhood) and you’ll find isaw (grilled chicken intestines), betamax (blood cubes), and adidas (grilled chicken feet) sizzling over open flames—popular snacks often enjoyed with a vinegar dipping sauce and an ice-cold soft drink. But street food in Manila isn’t just about the grill. Sweet treats like banana cue—deep-fried caramelized bananas on skewers—and turon, a crispy spring roll filled with banana and jackfruit, are beloved by students and office workers alike. And then there's balut, the infamous fertilized duck egg that’s a rite of passage for adventurous eaters. Crack one open and you’ll get a warm, savory mix of broth, yolk, and embryo—not for the squeamish, but deeply rooted in Filipino culture. To cool down, nothing beats halo-halo, a towering crushed ice dessert layered with jellies, fruits, beans, and leche flan, then topped with purple ube ice cream. Manila’s street food is chaotic, creative, and endlessly surprising—much like the city itself. It’s where history, hustle, and heart converge—one skewer, scoop, or slurp at a time.