You have a lot of local Filipino food restaurants to choose from when you’re in Manila.

But Aling Sosing’s Carinderia, a legendary restaurant on the corner of a shaded street in Makati, is among the best of the best places to eat in Manila.

In this blog post I’m excited to share all the food details with you.

Watch the video:

If you have a few minutes, first watch the entire video of this meal to see all the action!

(Of you can watch it on YouTube here)

Filipino food
Aling Sosing’s Carinderia – Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines

Aling Sosing’s Carinderia

Located in Makati, a city within Metro Manila, that’s known for being the financial center of the city, Aling Sosing’s Carinderia is a local Filipino food restaurant that’s removed from the downtown hustle, and on a semi-quiet tree shaded corner of a road.

When you arrive you’ll be greeted by the display of all the Filipino dishes prepared and waiting for you to point and choose from.

The setting, and the display of all things food at Aling Sosing’s Carinderia, will instantly make your mouth water.

Best Filipino food in Manila
Choose whatever dishes you want

My wife Ying and I arrived at about 11 am on a weekday, eager to arrive before the main lunch rush, which I had read could be pretty extreme.

When we arrived, there were still a number of tables up for grab, so we got a seat on the sidewalk — open air to fully enjoy the atmosphere.

But literally minutes after we sat down, and remember it was still just after 11 am, all the tables filled up. And they only got busier and busier towards lunchtime, with many people opting for takeaway because all the tables were packed.

inihaw na liempo
Mountain of grilled pork belly

Ordering your food

Similar to just about all local Filipino carinderias (a carinderia is a local restaurant), all the food is prepared ahead of time, and when you order you simply go up to the front of the stall, and point and choose to order whatever dishes you like.

best Filipino food
Look at this amazing Filipino meal!

Aling Sosing’s, you’ll find many of the most typical and famous Filipino dishes, all of which look outstanding. Kind of like eating Nasi Padang in Indonesia, by far the hardest part is limiting yourself to a reasonable amount of food — because I can guarantee you’ll want to order it all.

I chose a number of different dishes, with a mixture of Filipino stews and grilled dishes, and retreated to our plastic table to start eating.

Inihaw na tilapia
Inihaw na tilapia (grilled tilapia)

Inihaw na tilapia (grilled tilapia)

Grilled fish is always something I love to eat, so we first started the meal with inihaw na tilapia, a grilled tilapia.

In Thailand, tilapia like this are often coated in a salt crust before being grilled, but they did well to grill this tilapia while keeping it nice and in-tact but with no crust. It had a nice natural charred flavor to it, and it was especially delicious when combined with rice and a sauce that included soy sauce, fresh chilies, and kalamansi juice.

Inihaw na liempo
Inihaw na liempo (grilled pork belly)

Inihaw na liempo (grilled pork belly)

Inihaw na liempo, or big thick slabs of grilled pork belly, is among the most famous and beloved of all Filipino foods, and at Aling Sosing’s Carinderia, they are known for it.

Smoking and grilling over hot coals, the fatty slabs of pork belly slow grill and smoke away to ensure they are embedded with an unbelievable smoky flavor.

grilled pork belly
The smokiness is unreal!

When you order inihaw na liempo, they take one of the pieces, and slice it up and serve it on a plate.

The pork had some good texture to it, and you get all the layers — meat, fat, and skin — in a single texture filled bite. The smokiness of the meat was a highlight for me.

Philippines food
Best pinakbet (vegetable stew) I’ve tried in the Philippines

Pinakbet (vegetable stew)

Pinakbet is a favorite Filipino vegetable dish of mine, and at Aling Sosing’s Carinderia they probably had the best version of it that I’ve ever had. When I arrived at 11 am, they had already almost sold out of it for the day, so I got one of the last portions.

Squash, bitter melon, long beans, and a variety of other vegetables were included, with some pieces of pork, and a light shrimp paste tasting sauce. It was balanced perfectly, and perfectly salty.

The pinakbet was one of the best dishes I tried here.

Filipino kaldereta
Kaldereta (goat stew)

Kaldereta (goat stew)

Possibly because I grew up eating a lot of goat, but goat is always one of my personal favorite meats of anything.

