Jose’s 10 Best Street Food Moments

Ok, dahil kain lang ako ng kain lately, I thought of shortlisting some 10 memorable street food moments and lamons from my recent biyahes around. Nothing super fancy, basta yung mga casual, simple at cheap pagkain lang; nonetheless, authentic pa din. Walang cheeseburger dito ha? So here goes. Enjoy. =)

1.) Pho, Ho Chi Minh (2013): Nung binubuo ko pa lang this compilation, first that came into my mind was the Pho I had from a modest sidewalk set up eatery named Bum Bo Hue, along Bui Vien Street. Sobrang sarap, sobrang fresh ng sangkap, very pretty looking, it’s actually unforgettable. Pho is a traditional beef (or chicken) broth soup ng Vietnam na madaming leafy herbs, usually cilantro or fresh mint. Iba din arrive nya compared sa other Asian soup. Super nice din nung lady owner, that she gave me kakanin. A big bowl was around 50,000 dong ( around $ 2.5 usd, 100 pesos ). This may not be the cheapest, but it was highly recommended by the hostel staff. Typical sa Ho Chi Minh yung naglalatag lang sa sidewalk ng tables and chairs, lalo na pag gabi; sobrang Vibrant ng place.

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Vietnamese Pho

2.) Authentic Pad Thai, Bangkok (2013): Though madami naman masarap na Pad Thai everywhere, iba pa din when you get to enjoy a freshly cooked set along Rambuttri o Khaosan Road. As such, deserving to ng spot dito sa compilation.  Pad Thai is an authentic Thai noodle dish that is mildly sweet and mildly tangy (from its tamarind-based sauce), and usually topped with peanut and drizzled with lemon. This one in the picture is a vegetarian set. Tofu lang yun gamit. around 59 Bhat (100 Pesos)SAM_1292

3.) Poh Piah, Singapore (2013): This may be ordinary for some, pero sobrang na enjoy ako sa Poh Piah na nakain ko dun sa SG. Poh Piah s a Fujian/Chaozhou-style fresh spring roll that is sweet,peanuty and medyo crunchy inside kasi magulay. This is also common in Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand. This one on the photo was around 2 Sgd.SAM_0446

4.) Curry Mutton Balls, Kolkatta (2014): Ito ung first meal ko sa India, kaya memorable kasi sa labas lang to ng public market kasabay yung mga locals, kaya sobrang authentic ng feel. Sobrang flavourful din ng dish na ito. Wag na kayong ano, mahilig talaga ako sa curry. This was only 25 Rupees (Around 25 Pesos), may kasamang Paratha (Indian bread prepared on a griddle, and lightly oiled).

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Roti bread with some curry. My First Street food in India

5.) Masala Omelette Sandwich, Delhi (2014): Simple lang, super cheap ,like 25 Rupee (around 25 Pesos) pero sobrang saya ko na dito. Masala is a traditional Indian spice mix. Di ko ma explain ano lasa nito. Alanganin curry, alanganin cumin, basta very pungent. May fresh Onion pa at Coriander combined with the omelette. Overwhelming for some, pero sarap na sarap ako. Common to sa Pajar Ganj. 2x ko to breakfast when I was in Delhi.

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Masala Egg Omelette Sandwich . A cheap street food , prepared while you wait, which was good because you get to see how its done. (think fairly clean street food)

6.) Kusum Mutton Roll, Kolkatta (2014):  Nabasa ko to noon kay Migrationology.com. Its basically like kebab, only that the grilled mutton stuffing is somewhat curried, and is wrapped with a Paratha (Indian bread prepared on a griddle, and lightly oiled) and walang garlic sauce/white sauce for this; just red onion, onion stalk and light chili sauce.  Mga 70-80 Rupees per piece.

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the super yummy Kusum Mutton Roll in park street Kolkatta, mentioned by Migrationology.com as one of his 25 best street food in the world worthy of travel. and indeed it is.

7) Souvlaki, Athens (2015): Souvlaki is Greece’s version of Beef Kebab. This one in the photo is from a famous eatery called ‘Thanalis’ in Athens, which is known to serve good wraps. Souvlaki is somewhat more comparable to India’s Kusum Roll, kasi the wrapper is prepared almost the same way. Mas madami lang anik anik itong sa Greek like tomato, red onion, and may potato fries pa, tas may white sauce. Around 3 Euros (150 Pesos) pero generous naman sa size.

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8.) Not so traditional Salami Pizza, Rome (2015): Di ko na maalala ung name, nahanap ko lang to sa tabi tabi eh. Sobrang nasarapan ako dito, among all pizza na natry ko dun. May fresh basil leaves to under the salami.  3 to 4 Euros per serve.

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9.) Kimbap, Seoul (2015): Kimbap is like Korea’s version of maki/sushi… Only that feeling ko, theirs is more basic, fastfood-ish, and are usually stuffed with ham,egg, cheese and crispy vegetables.And like a typical Korean dish, may this one has a kick of Sesame oil. Common to sa mga subway hawkers around seoul. If you are not into the strong smelling fishcake and the spicy deokbokki, then this is your next best streetfood option in Korea. 

