Breakfast in The Philippines

1273POSTS

5 years ago

Good day to all you Ex Pats out there, hope you are all healthy and well. Just a quick question for you all living in the Philippines.
What do you guys eat for breakfast. Having visited four times and considering retirement in the Philippines I am wondering about options for breakfast. I like rice like the next person but I know I would find it difficult to eat three times a day so was just really wondering what you eat. I live in the UK so cereal, bacon and eggs, toast, fruit, yogurt is the sort of things I consume for breakfast. Now obviously I will be willing to eat the local food but breakfast to me does not mean rice.
I recently looked on Lazada's website and found they sell Weetabix, a popular cereal here in England, but the price shocked me. They are advertising it for approximately ten times more than in England and the choice seems to be limited to chocolate flavour and chocolate for breakfast is just not for me.
Are there any other European breakfast options available at reasonable prices?

See also

Tax in the Philippines - Guide
Philippines and Fish - 3 Replies
TOURISM IN THE PHILIPPINES - 20 Replies
Family in the Philippines - 2 Replies
The Philippines and Taiwan - 48 Replies
Photographs of the Philippines - 67 Replies
Cheating In The Philippines - 36 Replies

pnwcyclist Philippines Expert

1489POSTS

5 years ago

We generally eat steel cut oats or whole grain oatmeal with fruit. The cereals are all available at S&R, Healthy Options, Rustans, etc. Eggs sometimes. And my GF will occasionally have fish or some other Filipino breakfast. We do not eat rice at every meal, especially white rice. That's what puts the belly fat on so many Filipinos. We have friends, the Filipino wife brings her rice cooker when they travel, hahaha. We do eat both brown and occasionally white rice at dinnertime.

FindlayMacD Serial expat

474POSTS

5 years ago

l love Weetabix for breakfast, but it seems that here in Philippines (unlike many other western breakfast cereals, like cornflakes etc) it is either unavailable or very expensive.

Enzyte Bob ViP

4294POSTS

5 years ago

pnwcyclist wrote:
We generally eat steel cut oats or whole grain oatmeal with fruit. The cereals are all available at S&R, Healthy Options, Rustans, etc. Eggs sometimes.

Yes, Eggs, I miss my "Egglands Best Grade A Jumbo Eggs" from Sam's Club.

Jackson4 Serial expat

714POSTS

5 years ago

Is milk pricey in the Philippines?
If you live in the countryside and have a decent size backyard, you can raise your own chickens. You get fresh eggs and chicken meat.

Tim_L Serial expat

239POSTS

5 years ago

Generally just eggs and toast with strawberry preserves on most days. Sometimes I鈥檒l switch it up and have French toast or pancakes.
If I鈥檓 out and someone else is cooking and it鈥檚 available, I鈥檒l add either ham or bacon to the above.
I definitely avoid rice for breakfast even when getting it at a restaurant. It was just never engrained in my psyche to eat rice for breakfast.

Jackson4, milk here probably isn鈥檛 what you鈥檙e used to if coming from the US. Here it鈥檚 in a 1 liter box on the shelf, doesn鈥檛 have to be refrigerated until after opening and can be stored for months. I use it for coffee or cereal but, that鈥檚 about it.
Having been raised on a dairy farm, UHT milk just ain鈥檛 making it.

You can find normal milk but, then you鈥檙e dealing with a short lifespan, small containers, etc. And to me, it still doesn鈥檛 taste right.

GoDees Serial expat

224POSTS

5 years ago

Hello Cherryann01
I think most of the no rice breakfasts have been covered. Mine is a big all milk coffee done in the microwave and wheat bread toast. No English muffins like back in Oz. Most breakfast cereals here have a high sugar content. A quick and easy option is "egg bread", slightly beaten egg, splash of milk and herbs for seasoning, fried on low heat.
I cook here 2-3 times a week.
regards聽 Bruce

Fil-Am Mom Active member

83POSTS

5 years ago

Cherryann01 wrote:
Good day to all you Ex Pats out there, hope you are all healthy and well. Just a quick question for you all living in the Philippines.
What do you guys eat for breakfast.

Often, western-style breakfast. Sometimes Filipino breakfast.