And so when I see a good looking kaldereta, a Filipino goat meat stew, I can’t resist. I ate kaldereta a number of times on my recent trip to the Philippines.

The kaldereta at Aling Sosing’s Carinderia was a little oily and mild in spice, but it was so comforting and the meat was so tender. With rice, it was so good.

Adobong pusit
Adobong pusit (squid adobo) – see that black dish?

Adobong pusit (squid adobo)

You’ve undoutedbly heard of adobo, which many consider to be the national dish of the Philippines. I saw squid adobo, with lots of black ink in the pot, and ordered it.

The squid was tender, but slightly rubbery, and it had a sweet and sour taste to it.

There are countless versions and tastes of Filipino adobo, and this was a little more on the sweet side, while I prefer more on the salty side.

Pork BBQ
Pork BBQ

Pork BBQ

The pork bbq was an impulse decision.

Ying and I saw it cooking fresh on the grill, and it looked and smelled so good, that we ordered some mid-way through our meal.

The pork was unbelievably tender and juicy, and had the perfect amount of tangy sweet bbq sauce all over it.

It was so good that we ate 2 skewers and ordered 2 more immediately.

soup
House soup, so meaty!

House soup

Finally, I have to tell you one thing that I’m a little embarrassed about…

I didn’t order bulalo.

Bulalo is a Filipino bone marrow soup, and Aling Sosing’s Carinderia is known for theirs.

But I didn’t order it because the day before I had eaten at another carinderia in Manila and had bulalo, so I wanted to switch up and try some different dishes. However, I’m regretting it now, because it looked amazing.

Filipino food
The broth was so meaty and salty, and so addictive.

Anyway, they still serve you some of the beef broth (which I think is from the same soup) and it includes small bones and vegetables complimentary when you’re eating here (just doesn’t include big chunks of meat or marrow).

The broth was outstanding, the type of liquid that you start taking spoonfuls and you can’t stop. It was meaty and salty, and crazy addictive.

You really should order bulalo when you eat at Aling Sosing’s Carinderia.

Manila street food
One of the best meals I ate in Manila!

I’ve eaten at quite a few carinderias in Manila, and Aling Sosing’s, for both their prepared stews and grilled dishes, is no doubt one of the best.

My wife and I sat enjoying the bustling atmosphere for lunch, and enjoyed every bite.

Total price – 640 PHP ($12.90) for everything and we ate a pretty huge meal

Aling Sosing's Carinderia
Legendary Aling Sosing’s Carinderia in Manila, Philippines

Conclusion

Aling Sosing’s is a local street food restaurant (carinderia) in Manila, Philippines, that serves some of the best tasting Filipino food you’ll find in all of Manila.

I especially enjoyed their pinakbet and kaldereta, along with their famous meaty soup. My meal here was one of the best I had in Manila!

Aling Sosing’s Carinderia

Address: Palanan 5819 Zobel Roxas, Palanan Makati City, Philippines
Open hours: 8 am – 6 pm from Monday – Saturday

64 comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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  • sankar singh

    3 years ago

    amazing food blog and pictures..

  • Joseph

    3 years ago

    how are you doing folks???

  • VapeSpring

    3 years ago

    Very good article.

  • Vishal

    5 years ago

    Nice content..great website design. Thanks.

  • Vishal

    5 years ago

    Great recipe.

  • Bernz JP

    5 years ago

    For those of you who have not tried that squid adobo, you’re missing a lot. That’s one of the best Filipino dishes in my opinion.

  • Patti Neves

    5 years ago

    I didn’t know the concept of carinderia! Will need to return to experience this…!

  • S. Lazaro

    6 years ago

    Hi…!!! Thank you for visiting the Philippines Mr.Wiens. I watch your videos during my free times. Just like you, I’m a big fan of street foods. I am a Filipino, but I live in Hawaii. As you know there are many provinces in the Philippines. I am from the most northern part of the country which is Ilocos Norte. We are known as the Ilocanos. When you and your family have another chance to visit the Philippines again, please come to Ilocos Norte. We have many great-tasting and interesting food that you can feature in your YouTube channel. There are a lot to learn about our Ilocano culture and traditions from our food. Hope you and your family come and experience our beautiful Ilocandia!

