Filipino food is distinctive and delicious because it reflects a variety of cultural influences.
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20 Top and Best Filipino Food in the Philippines
20. Suman

Suman is a sweet dish prepared by steaming glutinous rice that has been wrapped in banana leaves. The sweet and creamy flavor of the dessert is enriched by the addition of coconut caramel sauce or latik (toasted coconut curd).
19. Bibingka

Filipinos commonly make a dessert called bibingka with ingredients such as rice flour, coconut milk, and sugar. Traditional preparation calls for banana leaves, and the cake is saved for the holiday season when it is served. The dessert is sweet and flavorful, with a texture somewhere between soft and slightly chewy.
18. Buko Pandan

A popular dessert in the Philippines, Buko Pandan consists of shredded young coconut, pandan-flavored gelatin, condensed milk, and cream. This sweet and refreshing dessert best served cold.
17. Turon

The crunchy center of a turon comes from a combination of deep-fried jackfruit and banana slices. The rolls get their sweet flavor and satisfying crunch from the caramelized sugar coating.
16. Ube Halaya

This delicious dessert known as ube halaya, made by mixing mashed purple yam, condensed milk, coconut milk, and butter together. Filipinos like this dish because it has a velvety smooth texture and a deep purple color.
15. Champorado

Chocolate powder, sugar, and cooked glutinous rice are all you need to make a simple but delicious dessert called champorado. Adding saltiness and flavor, dried fish (tuyo) is commonly served as a condiment.
14. Bicol Express

Filipinos like to cook with pork, so they made a dish called Bicol Express with pork, coconut milk, shrimp paste, chili peppers, garlic, and ginger. The dish’s distinctively delicious heat originates in the Bicol region of the Philippines.
13. Laing

Taro leaves are the main ingredient in Laing, a dish that is cooked in coconut milk and seasoned with ginger, garlic, and chili peppers. It’s a staple vegetable dish in the Philippines, and it goes perfectly with rice.
12. Sizzling Pork Sisig

Sizzling Pork Sisig is a new dish that was made by changing the original recipe for Sisig. In this version, the usual pig’s head and liver are replaced with a chopped pork belly that has been marinated in calamansi juice, soy sauce, and other spices.
11. Chicken Inasal

Grilled chicken is known as “Chicken Inasal,” and it is marinated in a mixture of vinegar, Calamansi, and annatto oil before being seasoned and served. The chicken gets its lively orange color and delicious tangy flavor from the marinade. Garlic rice and a dipping sauce of soy sauce, Calamansi, and chili peppers are common ingredients.
10. Tapsilog

The Filipino dish known as tapsilog combines the flavors of tapa (cured beef), sinangag (garlic fried rice), and itlog (various steamed eggs). The meal is an excellent way to start the day on a hearty and satisfying remark.
9. Pancit

Pancit, a Filipino noodle dish, is commonly seen and served in any celebration events. Usually cooked in a frying pan and then stir-fried with various ingredients, including meat, vegetables, and sometimes seafood like shrimp. It is also believed that eating this dish on your birthday will grant you many more years of good health.
8. Pinakbet

Pinakbet, also called “Pakbet,” is a Filipino traditional vegetable dish. It consists of local vegetables like bitter melon, squash, sweet potatoes, eggplants, okra, and green beans combined with crispy pork. The distinctive flavors come to life with “Bagoong Isda”, an iconic Filipino salted fish sauce.
7. Bistek

Bistek, a dish made of thinly sliced beef marinated in calamansi and soy sauce. The beef is then pan-fried with onions until the onions are caramelized and the beef is tender. Bistek is usually served with rice and is a simple yet delicious meal.
6. Sisig

Sisig is a classic Filipino dish, and its main ingredients are chopped pig’s head (maskara) and liver, onions, and chili peppers that have been seasoned with calamansi (Filipino lime). It is common to crack an egg over the top of the dish before serving it steaming hot. One of the most common pulutan (appetizers) in the Philippines, sisig pairs perfectly with frosty beers.
5. Lumpia

A spring roll, called “lumpia” in the Philippines. Fried to a golden crisp, the rolls are then stuffed with meat, vegetables, and sometimes cheese. An assortment of sweet and sour sauces typically offered as a complement to the rolls.
4. Kare-Kare

Kare-Kare is a stew that typically includes oxtail, beef, and vegetables like eggplant and string beans. The dish is complemented by bagoong (fermented shrimp paste) and flavored with peanut butter. The bagoong, with its salt and pungent flavor, is a perfect complement to the stew’s savory and mildly sweet undertones.
3. Lechon

Lechon makes it in the top 3 spot of Top and Best Filipino Food in our list. Lechon, a type of roasted pig, is a staple food at many types of festive Filipino gatherings, such as birthday parties and fiestas. Crispy skin and juicy, tender meat result from roasting the pig over charcoal. Regular accompaniments include a dipping sauce of vinegar, soy sauce, and chopped onions.
Read Also: 15 Delicious Recipes You Can Make With Your Leftover Lechon
2. Sinigang
One of the most common dishes served in Filipino homes is sinigang, a sour soup. Meat (typically pork or beef) and vegetables like tomatoes, onions, and kangkong make up the soup (water spinach). The soup gets its signature flavor from the use of sour fruits like tamarind, kamias, and santol.
Read Also: Sinigang: Still in TasteAtlas Best Soup List, together with other Filipino Delicacies
1. Adobo

This dish is widely known in the country, and makes ADOBO as the top and best Filipino food in our list. This dish is made with marinated pork or chicken, mixed with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and other spices. The next procedure is to slowly cook the meat in the marinade, which makes a tangy, flavorful dish that is perfect paired with rice.
Filipino dishes are like a melting pot mixed inside are different cultures, making you experience unique flavors. From sour Adobo, spicy Bicol Express, and sweet Champorado. Don’t miss out on these delicious Filipino dishes the next time you visit the Philippines or a Filipino restaurant near you.