Howdy folks, I have been retired here in Mexico for some time, long enough to have adopted a Mexican child. When he graduates in the summer of 2020, it is my intention of making Dumaguete my "Terminal Assignment". I will be lurking here until then and reading a lot, hoping to be totally informed before the intended move. I am available for anyone to ask about life here in Mexico, a place I enjoy very much. Being single makes me wish to leave as I love Asian food and adore Asian women. I hope to find an apartment in the city and never cook another meal again.
I wouldn't call Filipino food "Asian food". It is just cheap slop barely fit to feed a dog and, IMO, the absolute worst in Asia. Their takes on other culture's cuisines is also some of the worst I've ever had (I eat much better at military dining facilities). Not trying to talk you out of moving to the Philippines, there are a lot of valid reason to want to make the move. However, the food is absolutely not one of them.
Harsh .... LOL spent a month in Ajijic couple of years ago.... you are in for a HUGE weather change... perpetual spring there, perpetual Florida summer here
Perhaps but one only has to look at any food or service thread on this forum...and there are many of them, for good reason. Finding good food in the Philippines is no easy task...unless you want to eat 1 of 3 or so Filipino dishes that are somewhere tolerable every day. There are only so many different combinations of garlic, salt, ginger, sugar and MSG you can throw in a pan full of oil and meat/vegetables.
There are in Dumaguete more Asian restaurants than the whole state I live in and that includes Mexico's second largest city of Guadalajara. When I lived in extreme south Texas, my favorite restaurant was Philipino. My favorite cuisine is Korean and I see several there. I can live on lechon and bread. What gets old real quick is having to eat Mexican food every day or make something else yourself.
I am aware of the climate differences. I was raised in Miami. I have lived in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and Veracruz, Mexico, so it would be no shock to me. I like shorts, t-shirt, and flipflop weather.
I wouldn't suggest you take that as a good representation of actual Filipino food and preparation methods. That, like Chinese and Mexican food in the US, has been altered to fit the tastes and preferences of the Americans. There is also quite a large variation in dishes between the different regions of the Philippines. Even the "national dish" of Adobo is not going to taste the same in Zambales as it will in Negros Oriental. With Negros being a major supplier of sugar cane you should expect far more sugar to be added to dishes than in some other places in the Philippines. Think of it like "BBQ" in the US, every region (and perhaps family/clan) has their own take on it, same applies to the Philippines. You should check out the reviews on here of those Korean restaurants. It is very hit and miss and only a few dishes reflect how they would taste and be prepared in Korea. (We have several members that have spent time in Korea, have tried those restaurants out and left reviews.) You will find that certain restaurants prepare certain meals the way you like it. That is very subjective and you will have to figure that out through trial and error. Even the restaurants that are "owned" by foreigners are going to be this way. Finding something as simple as a burger at these places is going to be hard depending on where you are from. If the owner is European the burgers are going to be European style...and if you are from Texas/Northern Mexico you are probably not going to like that very much. As can I...but I prefer not to do so for any extended period of time. Eating any one meal every day gets old. I'm not saying the food isn't "tolerable", it is for the most part if you aren't a picky eater...but cuisine should not be a primary reason for moving to the Philippines unless you grew up as a Filipino in the Philippines (or you are a very odd person). Note: My comment that Filipino food was barely fit for a dog was hyperbole....it is barely fit for human consumption. You will likely find a gf or helper very quickly. Preparing food yourself won't be an issue if you don't want it to be and you will have to go out of your way to find Mexican food. Note: If you ever do go out and look for Mexican food do NOT go to Mooooooooon Cafe (I don't know how many "o"s they have put in the name these days) they say it is Mexican "inspired" food...I have no f'n clue where that "inspiration" actually came from but it sure as sh*t wasn't Mexico.
You pretty generous with your praises of their Mexican menu. The first time I ordered Mexican there I ask where was the Salsa and Mexican Cholula Hot Sauce. I was told that the salsa would cost extra. They served "watered down chopped up tomatoes and Tabasco Pepper Sauce. After that experience I had 6 cases of CHOLULA imported from Mexico and shipped from Florida. The best Mexican food is served right here at home in Valencia.
I too love Cholula. It is the only Mexican hot sauce with chilis pequines in it, but it is not made in Cholula, Mexico. It is made in the town I live in, Chapla. My neighbor owns the factory, SANE, where it competes with their own sauce called Chapala Hot Sauce.
RichD….I think the Philippines is a good choice for a retirement destination; obviously good and bad, but all places have those. Negros Oriental has great weather mostly and seem to avoid the typhoons that seem to nail the north and east sides. I tend to agree with most that a majority of Filipino dishes are not my first choice, some really good dishes out there that I truly enjoy but not many. I only know of 2 Korean restaurants in Dumaguete...some of the menu items are quite good, some not so much. Korean food is some of my favorite food as well; I currently work in Korea (almost 14 years on and off so a bit of experience there). There are also a few Japanese restaurants that are pretty decent as well. Spice in Valencia had some decent Thai dishes from the couple times we've tried it. We live in Tanjay so I obviously don't have my fingers on the pulse of the restaurants in Dumaguete but I'd be willing to bet you could find a handful of places that would suit your needs if you don't plan to cook. Good luck as you plan your transition. Shawn