  • LUIS MIGUEL GASPAR

    6 years ago

    @mark wiens please go to cebu try cnt lechon

  • LUIS MIGUEL GASPAR

    6 years ago

    @Mark Wiens please come to the philippines because there is the yummiest halo halo (philippine shave ice) in the world the ice cream they use is homemade at makati city metro manila philippines.

  • Izy Berry

    7 years ago

    I can never get enough of grilled food! I love how Filipino food is a mouthful of flavors! Sweet, salty, sour, they definitely have it all.

  • Adam

    7 years ago

    Filipino cuisine is very much underrated – I hope more people begin to discover its merits!

  • minet

    7 years ago

    Glad you enjoy Filipino food. Thanks for visiting Philippines.
    Just subscribe to your channel. big thanks from Canada

  • Rituraj

    7 years ago

    This food looks fabulous, although many will find it unsafe just because it’s a street food. I am a travel blogger myself who also happens to lead food walks in Agra & I can understand the apprehension when people hear the word “street food”. All we can do is laugh on them who are missing out the wonderful taste & an interesting way to explore the city through their taste buds.

  • Ryan Avila

    7 years ago

    It’s a pinoy famous line, sabaw or sarsa pa lang ulam na. Those foods you had eaten are all my favorites. Sarap!

  • Tiffy

    7 years ago

    That inihaw na liempo looks so yummy! I live in Manila but never knew about Aling Sosing. Will definitely go there and try it next time! Thanks for showcasing Filipino food to the world. 🙂

  • carlaloo

    7 years ago

    I grew up there in Palanan Makati for 17 years, only to dicover it here on your blog haha We’ll try it out 🙂 If ever you come back here I would like to invite you to try my mother’s delicious Filipino dishes hihi Ginataang Kalderetang Baka, and “not your ordinary” Adobong Pusit 😀

    • Mark Wiens

      7 years ago

      Great to hear from you, thank you very much. I would love to visit next time I’m in the Philippines, thank you for your invitation. Hope you and your family are doing well!

  • Rick

    7 years ago

    it looks a little bit unhealthy. are you sure that foods can be eaten without illness

    • Mark Wiens

      7 years ago

      Thank you Rick, I didn’t have a problem. The food is freshly cooked each morning!

  • Rana Singh

    7 years ago

    Great article you are making me drool right now. Thanx for the pics. I have tasted the “Inihaw na liempo” but in my next trip i would like to taste all of them.

  • Charlie

    7 years ago

    That is really a big meal and all that for just $12.90. That’s such a good deal right? I’m enjoying the same kind of big meals here on Ho Chi Minh too. Will consider heading to Philippines next. And love your photos!

  • Travel Visa Australia

    7 years ago

    Pork BBQ and Adobong pusit are really delicious. I didn’t see “sisig” in their menu. I’ve heard it’s one of the tastiest Filipino foods. Thanks for sharing man. These foods make everyone hungry.

  • TIFTA

    7 years ago

    That grilled pork belly is a beautiful shot!

  • Charlie Alf

    7 years ago

    This must have been such an incredible experience. I always take the time to enjoy street food wherever I go- it’s often better than any fancy restaurant you can find! I agree about the Adobo – I much prefer the salty, but I imagine the squid was an “interesting eat”. It’s amazing that these cooks are so talented and that they can cook so quickly with so much flavor- something like that would have taken a home cook thrice as long! The Philippines is definitely on my food-travel adventure list.

  • Steve

    7 years ago

    Wow! In Makati? Will try to visit that next time!

  • Ryan Biddulph

    7 years ago

    Hi Mark,
    The pork BBQ looked like my fave. Even from over here in cyber world LOL. Because it seemed to melt in my mouth. Delish! Not a bad deal for under 13 bucks too for that bounty. I am the same way with Thai vegetarian restaurants. All the Thai eat 1-2 veggie dishes along with rice but I always go for 3 dishes, and could down 4-5 if I got serious LOL. Thanks for sharing 🙂
    Ryan

  • Zorayda Beulah Nevada

    7 years ago

    We love you Mark! I have been following you for a long time and I have always hoped you would make it to the Philippines and film a food tour. And look at you now!!! Thank you for showing a lot of love for our food and our country the Philippines at Migrationology. Your appreciation for our beloved Filipino food is gold because you know good food. Maraming maraming salamat!!!