This morning we had cheese omelet with whole wheat bread. My daughter has hers with mozzarella cheese and ham. My son wants his with cheddar, tomato, black olives and fresh mushrooms. I usually have mine with cheddar and whatever veggies from our fridge which look like they're going to go bad soon or greens from our garden like malunggay or alugbati. So, for today it was cheddar with soon-to-go-bad bell peppers. (I try to avoid having produce go to waste.)

Other western style breakfast options for us:

French toast with fresh fruit or jam or mango compote (when I have the time to make compote).

Pancakes or waffles with egg and bacon for my daughter, with egg only for me, with peanut butter and jam for my son.

Oatmeal with a bit of raw unfiltered honey and fruit (I'm the only one who eats this. The rest of the family don't like it.)

Breakfast sliders -- scrambled eggs, ham, dinner rolls brushed with butter at the top and baked for 5-10 minutes to brown the top

Grilled cheese sandwich

Corned beef sandwich

Egg salad sandwich

Egg in a hole (for when we have small eggs)

Pigs in a blanket, using beef franks (which I guess makes it a cow in a blanket? That doesn't sound right. LOL.)

Toast with cream cheese and jam

Corn flakes when I feel too lazy to cook

A side of fruit, usually bananas

What I miss most for breakfast that I could not find here in the Philppines: bagels and biscuits.

---------

Filipino breakfast with rice (I eat brown rice. For the rest of the family, it's white rice.) options for us:

Beef tapas or chicken tocino or corned beef and egg (any style)

Fried marinated bangus (milk fish) or smoked bangus and egg

Eggplant torta (French-toast-style eggplant)

Spanish sardines and egg

Left over chicken (chopped) or left over ground beef mixed with scrambled egg and turned into patties (sometimes we have this with toast or bread instead of rice)

If we have left over corned beef -- sauteed chayote with corned beef (sometimes we have this with toast or bread instead of rice)

A side of steamed okra, when we have ones freshly picked from our garden

Enzyte Bob ViP

4294POSTS

5 years ago

Fil-Am Mom wrote:
Cherryann01 wrote:
Good day to all you Ex Pats out there, hope you are all healthy and well. Just a quick question for you all living in the Philippines.
What do you guys eat for breakfast.

Often, western-style breakfast. Sometimes Filipino breakfast.

This morning we had cheese omelet with whole wheat bread. My daughter has hers with mozzarella cheese and ham. My son wants his with cheddar, tomato, black olives and fresh mushrooms. I usually have mine with cheddar and whatever veggies from our fridge which look like they're going to go bad soon or greens from our garden like malunggay or alugbati. So, for today it was cheddar with soon-to-go-bad bell peppers. (I try to avoid having produce go to waste.)

Other western style breakfast options for us:

French toast with fresh fruit or jam or mango compote (when I have the time to make compote).

Pancakes or waffles with egg and bacon for my daughter, with egg only for me, with peanut butter and jam for my son.

Oatmeal with a bit of raw unfiltered honey and fruit (I'm the only one who eats this. The rest of the family don't like it.)

Breakfast sliders -- scrambled eggs, ham, dinner rolls brushed with butter at the top and baked for 5-10 minutes to brown the top

Grilled cheese sandwich

Corned beef sandwich

Egg salad sandwich

Egg in a hole (for when we have small eggs)

Pigs in a blanket, using beef franks (which I guess makes it a cow in a blanket? That doesn't sound right. LOL.)

Toast with cream cheese and jam

Corn flakes when I feel too lazy to cook

A side of fruit, usually bananas

What I miss most for breakfast that I could not find here in the Philppines: bagels and biscuits.

---------

Filipino breakfast with rice (I eat brown rice. For the rest of the family, it's white rice.) options for us:

Beef tapas or chicken tocino or corned beef and egg (any style)

Fried marinated bangus (milk fish) or smoked bangus and egg

Eggplant torta (French-toast-style eggplant)

Spanish sardines and egg

Left over chicken (chopped) or left over ground beef mixed with scrambled egg and turned into patties (sometimes we have this with toast or bread instead of rice)

If we have left over corned beef -- sauteed chayote with corned beef (sometimes we have this with toast or bread instead of rice)

A side of steamed okra, when we have ones freshly picked from our garden

I'm coming over for breakfast, sounds as good as any brunch buffet in Vegas.

moonunit0103 Serial expat

303POSTS

5 years ago

#10

Here in Ormoc, generally what was left from the previous meal is what's for breakfast.聽 I generally eat eggs, a couple of slices of bacon, rice, and coffee milk and sugar

Wife will make pancakes, but they love cinnamon syrup on pancakes.聽 I buy regular syrup, then she sprinkles cinnamon on the syrup and pancakes.