10.) Hongkong Style Skewers (2015): Hongkong is also every man’s streetfood heaven. Lahat ng cravings mo on international levels, nandun nah sa streets nila; kaya deserving din to ng spot sa compilation. Among all skewers, itong bacon wrapped sausage ang favourite ko. Basta may bacon, I’ll rest my case. Lol 

Bonus: Dessert, beh! =)
11.) Gulab Jamun, Delhi (2014) : Ito ang tunay na masarap! Jamun is a Solid Milk-based Mithai (Indian Sweets).  Usually caramelized, minsan meron pang rose flavour, o saffron flavour… kaya nagiging kakaiba na ung taste.

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Jamun Balls. deep fried sweet milk dough with caramel sauce. Yummy ! 15 INR for 2 piece !

12.) Belgian Waffle, Brussels(2016): Bilang sarado gana, sasali ko sa list this super pretty Belgian Waffle i had near the Grand Place in Brussels. Mejo chewy ung mismong waffle, ganun daw tlga ang authentic. Generous ang topping, and smothered with real white chocolate. Sobrang filling. This one is at 4 Euros, pero good for 2 na to.

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Yun lang muna guys. Sana nagutom kayo =)

Travelogue 2015

As a new year tradition(and hopefully I can keep it up), I am sharing these simple travelogue postcards of beautiful cities I’ve visited the past year.  All shots were taken by me with my Sony. Feel free to share. =)

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A day Around Athens, Greece: A Photoblog

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A shot(by yours truly) of the ancient grounds of Acropolis seated on top of the hill at the centre of Athens. This unobstructed view can be seen from the Agora Market side of Plaka.
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A View of Athens City as seen when walking up the Acropolis from Plaka.

The cost of entrance to the Acropolis is about 12 euros and is good for the other sites in the area including the ancient agora, theatre of Dionysos,Kerameikos, Roman Agora, Tower of the Winds and the Temple of Olympian Zeus and is supposedly good for a week.

Walking around Plaka and the street scene at the foot of Acropolis.

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A quick countryside visit to the Temple of Poseidon in Sounion, taking 2 hours bus ride, situated on top of a cliff facing the Aegean Sea. Imagine the battles of ancient times that happened on this water.

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The temple overlooking Aegean sea

Acropolis Museum is also a must visit ideally before climbing up the Acropolis grounds. The museum keeps and preserves all the original statues and carvings of the Acropolis site, including the famous Caryatids as shown below.  Entrance fee to the museum only costs 5 Euros.

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The Acropolis Museum at night.
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X95 Bus to and from the Airport, costing 11 Euros per way.
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Athens International Airport

Five Must Eats in Athens,Greece

Greek Street food was something I really looked forward during my trip to Europe. Apart from the interesting fusion of Italian cheese and spices with Middle Eastern influences, Greek street food is always served heavy, filling and cheap! Bumawi ako ng lamon sa Greece kasi mahal yung pagkain sa iba.The pizza and gelato in Italy were also great, but are just too mainstream, Lol.

Anyways, here’s my list of the street finds around Athens that should never be missed.

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The Souvlaki is probably the most common Greek food you can basically find anywhere. This fast food is mainly grilled meat (could be pork, lamb, chicken or fish) wrapped in pita with all the greek spices in tzatsiki (yogurt)sauce. It is somewhat their version of shawarma, except that the greek bread is thicker and more chewy. Souvlaki is a heavy street food (big enough like around 8″ long, and priced at only around 3 Euro with Coke.

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Here is a personal favourite, the Moussaka. This one is somewhat the Greek’s version of Lasagna. Layers of sautéed aubergine(mini eggplant), minced meat, fried pureed tomato, onion, garlic and spices like cinnamon, potato, cheese topping and béchamel sauce

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Anything with Greek Feta Cheese is amazing. Here is literally a Slab of Feta Cheese topping a salad dish, like around 10 cm thick. Generous!

Lachmatzoun is an ancient greek style rolled pizza. also a popular street food. The brown part shown is spicedLminced lamb meat.

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lightly salted and grilled Lamb ribs, perfectly paired with cuscus. This was around 9 Euros, good for two.

Other Street food around the city…

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Greek Yogurt with Walnut and Honey. Must not miss!
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Anything with cheese is good in Greece
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pastries and brittles and other stuff related to Baklava
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The Mythos Beer for the win! Mild and crisp, this is my 2nd fave beer in Europe (next to 10% Tyskie of Poland)
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Although not originally from Athens, Leonidas coffee is also a great bev, and cheap as well. only 1.50 Euro for this iced frappe. You’ll never find coffee as cheap as that in France or Italy.
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A great view of Athens Agora Market, which has long been the center of trade for the Greeks, since Time B.C.