The Flavors of Ateneo (through the eyes of a Lasalista)

Manang's Liempo (P45). The most famous dish at Manang's

Ever since my blog post on the Flavors of La Salle and Reminiscin' La Salle, I often wondered what Ateneo Food would taste like and how the campus would feel like. Thanks to Regine Garcia and team for inviting me to give a talk to the GK Students -- I got the chance to "infiltrate" the Ateneo camp.

I realized how beautiful the campus is and I wondered what would have happened if I went to Ateneo. (I guess, OAP would be blue. :) ) Let me show you the foodie places around the Ateneo campus...

Manang's of Ateneo 

The legendary Manang's in Ateneo is like Garaje in La Salle except that it is a more sosy version of the turo-turo style. This is regarded as a food stall institution in Ateneo. I can just imagine all the undergraduate stories it has witnessed throughout the years.

This is a P100 meal in Manang's, which is already considered expensive by student standards. Each dish is P45 plus P10 for rice (add P17 for the mineral water).

Lechon (P45). Next to the liempo, Lechon is the next best seller.

 

What makes the food yummy is this home-style vinegar. Aside from the meat choices that they are known for, fish and vegetable dishes are also available.

What's not to love about Manang's? After all, it offers the taste and nostalgia of home-cooked food. The liempo is worth going back for. (Although, I did feel very thirsty afterwards.)

It is also popular with the alumni when there are limited food options in Ateneo. Can you share your stories about Manang's?

The Caf

 
On the way to the cafeteria, we passed by the EDSA walk, where you can find the different organizations' billboards. This reminded me of the SJ Walk in La Salle.

 
The Zen Garden is a hangout for newbies. (I wonder how the alumni called this place back in the day?) This area is bounded by Kostka, Xavier, Berchman and Gonzaga buildings.

 
The most raved about stall is Chris Tiu's Chinky Chickens, which serves everything, well, chicken. :)

Chinky Chicken's Chicken Nuggets (w/o Rice - 6pcs - P60). This is the best seller :)

 

I was surprised that playing cards are allowed here. (In La Salle, they were banned more than 10 years ago, I think.) The most popular card games in Ateneo are Pusoy Dos and Speed. Before, in La Salle, the most popular game was Trumps, which is like a bridge game similar to Hearts.

The second floor of the Caf is called Blue and Gold, where some of the popular fast food chains can be found. The most interesting one for me is the Happy House Korean resto, which also serves Korean Ice Cream. Yum! :)

 

The best part of the second floor is the awesome view of the trees. :)

The John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) Student Enterprise Center

 
On the way to the JGSOM SEC area, we passed by what is known as the catwalk (where I guess you can sit along the sides and see the hottest Ateneans walk by along the corridor). This is similar to the SJ Catwalk in DLSU.

 
A view of the Student Study Center with students playing cards on the Musician's Bench. (I forgot what it's called...)

 
The JGSOM SEC is a brilliant idea by Dean Rudy Ang, who leases out the food stalls every year to business students who have great foodie stalls in mind. Each year, the college receives a lot of business plan applications and the selected few get the chance to execute their ideas.

 
Supposedly, this is where the sosy boys and girls would eat and hang out.

 
Buddha Bean is one of the most raved about stalls this year because of its meat toppings.

 
Interestingly, they follow eco-friendly practices. Ex. If you bring your own bowl (BYOB), the prices are P5 cheaper.

 
Also, the usage of spoons and forks have a corresponding P5 deposit fee (per utensil) and plates/tumblers at P10 each.

 
The fee is refunded once you return the borrowed items. This practice encourages you to use disposable utensils and plates or to just bring your own.

 
Wi-Fi is available and the tables are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.

 
Similar to La Salle's tambayan culture, Ateneo has a bench culture where certain benches are reserved for the artists, the UAAP players, etc. (I heard this bench culture is starting to diminish...)

Around the Ateneo Campus

 
I must say Ateneo has a really nice campus with a lot of gardens and trees. The atmosphere is conducive to studying.

 
Kudos to Manny V. Pangilinan for donating this Center for Student Leadership building, which is dedicated entirely to student leaders. This is similar to DLSU's Student Personnel Services (SPS) building except that it does not have airconditiong.

