Impromptu Market Day

Got to check out the Lung Center Sunday Market--it wasn't what I expected at all! I didn't think it was going to be that big, and that crowded at 7:00 in the morning! It was stalls and stalls of fresh fruits and veggies, and lots of ready-to-eat goodies, like grilled bangus stuffed with onions and tomatoes (for P100), traditional bibingka (which my mom really liked), and smoked ham (bought me half a kilo). It's really got a palengke feel to it, with its unpaved walkways and good-natured tinderas charming you to sample their goods ("Bili na, ma'am! Baka maubusan kayo niyan...")--I kind of had this look of wide-eyed wonder as I don't often find myself in wet markets. (I know, tsk tsk me.) One difference between this and a regular wet market though was that there were tables set up all over, so that early risers could have their breakfast there. I wish I could have stayed to eat but 1) I had to go somewhere else, and 2) there were hardly any free tables.

Later that morning, I went to the Legaspi Sunday Market on a whim.

In contrast to the Lung Center Market, this one had significantly less people (no crowds jostling against you), and the majority of the stalls were selling cooked food. The people were also mostly chi-chi Makati residents, and there was none of the buzz or energy of the Lung Center version. Instead, there was this sort of sleepy Sunday vibe, like this part of Manila was just starting to wake up.

I was so hungry, and had a hard time deciding among the many types of cuisine on offer: There was a Spanish food stall selling some tempting paella, another stall with Indian food, a crepe stall manned by what seemed to be an actual Frenchman, a mommy selling homemade chili, a table groaning with sweet things--all these were sold beside non-edibles like slippers, art work, and table runners.

I decided to go for the quarter-pound burger, because it really did look like a quarter pounder (as opposed to the fast-food variety, which probably weighs a quarter of a pound with the bun included).

I've had better, but at that point I was so famished that it did its job.

Will go back with the girls--it's a great place to have brunch on a lazy weekend.

P.S. I have never been to the Salcedo Market. In my head, I picture it to be a really cool place with a boho vibe, offering unique food items you can't get anywhere else. But a friend says that it's overrated. Hmmm...got no plans for this weekend yet, so I might just swing by.


To get to the Lung Center Sunday Market, go through the Lung Center of the Philippines gate along Quezon Ave., Quezon City.

The Legaspi Sunday Market is located at the Legaspi carpark, Makati.