Marikina is one the most underrated cities in Metro Manila. If you’re a tourist you probably have never heard of it. It’s clean, has amazing people, and is known as the former shoe capital of the Philippines. They even have a museum dedicated the latter. But their most popular claim to fame is their food. A bit unorthodox in their approach to Filipino food and they have no shame in stealing other popular Filipino dishes, renaming them, and calling them their own. All forgiven once you try the dishes though.
So it begs the question. Where to eat in Marikina? Well buckle up ladies and gents. They don’t call Marikina a foodie destination for nothing.
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Table of Contents
Where to Eat in Marikina: Cardiac Delights
That’s just to name a few, the entire menu goes on like this. All of them delicious. One of my favourites is Brain Damage. A sizzling bulalo steak and gravy with unli rice topped off with a split open beef shank full of rich and buttery bone marrow. Simply to die for. Pun may or may not be intended.
Goto Garahe
I can’t write about food in Marikina with mentioning Goto Garahe. Its long been a favourite of locals for it’s filling meals and great prices. Goto Garahe was once voted the best goto in Marikina. They have taken a simple staple street food and thrown the famous Marikina twist on it.
Goto if you’re unaware is the Filipino version of congee, which is a rice porridge. Unlike congee you find in most countries, there is absolutely nothing bland about the versions found in the Philippines. The goto is simmered in turmeric, garlic and ginger and then topped with whatever you want.
Goto literally translates from Tagalog as tripe, so usually it is an automatic inclusion for goto. Goto Garahe in classic Marikina form said suck it, we make our own version. Their goto includes chucks of beef meat and congealed beef blood, then topped off with fried garlic and fresh green onions. It’s savoury and comforting and shouldn’t be missed if you’re in Marikina. Also, be sure to try their tokwa’t baboy.
Aling Remy’s
If you’re deciding where to eat in Marikina, Aling Remy’s and their famous putong pulo should be at the top of your list. Established in the 1950’s, Aling Remy’s was the first stall to establish itself on the now famous Puto Ave. in Marikina. They originally moved to Marikina from Bulacan in search of a better life for their children and they brought their famous puto recipe with them.
So what separates Marikina puto from any other? The use of annatto seeds, brown sugar, and cheese. The annattoo and brown sugar give it a beautiful golden orange hue and the flavors are fantastic. It’s sweeter than your typical puto due to the brown sugar and you can often find these in bite-sized pieces making it almost impossible to not finish an entire platter.
Aling Remy’s is one the of the must-try places to eat in Marikina based on history alone. They also sell a variety of pasalubong treats like suman and pichi-pichi to go along with their puto. The putong pulo is amazing here, but if I am being honest it’s not the best one in the city and I will tell you all about that one shortly.
Kusina Ni Kambal
Many of you know my love for Filipino carinderias and Kusina Ni Kambal ranks right up there for me. Located next to the Marikina public market, this place is an institution among locals. It’s a small carinderia style place where turo-turo (point-point) is the name of the game. Simply walk up and point at what you want and take a seat or get it for take-away.
The menu will change often, but you will usually find Marikina staples like waknatoy on the menu along with several other Filipino comfort foods. If they have waknatoy on your visit, I highly advise you to get it. It’s the best version of the salty, savoury, sour and sweet dish that I have found. Bonus points for large chunks of pickles in the waknatoy as opposed to pickle relish.
Kusina Ni Kambal isn’t just a humble local carinderia serving some of the best food in Marikina, they also are one of the highest rated caterers in the NCR. Providing amazing food to thousands with their wedding, banquet and special events packages.
Lola Helen Panciteria
Lola Helen Panciteria is another beloved Marikana establishment with history. For more than 40 years, they have been slinging orders of pancit, specialty soups, and vegetable dishes to the masses. But they didn’t stop there, you can also get items like crispy pata fried chicken, beef tapa, and lechon kawali as a rice meal.
As the name suggests though, their claim to fame is their pancit dishes. And man is it an endless line of pancit. Bihon manok, sotanghon guisado, canton hipon tuyo, and then it just keeps going. But there is one dish in particular I want you to try. And that is their bihon – canton con lechon.