 
There is a MAC store inside the campus?

 
I actually couldn't stand hanging around the bookstore with all the Blue Ateneo Shirts. :)

 
The student ID in Ateneo.


A lot of areas in the campus are great for muni-muni moments...

 
I was amazed with the new Rizal Library in Ateneo. Ganda!

 
There are also a few art installations, like this Bamboo musical art structure.

 
Be careful when crossing the streets in Ateneo. A kid died when he got hit by a car in the Grade School building area. My tour guide also figured in an accident on this same pedestrian crossing. A car hit his backpack while we were crossing it. His left leg/ankle is still recovering. I'm not sure if he can play sports again...

 
Finally, there's the Church of the Gesu and the Great Bellarmine Field -- the site of the championship bonfires in Ateneo.


Nic and Reg, my gracious tour guides.

Overall, the assortment of food is not bad (although I feel the cost of food is prioritized over the quality). I like the JGSOM SEC food center where aspiring foodie entrepreneurs could implement their food business ideas. I understand why Manang's is considered a food institution in Ateneo -- masarap naman siya. I like Ateneo's eco-friendly practices of encourging students to bring their own utensils and removing the use of styrofoam. Best of all, I love the spacious campus with the green trees and muni-muni areas.

Thanks to Nic and Reg for showing me around the Ateneo Campus!

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Comments

[Enrico MD]

Nice post coming from a Lasallista. At least you're not the narrow-minded blue-hating type. In archerpride, some of them won't even vote for nonoy simply because he's an atenean.

I hope you could do this "school tours" more. UP Diliman would be a great place to start.

More power Anton. Really love your blog

[Karen]

I'm glad you liked the campus. The beautiful surroundings are enough to make one decide to go to the Ateneo! Haha! Also, it's Church of the Gesu, not Jesu.:)

Regarding food, I'm curious if you got to taste any from Healthy Kitchen located in the caf. The stall's a personal favorite! (aside from Manang's liempo of course :) )

[mima]

Hi, Anton. During "my time" the Zen Garden was just called, "quad" for quadrangle. :) And Manang's was "Country Club"--- from "CC" the initials of "Covered Courts" where it is located.

[cassie]

hi mr. anton! :)

i always read your blog, and this one made me happy today. thank you! :D

[Anton]

Thanks for sharing Mima! Yeah I often hear nga "quad" and "CC" from Ateneans... 

[Anton]

Thanks! Yes, I plan to do the UP Diliman next, I wanted to try the famous street food in UP :)

Anton

[Anton]

Thanks so much Karen for the quick correction. I appreciate it. No I have not tried the Healthy Kitchen, I'll check it out when I'm back in Ateneo one of these days...

[Rina]

Cool post! Brought me down memory lane. That's right, the Zen Garden was referred to the Quad then. Too bad our fave restos along Katipunan aren't around anymore - Pickadeli (great bbq), Little House (yummy cordon bleu), Gold Mine (for sizzling plate food), Sweet Haven (for their desserts and iced tea). Funny how the popular card games haven't changed. 20 years ago, it was also pusoy dos and speed which were popular in campus. We didn't like eating much in the Caf then - food wasn;t as good as it is now, plus the smell of food stuck to your clothes and hair by the time you stepped out of the Caf. The Mac store there is great - the prices are cheaper than in other Apple stores, it's subsidized.

[Alex]

I am truly shocked that the campus has changed so much since I was there during the mid to late 70's. Colayco hall did not exist then and is no longer existing now. I am totally proud of the improvements made. I am totally envious at the food choices non-existent then. Back then there was only the dismal food in the cafeteria. Lunch was only P3.50 and I survived on a 300 peso allowance a month. I am glad that they have kept the campus green. I also envy the new Rizal library today. It is a far cry from my days of card catalogs.

[sanya]

Manang's (aka club house) has changed since i was a student! But food is yummz. It wasn't open as it is now, there definitely was no lechon, floors were bare cement, chipped linoleum tables. I loved it!

I suggest you do a UP food review- beach house, choc kiss, the resto behind the gallery in bahay ng alumni (best choc cake ever, after polly's), the isaw stand from heaven near the post ofc, the shawarma place near the gym, rodic's, gulod, thai canteen (mama thai- if it still exists)...

