Munchies for the Trip Back Home
If you stay with a Filipino family on your trip here, they will probably pack you a little something to eat for your trip back home. Are they naturally sweet or are they just aware of the appalling state of airport restaurants? Most of the eats there are franchises you can find everywhere else. Nothing memorable. If not for the delicious Mango shake at NAIA Terminal 1, I’d never buy anything from there. The recently opened NAIA Terminal 3 promises to have dining places where people can have parties and such soon. For now, I am opting to write about the best foods to take with you on the plane.
Chef Tony’s Popcorn
This can make a few minutes of your excruciating long-haul flight heavenly. Munch away while waiting for your plane or better yet while you’re watching an in-flight movie. Chef Tony’s popcorn bits are so dense and big, you’ll have a hard time believing it’s popcorn. Not only are they puffy and crunchy, they come in a variety of flavors: pecan, moccachino, cinnamon, pesto, white choco walnut, parmesan, and my favorite white cheddar. This gourmet popcorn comes in two sizes in plastic containers that’s made for sharing. Offer some to your seatmate or better yet, keep it all to yourself!
(Available at S&R Price Club, Glorietta, Mall of Asia, Podium, and other major malls.)
Cebu Dried Mango
If you’ve had the good luck of trying the ripe Philippine mango then for sure, you’d want to take some back home. Unfortunately the fruit’s seasonality can make that tricky and importing fresh goods in some countries is actually illegal. So go to the grocery store and grab some Cebu dried mango. Don’t be fooled by the term dried. These babies still retain some of the ripe mango’s succulence and all of its sweetness. A good chewable snack that’s perfect for carrying around.
(Available in most grocery stores and convenient stores)
Aristocrat Combo Meals
If you gag at the thought of airplane food then you might consider bringing your own. Aristocrat is a bastion of Filipino cuisine since 1936. Banking on culinary nostalgia, it’s gotten generations of Filipinos to make it a tradition to walk by its doors after landing from the aiport. Now, you can make the taste of your Philippine trip linger by bringing a packed meal. They have a box that’s not bulky, easy to stuff in your hand carry luggage. My choice is the barbeque chicken with java rice and tangy peanut sauce. One of the best barbeques in town! Feel free to try out the other goods like Kare-kare, Lechon Kawali, and Crispy Pata. They also have one of the best desserts around. The Torta De Los Reyes is made with layers of chocolate, wafers, and ganache. Not too sweet with different textures and flavors, it’s just the thing to have with a warm cup of Joe.
(Aristocrat Roxas Boulevard 432 San Andres cor. Roxas Boulevard,
Malate, Manila. Trunklines: 524 7671 to 80 Delivery Local 225/230)