Filipinos enjoy food a lot. They’re known to make tasty
dishes.
Carinderias seem to be everywhere. May it be a busy rural
area or the city; these local eateries will be easy to spot.
What is a Carinderia?
A Carinderia is
a local eatery in the Philippines. They serve different viands or ulam.
These dishes are paired with a cup of rice on a plate.
Filipino favorites are served in lines of pots
or food pans. Sinigang, Adobo, Giniling,
Monggo, and Menudo are the ulamsor dishes that are usually
available.
Where can you usually find them?
There will be at least one near busy places. This could be
near schools or near work places like offices, business establishments or
construction sites. It’s easy to spot them because most of these eateries are
by the roadside.
You’ll see one set up in these busy places. People need a
place to eat and sure enough, they’ll be there.
What does it look like?
Carinderia can
be built from native materials and look like a hut or kubo, or they could
be a small concrete building. Tables and chairs are set up inside and a line of
Filipino favorites are displayed in covered pots and food pans for you to
choose from.
There are variations of carinderia like the travelling
carinderia. They set up a wooden stall where they display the pots and food pans.
Then they put chairs and tables for customers.
It’s hard to miss. You’ll know it’s a Carinderia with their
signature display of pots and food pans lined up for you to choose from.
You can eat in a group and occupy a whole table or if you’re
alone, you can share a table with other people eating.
How does it work?
Choose from the dishes that are displayed. Don’t be afraid,
it’s okay to open the lids and take a look inside. That’s one way for you to
know what ulam is inside.
A person behind this line of pots and food pans will serve
the ulam of your choice. Feel free to ask them if you’re unfamiliar
with the dish you are looking at.
It’s usually a “Pay as you order” kind of thing
in a Carinderia. Once you’ve chosen what you like, the people in charge will
serve the ulam in a bowl or on a plate together with a cup of rice.
You pay before you take a seat.
Want more rice? A cup of rice is commonly ₱10. Pay for that
extra cup of rice and they’ll give you another, no problem.
You’ll find spoons and forks in a container near the display
of dishes, the counter where you pay, or near a water dispenser.
Once you finish eating, someone will clean the table for the
next person.
Beverages
What about the drinks, you say? A Carinderia will have free
water in water dispensers or you can ask the people who work there for ‘service
water’. All Carinderias are supposed to have free water for the people who eat
there.
Not a fan of their water? The eateries have a
drinks cooler where you can choose soft drinks and bottled water. Some have
other drinks like bottled juice. Whatever you see in the drinks cooler are the
only available beverages. Sometimes, bottled drinks are lined up over or beside
the food pans so you can see which drinks are available.
How much will eating in a Carinderia cost?
It depends on which part of Philippines you’re in. But
eating in a Carinderia hovers just below ₱100 a person.
A bottle of soft drinks or water is often around ₱15. A cup
of rice is around ₱10. Ulam costs around ₱30, depending on what kind
of ulam. Some ulams are priced at ₱70 or ₱50. You can ask the
person in charge how much they are, they will just tell you.
These prices aren’t uniform for all local eateries.
In some places far from mainland or from the
city, prices can get higher. Delivery of ingredients and products can be
difficult for faraway places, making these products more expensive than that in
cities or mainland.
When are they open?
Carinderias are ready to serve food as early as 9am.
Although some eateries open earlier.
They close up for the day when all the ulams are
finished. Some close around 6pm, and some even later until 8pm. There are a few
24hr eateries.
Most of the time, they don’t open in holidays.
Don’t hesitate to ask about the food or how much they cost.
People who work in Carinderias are welcome to questions about their eatery.
Like: Where are the drinks? How much are they? Where can I find the spoons and
forks? May I have another cup of rice? What is this ulam called? What
is it made of?
Filipinos are known for their hospitality. They’ll answer.
Some can be talkative. Some will answer briefly. If you’re nice, they surely
will give time to answer.
If you want to taste Filipino dishes, these local eateries
will give you an array of choices.
Originally posted in aly.palawanblogger.com
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