There was a 2 week stretch Shere there was no sugar in the grocery stores, and flour has been hard to find.聽 Vanilla has been a rarity, as well as pancake syrup.聽 If something is in stock, stock up, since it might me out for weeks.聽 Same with yogurt and cream cHeese.

Cherryann01 ViP

1273POSTS

5 years ago

#11

Many Thanks to all of you for sharing your breakfast tips. Sounds like there are a lot of options without having to eat rice. Bacon, eggs, toast, pancakes, jam and bacon, love them all so that should not be a problem for me. Might look into the idea of raising聽 a few chickens. Might also bring a few bottles of brown sauce with me.

manwonder ViP

1904POSTS

5 years ago

#12

I guess the more pounds/usd/(sgd in my case)...that you have will give you many options here to have a great american/continental/philippine breakfast which I love especially if its prepared by someone else & served like in a restaurant!聽

What is totally lacking here for me at least would be the small "coffee shops"/
"hawker centers" found all over Singapore/Malaysia (Lots of Chinese/Indian/Malay influence)
I've always prefered freshly cooked asian breakfast at these hawker centers that serve freshly cooked Pratas/dosa with fish curry or dal, Mee rebus, Nasi Lemak, Mee Soto or Hot and spicy Lor Mee, Mee Pok, Char kway teow and the many many others all flushed down with a hot cup of coffee without milk or what we fondly call 'kopi 0' at home or if you prefer a fresh cup of Teh tarik....these dishes will be served freshly cooked/prepared everyday on a 24/7 basis...that are indeed both cheap and cheerful.
I'll reserve my comments on lunch and dinner menu's in these very same hawker centers.

Jackson4 Serial expat

714POSTS

5 years ago

#13

Yup! I lived in Singapore 2 years ('94). Clementi area. Food is great and lots & lots of options. Coffee styles are plentiful. I had to memorize which coffee term I need to use: Kopi-O, Kopi-C, Kopi-<this>, Kopi-<that>, Kopi-<whatever>. They pour the coffee about an arms length distance from pot to cup and vise-versa.
The first time I heard the term "Hawker Center" with a heavy local accent, I had to ask what it was to avoid confusion. 馃槀

Nuckinfuts Active member

37POSTS

5 years ago

#14

You can make an all day English here anytime... Sausage ,egg, rasher of bacon, tomato, beans, two fried slices and a cup of tea (two sugars)

Smoke & News (laptop) on the balcony ...

For me聽 .... It's only on a late Sunday Morning.. rest of the week .. Black Coffee on the move ....that's my life style and YES聽 I have a pot belly

FindlayMacD Serial expat

474POSTS

5 years ago

#15

Nuckinfuts wrote:
You can make an all day English here anytime... Sausage ,egg, rasher of bacon, tomato, beans, two fried slices and a cup of tea (two sugars)

Smoke & News (laptop) on the balcony ...

For me聽 .... It's only on a late Sunday Morning.. rest of the week .. Black Coffee on the move ....that's my life style and YES聽 I have a pot belly

Hot dog sausage and belly pork bacon and two fried slices of bread that tastes like cake, I've given up on tea cos all I can seem to find is Liptons tea bags and their horrible.

Nuckinfuts Active member

37POSTS

5 years ago

#16

@ FindlayMacD Ahh .. you have gone for the "sweet fried bread" Now that is a treat and a shock to the taste buds... fortunately here on Mactan we have an English chap who cures his own bacon also makes a decent steak&kidney pie and we have a German baker who knows his stuff.聽 The "Hot Dog" I'm sure you are not talking about those red mickies dipped in dye which I use on Zombie Day (Easter Sunday) to colour the boiled eggs which I hand out to try civilise those who like their chicken in a shell (Balut )聽 Now .. I do get my sausage from a Swiss guy who almost has the smoked flavour off to a tee. Talking of tea .. Yes a Liptons blend can be a dissatisfaction for some, personally I buy a loose leaf tea "Artisan Golden Tips" .. You really need to set the breakfast table properly to enjoy a three minute egg from an egg cup, lightly toasted bread on one side with best butter, crispy rasher, freshly squeezed orange and a large Cup of Golden Tips...