You get a mix of of the bihon and canton noodles and fresh veggies stir fried, then topped with crackling lechon kawali. It’s greasy in the best way possible and the different types of noodles carry their own texture. The snap of fresh veggies add the perfect complement to the fatty deep-fried pork. And yes, order a side of rice with it. It may sound weird adding even more starch to the dish but it is oily and salty enough that rice balances it all out perfectly.
If you’re still wondering where to eat in Marikina, you shouldn’t be.
Where to Stay in Near Marikina
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Read Next: Where to Eat in Quezon City
Rocha’s Puto & Kutsinta
You’re damn right I am telling you to go another location for puto. And once you try Marikina puto you’ll understand why. And for those of you reading about Filipino food for the first time I am not talking about the derogatory Spanish term for someone’s mother. Puto is simply a steamed rice cake. They are prepared several different ways in the Philippines and Marikina’s is something special
Rocha’s is easily my favorite puto in the city. There is something about their puto that is hard to pinpoint on why it’s so good. Maybe they put cocaine in it, I don’t know. But these moist, sweet, pillowy rice cakes have the perfect all around balance that I just haven’t found at other locations. Don’t get me wrong, all of them are good, but there is something about Rocha’s that just sets them apart.
Rocha’s is also extremely well known for their kutsinta which is another steamed rice cake. This rice cake however is made with lye water which leaves them with more of a jelly like texture. Then they are topped off with either grated or toasted desiccated coconut.
If you still haven’t figured out where to eat in Marikina after all this, I don’t know what else to tell you. You’ve got history, comfort food, artery destroying fried foods, and more rice cakes than any sane person needs. Still need more? Ok, let’s keep going.
Pan de Amerikana
Pan de Amerikana has been serving some of the best food in Marikina since 2006 as a sit-down restaurant. However, their origin story dates back to the 1950’s when the family patriarch developed his renowned wheat pandesal recipe. He started small, selling his pandesal to US servicemen stationed in the country. The GI’s loved it so much they rapidly grew into a full-blown bakery. But it wasn’t until 2006 that his offspring decided to start the full-fledged restaurant.
Not to worry, the bakery is in full swing still with the wheat pandesal, and their giant ensaymada as well as several other baked goods. The restaurant serves regional cuisine from all over the country. You will find Ilocano dishes, Bicolano dishes as well as some of Marikina’s famous dishes. Those local dishes are the ones you should definitely try in addition to the pandesal. Marikina is famous for taking popular Filipino dishes, slightly tweaking them, and re-naming them and calling them their own.
Like everlasting for instance. All over the country you will find embutido, but for some reason, in Marikina it is called everlasting. Or Marikina okoy. Every Filipino knows okoy is usually a deep-fried rice cake fritter with tiny shrimp. Marikina okoy is not a fritter, rice, or shrimp at all. It’s what every sane Filipino would call lumpiang gulay.
It’s all in good fun though and Pan de Amerikana shouldn’t be missed in your where to eat in Marikina lineup. Just visiting is an experience of it’s own. It’s part museum, part restaurant, part bakery and part indoor water garden all in one.
Nanay Oning’s Everlasting
Nanay Oning’s is not your typical sit down type restaurant. they mostly consist of roadside or mall-style kiosks. You usually won’t find seating of any kind at most locations and it’s meant for take-away. They don’t have a big menu and for the most part focus on Marikina specific dishes.
As their name suggests, everlasting is once again prominent here. While everlasting is for all intents and purposes, embutido, Nanay Onings takes it to another level. Everlasting/embutido is usually made with ground pork. Nanay Onings also makes a bangus, or milkfish version. They also serve waknatoy which is Marikina’s version of menudo and Marikina’s version of hamonado. At least Marikina didn’t change the name of hamonado in this instance, but it is definitely different from what you find in the rest of the country. Then you can finish your meal off with an ice scramble or leche flan.
Nanay Oning’s Everlasting isn’t blowing you away with presentation, but it is extremely affordable and filling. The food is high quality and it’s one of the best places to eat in Marikina
Lima Hong Siopao
The last location on our where to eat in Marikina is Lima Hong Siopao. It’s neither historic or Marikina centric with its dishes. It simply serves delicious siopao at unbelievable prices. You will only find one location in the city as they are a new start-up and that is a kiosk at Ayala Mall. I only found out about them because the owner reached out to me directly and asked if I would give them a try and an honest review, to which I happily agreed. I don’t take payments or free food and I paid in full for everything.
