Travelogue: Saturdays At Salcedo Market, Makati

Hey guys!

So it’s my fourth time visiting Manila – you’d think I’d be bored and running out of things to do by now – but this city has a way of surprising me.

Morning was overcast, but the Boy and I decided there was enough sun to go visit Salcedo Market – an open-air artisan/organic/food market located in the heart of Makati.

Held every Saturday at Salcedo Village, which is a nice green plot surrounded by condominiums, the market hosts dozens of stalls peddling everything from fresh seafood and handicrafts to flowers and organic local produce. It isn’t very large, but there’s plenty to see and experience (and eat!).

Different kinds of fresh seafood: shrimp, catfish, milkfish, squid, crab, eel, even tuna eggs.

You can also find ‘exotic’ dishes like fried pigeon!

Tropical fruits – pomelo, jackfruit, rambutan, lychee and longan, mangoes – and not so tropical fruits, like strawberries and cherries.

Stall selling honey and honey-related products. They even had a honeycomb panel with live bees in it.

Traditional ice cream cart, complete with brightly painted exterior and carriage-style wheels.

You’ll also find fancy stuff at the market, like Lobster Rolls. At PHP500++ per roll, this is for those who want to splurge but still get that ‘street’ food vibe.

Cheeses, spreads, dips and pate. Interesting flavours!

My mom had this running joke about how I’m actually European in my past life because I like bread > rice

All that walking around and smelling the food got me hungry, so we stopped at this stall selling lechon wrap with plum sauce. The wrap was ala Chinese – thin and filled with spring onions and vegetables – and then there was the tender, moist juiciness of the meat and the crisp of the skin. Explosion of flavours and textures in the mouth.

Only qualm was it cost PHP85 which is quite expensive, and the wrap was gone in a bite 😀

You’ll find different kinds of cuisine here! We saw a lot of Spanish-influenced dishes, traditional Filipino items, even a Malaysian (!) stall selling curry –  alongside Japanese takoyaki, pizza, grilled sausages, etc.

I had chicken isaw (intestines), cooked on the grill to order. Unfortunately no picture

Stuffed fish. These are also cooked to order on the grill.

Boy and I got a taho (silky tofu dessert) to share. This is very similar to the Malaysian-Chinese tau foo far, although the Filipino version is much sweeter and adds sago pearls. Vendors usually scoop the soft tofu out of a large metal bucket, and ladles the syrup from another.

I really enjoyed my time at Salcedo Market ! It’s reminiscent of the farmers markets/organic markets in Western countries, but with a local touch. We don’t have too many markets of this kind in Malaysia: there’s usually pasar pagi (morning wet markets) and pasar malam (night markets selling food or cheap clothing). There were many expats doing the rounds during our visit. I can see myself coming here every weekend if I stayed in the area.

SALCEDO MARKET 

Jaime C. Velasquez Park, Salcedo Village, Makati, Kalakhang Maynila, Philippines

Open: 7AM til 2PM Saturdays