This article is not for those people with a weak stomach… Most of my European and American readers will not understand, but I am sure most of my Asian readers will…. this is about real street-food & the way it was supposed to be! And about getting the NR.1 out of my food bucketlist, BALUT !

Being invited by a local friend that knows all about what I do, I was invited to come to the university of Manila first… Because for many, many years there is a legendary foodstand on their terrain. Started in a small cut-in-half truck, now owning a real foodstand. And as you see there are many locals waiting in line day and night. And for the average price of less than €0.10 per skewer, you can imagine people eating out at these places every day. We ate 4 things:

1. Chicken gizzards (it is the unique part of the intestines of a chicken that grinds all the food) And fucking impossible to eat….LOL structure is of bone with fat….like a sheep’s eye you really need to bite through it, but both taste as structure were god awful.
2. Chicken intestines, like the colon, was very nice. Soft tender meat real authentic chicken flavour, nothing wrong.
3. Pig’s ears (they call them walkman locally) also very tasty but a bit harder and more dry, not that special but very nutritious they say…
4. Pig’s intestines, like the chicken’s but than a bit more tough, good typical pork taste, not sure what this pig ate….but it smelled like sh**

And as you can see, after grilling you dip it in a sort of vinegar (Philippino’s love the sour taste). spicy or sweet, both fine by me!

After this we went looking for the famous Balut, but we first bumped into another small vendor just down the street, here we had to stop for famous fishcake… And spicy green peppers with extra ham and cheese. The fish was a bit boring, typical snack, the peppers were just great. With a filo pastry crust and running cheese inside this flaming pepper, yummie!

Now it was time for the real deal, the Balut…. A nearly hatched duck embryo…. we bought it on the street with some vinegar and salt and ours was just 18 days old…. What an experience. We took ours back to the restaurant where we would have the “normal” dinner…. But first some pics, explanation below:

Started with a shot of tequila for some courage….

Just a regular egg…..no?

You crack the bottom part first and slowly peel away…. you drink the egg soup (the amniotic fluid or “vruchtwater” in Dutch). Honestly that tasted amazing, just like egg soup, still warm and surprisingly creamy! Could finish a whole bowl of this…

Peel al the way down till you see your little friend…

There is the little duckling, eyes already forming just as its beak is. Now you bite down on the little bugger and crunch it all together….hahaha what an experience. Unbelievable that it was so nice, like a freshly boiled egg, just some harder parts that is all. And as I always say, just eat with your mouth, not with your eyes. The explosion of flavours and texture are remarkable and very good when you stop thinking about what you are eating….

After these appetizers it was time for some genuine food and drinks. Lazat was the place to be for sure. 76 Scout Limbaga Street, Laging Handa, Tomas Morato, Quezon City

Ate the best freaking SISIG ever! It are the 3 small heaps you see below with the quail egg on top, its mixed pigs face parts, sounds horrible I know, but WOW. All these flavours of the snout, the cheeks, brains whatever more, so full, bit greasy / fatty but also crackling and heavenly! I would come back here just for this. And like the Italian Bolognese, this also has its own recipe in every household, but here it was 10 out of 10.

After this or should I say next to this we had a sweet and sour coconut soup some” Baboong” fermented shrimp paste and one of the most unique salads evr made out of fern or frond. What I though was a typical “put in your home” type of plant now made with fresh chili, garlic lots of vinegar and salt. A bomb went of in my mouth and it cleansed the palet perfectly!

In the end I paid like €24,- for 2 people, which I believe is just amazing!

I can recommend any of you to do the same, what a great foodie day it was again! scores a $$/$