I was impressed to say the least. They have what they call their siopaolitos and siopaolitas. The former being savoury and latter being of the sweet variety. For savoury they have sisig, dinuguan, pork bbq, pastil, pork binagoongang, and chicken bola. For sweet they have bibingka, yema, red monggo, choco nutella, ube cheese, and strawberry peanut butter.
These things are awesome. At the price point, I expected them to have very little filling and not taste good. I bought one of each and was blown away. My favourite savory siopaolitos were the dinuguan and binagoongang, both packed with filling. The dinuguan tasted as authentic as it gets and the binagoongang had a strong shrimp paste flavour to it. On the sweet side my favorite was the bibingka with a strong salted egg and shredded coconut flavour.
The best part though is that price. Siopaolitos go for ₱35 and siopaolitas go for ₱25. They market themselves as a better version of 7-11 siopao. It’s not just better, it blows 7-11 siopao out of the water. And if I’m not mistaken, 7-11 siopao start at ₱45 so they destroy them price-wise too. This is an all out win for Lima Hong Siopao and why it sits in the final spot of my where to eat in Marikina run-down.
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Map of Featured Restaurants in Marikina
Here’s a quick look at every spot mentioned. If you’re hungry and already in Marikina, this should save you some scrolling.
Where to eat in Marikina: Final Verdict
Marikina doesn’t need to convince me or anybody else that it’s a food city. The locals already know and probably wish we would stop showing up. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, the word is out that Marikina is one of the NCR’s go-to locations for great food.
Let me hear it? Have you been to Marikina solely for the purpose of eating? If you have let me mknow your go-to location and dish. If you haven’t, let me know which restaurant on my list you want to try.
Where to Eat in Marikina – FAQ
Where can I find the best puto in Marikina?
For the most authentic putong pulo, Aling Remy’s is the historical benchmark. It dates back to the 1950s and helped establish the reputation of Puto Avenue in Marikina.
If you want the best-tasting version, many locals (and I agree) prefer Rocha’s Puto & Kutsinta and is where I’d send anyone asking where to eat in Marikina. Their version is softer, sweeter, and more balanced than the rest. Both are takeaway only and don’t offer seating.
Is it worth visiting Marikina just for food?
A Marikina food trip is worth it if you’re after local flavor. The city’s best food spots focus on everyday Filipino food, not overpriced gimmicks. If you’re looking for where to eat in Marikina without tourist traps, this is it. Staples like putong pulo, waknatoy, and everlasting barely exist outside the city.
Where is the best area to eat in Marikina?
If you’re plotting out where to eat in Marikina without wasting time, here’s where to go:
J.P. Rizal St. (San Roque area) – more than you can imagine in this area.
Marikina Public Market vicinity – several carinderias, kiosks, and turo-turo spots
Ayala Malls Marikina – newer stalls and modern food options like Lima Hong Siopao
Each of these areas gives you access to multiple types of food. Everything from deep-fried classics to traditional rice cakes.
What food is Marikina known for?
Marikina is known for several local specialties including putong pulo, waknatoy, and everlasting.
Putong pulo is a soft, slightly sweet steamed rice cake made with brown sugar and annatto, often topped with cheese.
Waknatoy is Marikina’s version of menudo, made with pork, pickles, and liver in a thick tomato-based sauce.
Everlasting is a local take on embutido, typically baked in a llanera mold and served chilled or sliced. These dishes are unique to the city and don’t appear in the same form elsewhere.
Is Marikina safe at night for food crawls?
TYes, Marikina is one of the safer cities in Metro Manila. The streets have good lighting, the locals are friendly, and most food spots stay active into the evening, especially around Gil Fernando Ave. and the market areas. That said, use basic common sense. Stick to populated streets, avoid flashing valuables, and call a Grab if you’re not sure about walking. You won’t need to worry about crime if you’re acting like a normal person and not filming a vlog at 2 a.m. in a sketchy alley.