  • ERIC

    7 years ago

    Mikey Chen is in bangkok. Why not try to do a video together. Love to see you both reactions to food 😀

  • Matilda

    7 years ago

    These dishes all look so delicious! I am craving that grilled pork belly and grilled tilapia.

  • Justin

    7 years ago

    Such a cool post – my wife and I are going to Manila next year, and can’t wait to add great shots like this to our blog!

  • Yuen Mi

    7 years ago

    This made me really hungry, and nostalgic. I love the street food scene in Asia, especially South Korea, they’re sometimes better than the restaurant where the food isn’t as authentic. I can’t wait to try Filipino street food, they look so delicious!

  • Nitin Khanna

    7 years ago

    Amazing Pictures and Food is looking delicious! You help me out to add this place in my bucket list. I will definitely visit at this place in future. Thanks for such a great information about Aling Sosing’s – local street food restaurant (carinderia) in Manila, Philippines. I just love to travel and explore new things while travelling on new places.
    Thanks!

  • Levi Liwanag

    7 years ago

    Hi Mark, I’ve been following your videos on You Tube for a few years now. I’m not exactly a food blogger but i love traveling and where ever I go, I make sure I try the local food. When ever you get a chance to be back in Manila, I suggest you try the following : Kare Kare ( Thai or Malay influence )- ox tail stew cooked in peanut sauce. Normally eaten with shrimp paste and steamed bok choy, string beans and egg plant. Also try the ” pina-paintan “, a stew normally from goat innards. The flavor is a combination of sour, spicy and bitter. The bitter flavor comes from the goat or beef bile. A few more things I can suggest is the three variations of ” egg roll ” we have. Lumpia Shanghai are small egg rolls with ground pork, shrimp or chicken. Lumpia togue are vegetable egg rolls primarily stuffed with bean sprouts and other veggies. Lastly is the Lumpia Sariwa, is a vegetable egg roll which is wrapped in a Filipino style egg roll wrapper.
    Congratulations on your success and continue making more videos.

  • John Lee

    7 years ago

    Thanks for sharing pictures of food. Looking very delicious. Love to eat with Rice.

  • Wanjiku

    7 years ago

    I am hungry just by looking at the photos. The pork BBQ and Kaldereta (goat stew) look sooo good. Mark, how do you manage to walk away after you’ve done your story? Guess for me it would be an empty wallet or when there’s no space for more food. 🙂

  • Rakesh Khushwaha

    7 years ago

    Delicious foods man, You just help me to select my next travel trip. Thanks.

  • Arnie C. Trinidad

    7 years ago

    I saw your video of Rodic’s. I went to UP back in the 1990s and Rodic’s was a favorite hang out place. You should have tried their menudo, beef caldereta and pork sinigang. They are to die for! Although menudo and kaldereta have Spanish sounding names, they are not even close to any Spanish dish I’ve had. They are uniquely Filipino dishes, with a distinctive Filipino flavor profile. The pork of their sinigang comes with fat, which literally melts in your mouth and is complemented by the pleasantly sour and herby (from the mustard leaves) taste of the broth. After seeing you eat at Rodic’s, I am wanting to swing by my alma mater tonight and have those delectable dishes again. You are brave to try the isaw. I have never had isaw in my life! Hahaha.

  • ölüdeniz yamaç paraşütü

    7 years ago

    the street foods that you mentioned in your writing makes me mouthwatering, i have started planning to go philippines now…

  • Jojo

    7 years ago

    Your blog made me hungry and I miss the times back in college when we used to eat at Sosings. You were very lucky to get a seat for lunch, normally during lunch people from the business district go there for lunch especially during fridays. You were right, you should have tried their bulalo, for me its one of the best ones out there combined with grilled tilapia and grilled liempo, best combo for me. Thanks for sharing, really brought back some memories.

