21. Mom & Tina's Bakery Café
Dish: Chicken and Spinach Lasagna
Price: P150
Address: 106 E. Rodgriguez Jr. Ave., Brgy. Ugong, Pasig City. (914-0833); G/F Unit 14 Tropical Palms Condominium, Perea cor. dela Rosa St., Legaspi Village, Makati City (840-4299)
Mom & Tina's Chicken and Spinach Lasagna is truly comfort food, with layers of chicken, tomato, cream sauce and chopped spinach and a rich, thick sauce, which makes for a filling lunch or dinner choice.
22. Cafe Mary Grace
Dish: Fried Bangus with rice
Price: P146
Served only at the Serendra (856-0858) and Alabang (384-0129) branches.
Offered for breakfast at Café Mary Grace in Serendra and Alabang, this hearty set served with rosemary fried rice, tomatoes and spicy vinegar, makes a morning pitstop at Café Mary Grace worth the trip.
23. Amano Bistro.Bar
Dish: Palawan Tilapia
Price: P105
Address: 184 Unit B, Tomas Morato corner Scout Castor St., Barangay Sacred Heart, Quezon City. Tel. No. 232-7781
Marinated in bagoong, calamansi, ginger and spring onion, the tilapia is steamed as a fillet. Soft and bursting with the salty bagoong flavor, it is served with rice, sliced tomatoes and onions. Amano also offers a pork-heavy Bicol Express with a serving of rice for P120. You can tweak the spiciness according to your preference by telling the servers how you want it prepared or by topping it off with Bonggan (crushed dried dilis and chili). A dollop of sweetened pineapple counters the spicy Bicol Express.
24. Fazoli's
Dish: Pepperoni and Pizza combos
Price: P130-P145
Address: Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City. Tel. No. 421-0453.
Fazoli's Pepperoni and Pizza combos makes it easier when you can't decide if you want pizza or pasta. With half servings of pasta and slice of pizza, choose from their winner combos, all below P150: Pizza and spaghetti with meat sauce (P130), Pizza with Fetuccine Alfredo (P140) or Pizza and Spaghetti Al Pesto (P145), served with warm, soft bread.
25. Persiana
Dish: Keema
Price: P77
Address: 126 Pioneer St. Mandaluyong City. Tel. No. 637-4491.
If you're a big fan of Mediterranean food and meat, the tasty keema (minced meat with eggplant and spices) at Persiana does its job. Opt to have it with buttered rice (P30) or pita bread (P15/ piece) for a meal that satisfies without busting the budget.
Photographs from Gita Asuncion (Mr. Choi, Almon Marina, Mom & Tina's), Patrick Martires (Top Meal), Super Bowl of China, Pen Pen Restaurant, The Sandwich Guy, katipunan.miggoy.com (Flaming Wings), Tomato Kick, Joey Cuayo (Friuli), Buffalo Wings n' Things, Carl Jeffrey Rogel (Mag:net Cafe), digitalglomp.blogspot.com (Kanin Club), happyconceptgroup (World Topps), Francis Pacunayan (JT's Manukan), Alex Noriel (BBQ Chicken), Frances Haw (Beijing Hand-pulled Noodles), Cafe Mary Grace Cafe, Gene Pascual (Fazoli's), Mariko of tableforthreeplease.com (Mien San Noodle House).
SPOT.ph wants to know: what are your personal picks for cheap eats in Manila?
