I have to admit that only two things makes visiting the Philippines bearable; 1) family and close friends and 2) food.

Oh wait, lemme add a third: (hopefully) not accidentally seeing people you don’t want to see (ever again actually).

Sorry. It’s so hot today (a blistering 21 degrees) that it makes one unnecessarily catty and ungracious.

It’s so hot that the salad and baked nude chicken wings that I had planned for dinner seem too much except that I can’t stop thinking about food, especially food that I want to eat when I’m in the Philippines.

I’ve already reminded my sister-in-law about buying cakes probably on the 23rd. We asked my mom for a whole lechon for noche buena. I’ve recently asked the friends I’m meeting up in Manila when I arrive if they’d be interested in checking out the newly Michelin-minted Pinoy restaurants, but both of them said they weren't really foodies, so..anyways, I’ve made my usual list:

1. Boneless bangus for breakfast, lunch and dinner

2. Tuyo for breakfast, lunch and dinner

3. Catfish for breakfast, lunch and dinner

4. Shrimp for breakfast, lunch and dinner

5. Vigan longganisa

6. Carabao tapa

7. pork barbecue

8. bagnet

9. squid with ink

10. True native tilapia (the small variety), pan fried

11. oysters (if they’re nice)

12. Sisig

13. Goat the way my brother always prepares it

14. Lingayen tamales

15. Arorosep with tomatoes and onions

16. Saba bananas done every possible way

17. My sister-in-law’s mom’s pakbet

18. Papaitan (hope it’s in season)

19. Every dish in my cousin’s restaurant

20. Pigar-pigar

21. Mangoes

22. Unripe papaya in a tinola

23. Puto with margarine

24. Goldilocks polvoron

25. Quezo Real ice cream

26. Ube ice cream

27. Candied tamarind

28. Buro

29. Ruby’s siopao

30. Dinuguan