  • Japong Devilleres

    7 years ago

    Hello Mark, new fan here.. Growing up in Makati I remember when I was still in highschool and just passing at Aling Sosings. I gotta agree, the aroma of the foods being cooked there makes me go home immediately to eat hahaha! I miss this carinderia! More power and good job! Hope to see you again here in the Philippines ????????????

  • John

    7 years ago

    Mark! why bro?! i used to dine there back in my High School days and after seeing this video, it made me reminisce those glorious days after a long day in school! My grandma has a carinderia too but we didnt have the grills for bbq so thats the reason i went there… without telling my gran of course. hehehe!!! Glad you enjoyed it bro the way i did. Its those kinda stuff that i miss about the philippines especially if it reminds you of your past. Cheers brother!

  • Martha

    7 years ago

    Loved your video about Aling Sosing’s Carinderia! Thank you.

  • ren aquino

    7 years ago

    must try since i always pass that place.

  • nick

    7 years ago

    640 php is overpriced dude based on the picture the actual price was around 300-400
    (2 LIEMPO 100 EACH X2) (1 TILAPIA 100 )(2 BBQ 20EACH X2)(1 PAKBET 30)(1 CALDERETA 50)(1 SQUID 50)(2 RICE 20)=490php
    but the common price for the liempo en tilapia was 70 to 80 pesos only .. lets say u have softdrinks after that meal thats only 510 not 640

  • Debbie

    7 years ago

    Hi Mark welcome to the Philippines,hope to see you in BKK come June. Enjoy your stay!

  • Charlie Gardiner

    7 years ago

    Wow it looks amazing, kind of similar to Thai street food in some parts of the country. Great photos as well!

    Keep it up!

  • Franz

    7 years ago

    Hi Mark. A favorite dish of ours is diniguan (pork, optional chilis, ginger, garlic served in a stew of pork’s blood). DELICIOUS. It is often served with rice and/our puto (a small, sweet muffin-looking bread). Have you tried this?
    Love your videos by the way.

  • John Miller

    7 years ago

    I have met a number of Filipinos and some of them have really become good friends.
    Your post made me remember what they told me about these kinds of restaurants. They said they are also known as ‘turo-turo’ which is Filipino for point-point. 🙂
    Thanks for sharing and helping me reminisce.

  • Marianne Marchand

    7 years ago

    I love how raw and straightforward your food blog is! Thank you for sharing the address as well. New fan here!

  • Shriyans

    7 years ago

    Wow! That looks nice. That Pork BBQ looks good.
    Also, off-topic, but out of all the airlines you’ve travelled with which one has the best food according to you?

  • Charlene Rose

    7 years ago

    Hello Mark,
    It’s good to see you’ve featured Foods to eat in The Philippines, It is truly delicious especially if home cooked like Aling Sosing’s Carinderia. I haven’t seen you’ve featured the ever famous “Adobo” or Sinigang, which has similarities to Thailand’s Tom Yum. I look forward to see more of your videos which are very sharp, clear and concise. Keep it up!!!! Regards from me and My Mom

    • Mark Wiens

      7 years ago

      Hey Charlene, thank you very much, I really enjoyed my recent trip to the Philippines and especially the food. More videos coming. Say hello to you Mom as well!

  • Scott Adlhoch

    7 years ago

    Delicious, All the images are mouth watering, I just want to try all the delicious recipe on my next trip to the Manila. I just love your blog and the way of representation of your article. I also share this with my friends, hope they like it.
    Could you please share the method how I can make this delicious recipe at home?

    • Mark Wiens

      7 years ago

      Thank you very much Scott, and thanks for sharing as well. I haven’t made any of these dishes before, but there are some great recipes if you do some searching. Thanks for reading!

  • Hans

    7 years ago

    Thanks for de-mystifying Filipino food … awesome to learn about all the different dishes you can enjoy there!

    • Mark Wiens

      7 years ago

      Hey Hans, you’re welcome, thank you for reading!

  • Theresa Vroom

    7 years ago

    Hi Mark! This post of your Filipino food experience is ahhhhmazing!! It’s making me drool!! I love pinakbet! You’re Awesome !Love ,love your blog, videos and your stories! Keep up the good work! Hello to Ying!