Richard Yan Contributor

197POSTS

5 years ago

#17

Mee too.

Cherryann01 ViP

1273POSTS

5 years ago

#18

Nice to hear that Steak & Kidney pies are available, not for breakfast but they are one of my favourite foods.

FindlayMacD Serial expat

474POSTS

5 years ago

#19

I live in Cagayan de Oro and there doesn't seem to be any enterprising foreigners producing the kind of things you mention, although when I visited Camiguin Island a few years ago there were foreigners there making bread, bacon and cheese etc, but I've never had the luxury of a steak and kidney pie for聽 many years now. I would love to make my own but I can never seem to find kidney in any of the supermarkets.

Cherryann01 ViP

1273POSTS

5 years ago

#20

Cagayan de Oro is where or near to where my girlfriend and daughter are

frankanderson Contributor

114POSTS

5 years ago

#21

nothing special...

Post honey bunch of oats
Kelloggs Mueslix
I usually get Emborg milk (EU) or Anchor (NZ)

I'm not a big fan of fresh milk but that soon may change

or

occasionally I go for the cooked omelette, couple slice of purefoods bacon (trim the fats), Hungarian sausage that my missus gets online somewhere, baked small potatos and cherry tomatoes

or

sometimes just bagel and butter, toast and butter or english muffin + butter /聽 bonne maman preserves

if I am really lazy, pure food jumbo chicken hot dogs on a hot dog bun聽 with my own cocktail of honey + mustard

bigpearl ViP

4325POSTS

5 years ago

#22

I'm always up for a hot breakfast, coffee and a smoke.

Cheers, Steve.

Richard Yan Contributor

197POSTS

5 years ago

#23

Me too. A good smoke n some brandy馃榾

bigpearl ViP

4325POSTS

5 years ago

#24

Early openers Richard, good for you, I'll stick with the coffee, 2 actually and several smokes while I watch the goings on around the world and catch up on expat sites, emails and consider the best way to waste my day or not.

Cheers, Steve.

Dwsses12 Active member

78POSTS

5 years ago

#25

Hello, i am retired here now. First off, we eat rice once a day. Usually at lunch. We have to watch our figure.聽 Hehe.聽 Breakfast聽 i usually have a healthy choice soup. Get from S&R. Or omelet sometimes.聽 French toast.

Richard Yan Contributor

197POSTS

5 years ago

#26

Don't worry brother.聽 U can't get fat in phillipines.聽

Enzyte Bob ViP

4294POSTS

5 years ago

#27

frankanderson wrote:
nothing special...

sometimes just bagel and butter,

if I am really lazy, pure food jumbo chicken hot dogs D

I've yet to find a good bagel in PH, the ones from S&R suck so bad I threw them away. Now what would be Heaven? A real NY style Rye Bagel with Cream Cheese, Lox and a thin slice of Sweet Onion.

WHERE CAN I FIND A REAL BAGEL IN PH?

I really like the Pure Jumbo Chicken Dogs.

Peter Clark Serial expat

242POSTS

5 years ago

#28

Rolled oats are our daily pre-brekky watching the news and don't go to the trouble of boiling them up, just soak them up at night time and leave in the microwave. Add more water and milk powder in the morning plus banana.
We have boiled eggs and toast most days.
BUT the other day we ate Breakfast corned beef with egg and garlic rice in Jollebee and loved it so much that we have it twice a week.
Bought some corned beef locally to do the meal at home but the jollebee beef is the greatest...plus ground coffee of course.

If you fancy hotcakes from Mcdos take an orange and squeeze it over the tops.....even add ice cream from a "sundae" to treat yourself.

manwonder ViP

1904POSTS

5 years ago

#29

Dwsses12 wrote:
Hello, i am retired here now. First off, we eat rice once a day. Usually at lunch. We have to watch OUR figure.聽 Hehe.聽 Breakfast聽 i usually have a healthy choice soup. Get from S&R. Or omelet sometimes.聽 French toast.

