Top 10 Best Food Destinations in the Philippines

Culinary tourism is becoming increasingly popular among all types of travelers. We travel for a variety of reasons, one of them is to explore different cuisines. Trying new cuisines while traveling to new areas increases the value of the experience, allowing you to have a richer and more meaningful experience.  It's like looking through a window into a culture, people, and place. Taking a culinary tour while traveling is a wonderful idea. It will enable visitors to appreciate locals, support small businesses, experience the culture, and learn more about a place. When it comes to one of the best food destinations in the world, the Philippines is at the top of the list. Since Filipino cuisine is founded on a variety of many everyday dishes from India, Spain, China, and America, there are many food dishes and delicacies that every traveler can select from. It has been shown and tested that foreign visitors appreciate Filipino cuisine, which is one of the main reasons they travel to the Philippines. The cuisine of the Philippines is diverse, encompassing the cuisines of over a hundred ethnic and linguistic groups. Since the Philippines was colonized by Spain and America and has immigrants from all around Southeast Asia, Filipino cuisine cannot be compared to that of other countries. This is considered to be one of the most impacted cuisines in the Asian continent.

Do you plan to go on a culinary adventure in the Philippines? I've got you covered! Here is a top ten list of the Philippines' best food destinations.

1.    Pampanga

Sisig | Image credit: South China Morning Post website

Pampanga is a Philippine province in the central part of the island of Luzon. It's only a two-hour drive from Manila. Pampanga is known for its tourism attractions, natural wonders, and rich history; it is also known as the Philippines' Culinary Capital, as it produces the majority of the country's top cuisines. Kapampangan (people from Pampanga)  are recognized for their passion for cooking, which traces back to the Spanish colonization of the Philippines when Spaniards taught Kapampangans how to cook. Sisig, tocino, bringhe, bulanglang kapampangan, morcon kapampangan, and many others are popular Kapampangan dishes.

2.    Bicol

Bicol Express | Image credit: NutriAsia website

Bicol is an administrative region in the Philippines' southern part of Luzon. Bicol is famous for its volcanic volcanoes, whale sharks, and pristine beaches. Aside from that, Bicol is known for its cuisine because of its unique usage of coconut and chiles in Filipino recipes. It is known for its delectable dishes such as bicol express, laing, kinunot, puto bukayo, linubak, kandingga, tiwi halo-halo, and many others.

3.    Bacolod City

Chicken Inasal | Image credit: Mae Singuay

Bacolod City is the capital city of the province of Negros Occidental, which is known as the City of Smiles because of its Masskara Festival. Bacolod is also renowned as the Land of Sweet People and its culinary heritage, which includes the inasal, a roasted chicken. Chicken inasal is available all across the country, but the best place to try it is in Bacolod, where the most authentic version may be found. Not only that, but you should try various organic cuisines, piaya, lumpiang ubod, seafood, and exquisite desserts and pastries while in Bacolod. Since it is part of Negros Occidental, sometimes known as the "Organic Food Bowl of Asia," Bacolod is one of the best destinations for health-conscious foodies.

4.    Iloilo City

La Paz Batchoy | Image credit: Ang Sarap from Pinterest

Iloilo City is a first-class highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region. Iloilo is known for its historic churches, rich culture, and historical significance. Apart from that, Iloilo is well-known for its La Paz Batchoy, which is one of the reasons why tourists flock to the city. It is famous for its seafood and flavorful native delicacies like pancit molo, bisayang lechon manok, tinu-om, chicken binakol, talaba, and many others that people of all countries will enjoy.

5.    Davao City

Durian \ Image credit: Kkday website 

Davao City is a first-class highly urbanized city on the island of Mindanao. Davao is known for its thriving economy, urban development, modern facilities, tourist attractions, and as the home of the endangered Philippine eagle. Aside from that, Davao is regarded as the "Durian Capital of the Philippines" since it offers a wide range of durian varieties as well as durian-based products such as durian sweets, durian pastries, and durian-flavored beverages. It is also recognized for its fruit varieties such as banana, papaya, magosteen, lanzones, marang, and jackfruit because it produces at least 81 percent of the Philippines' total cacao production, which is why it is called the "Chocolate Capital of the Philippines."

6.    Batangas

Lomi | Image credit: Roselle Miranda

Batangas is a Philippine province in the southern part of the island of Luzon. It takes only three to four hours to get there from Manila. Batangas is known for its beaches, resorts, the Taal Volcano, seaside towns and villages, ancestral houses, and many more attractions. It's also known for foods like lomi, gotong Batangas, bulalo, tapang taal, taghilaw, and others. Since Batangas is located near bodies of water like the sea, it has a wide range of seafood to offer. Most of Batangas' recipes contain soup, which is particularly popular among food travelers.

7.    Ilocos Sur

Vigan Longganisa | Antwe Crafted Meats website

Ilocos Sur is a Philippine province in the northern part of the island of Luzon. It is known for its centuries-old architecture, colorful Ilocano culture, and rich history. The city of Vigan and the Santa Maria Church, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, are both located here. Apart from that, it is well-known for its cuisine, which features a wide range of delectable, exotic, and even vegan-vegetarian dishes. When visiting Ilocos Sur, you must try Vigan longganisa, Ilocos empanada, bagnet, pinakbet, okoy tiyosko, poqui poqui, and many more.

8.    Cagayan de Oro City

Sinuglaw | Image credit: Clix website

Cagayan de Oro City is the capital of the Misamis Oriental province. Cagayan de Oro is known for its adventurous and thrilling travel activities, river-trekking tours, art, culture, and white rapids, which is why it is known as "The Whitewater Rafting Capital." It is also known for its food delicacies such as binaki, puto maya, cashew nuts, remember me, and many others. And food dishes such as chicken surol, sinuglaw, pigok fish, ostrich meat, proben, and many other foods.

9.    Cebu

Lechon | Image credit: Ram Mancelita

Cebu is a Philippine province in the Visayas island group of the Philippines. Tourism, shopping, furniture-making, a rich history and culture, and heavy industry are all aspects that the city is recognized for. It is also recognized for its delectable delicacies and cuisines such as lechon, balamban liempo, danggit, puso, ngohiong, inun-unan, humba, and many others. Cebu is also abundant with seafood, where you can try seafood dishes such as sugba, tula, and kilawin.

10.  Pangasinan

Inihaw na Bagus | Image credit: Lutong Bahay Recipe website

Pangasinan is a Philippine province in the northwest part of the island of Luzon. It takes only two to three hours to get there from Manila. Islands, beaches, caves, mountains, hills, and waterfalls abound throughout Pangasinan. Aside from that, it's recognized for a variety of delicacies and dishes including bangus, pakbet, bagoong isda, kaleskesan, bagisen, pigar-pigar, and many others that you shouldn't miss.