Congee or rice porridge is an Asian favorite. The well-loved comfort food, which is perfect for rainy and under-the-weather days, goes by a different name in each country. Called bubur in Indonesia, chok in Thailand, and babaw in Cambodia, in the Philippines, of course, it's called lugaw. Its variants--"culinary cousins," if you will--include the goto, pospas, and arroz caldo. As long as it involves the prolonged boiling of rice in water and the addition of various ingredients and flavorings it remains within the general category of what congee is. SPOT.ph lists 10 tasty lugaw offerings--which range from P15 to P171--in Metro Manila. As we say, to each his own lugaw.
10. LUGAWAN SA TEJEROS
1066-B Pasong Tamo, Barangay Tejeros, Makati City
Open 24 hours daily
This lugaw (P15 for a bowl, P25 if you want to add slices of tripe or tuwalya) is as basic as you can get. Served in a plastic bowl, the dish comes with no more than bits of fried minced garlic, chopped chives, and a piece of calamansi. This is great for budget-conscious individuals desperate for a quick snack. Located in the non-posh part of Makati, the establishment hosts boundary-beating taxi drivers, the occasional wayward streetchild, and peddlers. Owing to its very affordable price, it has become so popular that a rival imitated its recipe and business model, erecting a store right across the same street, called Lugawan sa Pasong Tamo.
9. GOODAH!!!
Stall 1, EMP Building, Alabang Zapote Road, Las Piñas City with branches all over Metro Manila
Open 24 hours daily
At P35, a bowl of Goodah!!! Goto gives you bang for your buck. It has crushed chicharon, chopped chives, toasted garlic, and a generous helping of tripe. It seems like this lugaw has become one of the default picks for the post-gimik crowd.