I'd change only 1 word...instead of OUR it would be HER or my better half.
Just saying

Peter Clark Serial expat

242POSTS

5 years ago

#30

I watch these Filipinos down spoonfuls of rice and cannot copy after 15 years here. Love garlic rice but need to add something to ordinary rice to enjoy it.聽 Meals like "Singapore Fried rice" is easy to make. Its worth getting used to eating rice because during these days of the corona virus its easier to buy and store rice than bags of potatoes.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽A sprinkling of "fish Sauce" or Soy sauce works fine.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽Took some fish sauce home to the UK once and my boys couldn't believe the smell !!

manwonder ViP

1904POSTS

5 years ago

#31

Peter Clark wrote:
I watch these Filipinos down spoonfuls of rice and cannot copy after 15 years here. Love garlic rice but need to add something to ordinary rice to enjoy it.聽 Meals like "Singapore Fried rice" is easy to make. Its worth getting used to eating rice because during these days of the corona virus its easier to buy and store rice than bags of potatoes.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽A sprinkling of "fish Sauce" or Soy sauce works fine.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽Took some fish sauce home to the UK once and my boys couldn't believe the smell !!

Agreed...Yum yum...me too!

Richard Yan Contributor

197POSTS

5 years ago

#32

Maybe some sesame oil?

Peter Clark Serial expat

242POSTS

5 years ago

#33

I do miss the smoked Halibut and kippered fillet both in easy cook "boil in the bag". Years ago think it was Chou king where we could have a "breakfast smoked milkfish" with rice and egg, that was delicious but not available anymore.

The smoking scheme ended when the US said that the chemical they used was a Cancer risk ?聽 In Kenya, Nairobi we ate smoked Red Snapper and the flesh parted like Cod, again delicious.

I lived in Boulmer UK for a while and they had an original "smoker" that was a brick built chimney going up to 12 meters. It had nails inside so that the fishermen could hang their catch to cook from a bonfire they lit underneath. ......now its chemical???

manwonder ViP

1904POSTS

5 years ago

#34

Peter Clark wrote:
I watch these Filipinos down spoonfuls of rice and cannot copy after 15 years here. Love garlic rice but need to add something to ordinary rice to enjoy it.聽 Meals like "Singapore Fried rice" is easy to make. Its worth getting used to eating rice because during these days of the corona virus its easier to buy and store rice than bags of potatoes.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽A sprinkling of "fish Sauce" or Soy sauce works fine.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽Took some fish sauce home to the UK once and my boys couldn't believe the smell !!

A simple & delicious meal聽

Lovethephilippines New member

7POSTS

5 years ago

#35

I like the fresh pandesal bread toasted slightly with an over medium egg, bacon/sausage and cheese or tocino and rice for breakfast.聽聽Pandesal with some peanut butter makes a good breakfast as well.聽 Longanisa with eggs and rice makes a good breakfast as long as the longanisa is not flavored to be sweet.

pej1111 Serial expat

562POSTS

5 years ago

#36

Cereal, bacon (bad bacon) and eggs, toast, fruit, yogurt all available in most large supermarkets.

Richard Yan Contributor

197POSTS

5 years ago

#37

Replace bacon with ham and beans.

Peter Clark Serial expat

242POSTS

5 years ago

#38

Over the years I've been disappointed with the sugar content in the sausages and bacon but with the regular stuff the compromise is not too bad. There are people who make their own bangers in Angeles and they are quite good. Its the same problem with all the Ham you see at Christmas time, covered in sweet stuff.
We have had no luck in buying a gas grill or electric for that matter.聽 The ones available do not get hot enough and are meant for warming up bread etc.
I can remember years ago when we'd see many large grills with red hot or flaming lights over the grill pan but nothing around anymore. Remember those "eye level" jobs over our cookers?

One thing we always do with the bacon is microwave it for a few minutes and tip away all that chemical liquid before frying it.

GuestPoster226 Guest

0POSTS

5 years ago

#39

Hot dogs eggs聽 rice ticino sarap

Peter Clark Serial expat

242POSTS

5 years ago

#40

Eggs here are considered uncooked unless hard boiled and the Choukin聽 breakfasts all have rubber eggs on their rice. I get funny looks fro my sis in law when I poke my toast soldiers into the soft centre聽