[Lady Lorredo]

So many good, food establishments are gone! Sad!

The Caf has changed so much! I was real sad when they said the home-made iced tea was no longer served as well as the shredded beef with mashed potatoes dish we used to eat there all the time. I wonder if they still have the siomai rice combo at the COOP?

There also was a Food for Thought near the Colayco area before. They sold sandwiches, like a cheaper version of Subway. You get to choose your own bread, 2 kinds of meat filling, cheese or egg and your veggies after which you can choose to slather it with whatever dressing you wish - which is of course is limited to mayo, mustard and ketchup. :)

Tita Amy's, Full House, SR Thai and Dinner Plate are all gone too. Too bad.

[Lady Lorredo]

How about Mang Jimmy's in the Old Balara area near LWUA? :)

[sandee]

Manangs!!! Miss ko na! It's changed a lot since my college days. But I did see it when the dining area was closed off for renovation, just not the "finished product". Mukhang sosyal na haha. Whenever we have the chance we always order the famous liempo for takeout. For us, it's just the best inihaw na liempo esp. because of the homemade vinegar, ibang klase talaga. Yung siomai-rice, staple nga yan back in the day. And the Food for Thought stall! Sayang wala na pala.

Everything else has changed so much. I must really go back and have a look-see.

[Mai]

Indeed, the Ateneo Campus seems to be more spacious compared to DLSU. Made me think, what if I had gone to Ateneo?hehe ... on second thought, I'd rather still be GREEN than BLUE! :D

More power Anton! Hope you continue posting interesting topics.

[KUMAGCOW]

Why not do a whole UAAP school tour?! hehehe =)

[pilar]

Talk about being an outsider! Hahaha! Awkward/Cringe moment ba while you were inside the ADMU bookstore?

I love the DDCA idea. It does encourage students to bring-their-own utensils.

Finally, while you're at it, include na rin UST in your school food tour. ;) Hehehe!

[Julian Cua]

Were you able to try the food at JGSOM Sec?

[Rosey]

I love this article! Makes me reminisce my days there. haha!

Indeed, the vinegar is what adds flavor to the liempo. It wouldn't be complete without it. :)

Playing cards was already rampant, even back in the day. haha! (Supposedly, playing cards isn't allowed inside the Caf, but then people still play, even right infront of the sign where it says that it's not allowed. hehe.)

Nice picture of the Zen Garden (used to be called "Quad"). That was our area then. :)

[mathew mirando]

Hi anton,

great blog! love it.

Flavors of UAAP in the eyes of a La Sallian? Just a thought!

That brings the UAAP back again. More schools to conquer!

animo la salle!

[true blue]

This post of yours brought me back to the days when my husband and I were still dating hahaha! Dates in manang's...sigh...those were the days (But it didn't look as sosy as it does now!):) Thanks for this--so timely, considering it's been 10 years since I graduated from ADMU, and I am on super college reminiscing mode. Amazing how much the place has changed since we ran wild through the campus. Makes me wonder how different things will be when my son is old enough to go to school there too. (hehehe) I love your blog, but now I love it even more! :)

[Gej]

It would be interesting too to know more about the establishments in the vicinity of the campus of Ateneo, La Salle, UP, etc, not necessarily within the campus.

[Millette]

Great article, Archer:) I went to Ateneo for my MA, and back in the late 90s (which isn't so long ago actually), the campus was quite different. The Manny Pangilinan Center and its MAC Center is a shiny new penny for me, and the free annual Ateneo student tours for parochial high schools (where I am principal)always has that as a highlight. Hint, hint: sana mag free school tour din ang La Salle...

But I also went to UP Diliman for my undergrad. Lots of hidden foodie places there then, I'm sure there's more now. For real "masa" eating experience, check out Rodic's at the UP Shopping Center. Classic ang tapsilog nila! Even when I was in Ateneo, I'd sneak out during lunch breaks to UP and eat at Rodic's. Ha ha.

[Kat R]

Thanks for visiting my alma mater! I graduated 2005. It's almost shocking to see all the changes in school, more new buildings and recent renovations. Food underwent great improvement. Before, the cafeteria only had 1 floor. Manang's is certainly an institution! And they still have the same staff! Galing!

I've been a silent reader of your site for years and I figured it's about time to make my presence felt hehe. Added you in twitter too! I consider myself as a foodie, and it's wonderful to read up on new finds here. Used to work in an airline so I was all over the world. Hehe. Keep it up Anton! Thanks for always promoting the best of the Philippines in travel and in food!

[d]

nice article....

by the way the Student Study Center correct name is Matteo Ricci Study Hall and is managed by the Rizal Library.

[browneyedgirl]

thanks for this lovely post! and thanks for not dissing ateneo and for writing so graciously inspite of being a member of the rival school :) does anyone remember abuelos resto along katipunan? loved their super cheap meals there but not sure if it still exists... the caf at cervini/eliazo hall was also a fond tambayan for us, it served a lot of homey meals and was much quieter and cooler compared to the main caf (which during my time was not airconditioned yet)... and yes i recall food for thought, they had really great caesar salad that i ordered almost weekly... ateneans nowadays are very blessed to have so many new buildings and facilities... sigh, this was a great trip down memory lane.

[Anna D]

The new lib looks magnificent! A lot has definitely changed since I graduated three years ago. I miss Manang's Liempo!

[Michiko]

Oh to be a student again... great post Anton!

[Amber]

So much has changed - but then again it's been over 10 years. :-) Back then, the "new" building was SocSci. Glad that it's still mostly green though. That's one of the reasons why I decided to go there.

It was funny - when you were describing places and I saw the photos, memories came rushing back - I was all, "That's the Quad. Oh, so the benches in front of the caf isn't where the sosi kids hang out anymore, CC - best liempo! Wow, the Rizal Library looks awesome!" Hehe. :-)

I agree with checking out the food stalls in UP. I had a bunch of friends in Diliman so I used to go and hang out there a lot, too.

Enjoy this awesome new food trip! :-)

[pao]

love this post! Graduated in 2008, and I am amazed how fast the campus evolved to what it is now. I miss college because of this post :( Looking back, the culture (people, workload, environment, teachers, schedule, means of transportation, food, other people's lifestyle )in college (Ateneo) is very much different, compared to the Med School I am in now. :( Makes me wanna go back more often just to have those 'senti' moments :)

[baked]

Congrats for this interesting and great idea!.. Proud of you, animo lasalle =)

[lin]

In Australia it's law for all cars to stop at a pedestrian crossing should a pedestrian attempt to cross.At school crossings all cars should slow down to 25 kph and this applies 24/7. Most of our pedestrian crossings have traffic cameras. Heavy fines apply.

[ida]

Manang's Clubhouse is well-loved and is regarded with so much affection by its patrons. They have their own Facebook fan page where a lot of alumni post their stories of sending the liempo via courier to the US and greetings to Manang (Mrs. Rentosa) and the rest of the Manang's family. Aside from the really good food, everybody loves eating there because you feel like its your mom serving you. Manang is really maasikaso and maalaga. Sometimes I hear them tell the students to have more vegetables instead of more rice to be healthier, hehe!

[Bro. Jeff, SJ]

Nice article. Try to visit LST canteen...

[Anton]

You're welcome! Actually nasarapan ako sa Manang's Liempo so that's why masaya rin ang post na ito :)

Anton

[Anton]

Sige I will do UP and then UST :) Thanks for the suggestion!

[Anton]

Not really, I heard this year's batch of stalls are just OK. Nothing to rave about.

[frannywanny]

yes! i love eating at manang's :) i get so excitd whenever i have to fetch my sister around lunch time :)

[Jovin]

haha! for one semester, all I ate was manang's liempo and/or porkchops!.... I miss manang's!!!

[Rob' Ramos]

A well-written article, Anton. Thank you for this amazing overview of our school. And coming from a La Sallian, well... it feels extra special, especially those kind words you have for our hangouts and institutions.

You should have seen Manang's during our day (I graduated in 2000, entered in 1994). It was far more the turo-turo place than it is now XD

And that Zen Garden? Hahahaha: that was just Quad (for Quadrangle) A to us. Did you get stuck in the human traffic at EDSA Walk? That would be the right-side walkway, facing away from the Caf ^_^

Love your photos, too, especially the one on the Gesu. You should see that when the trees are abloom ^_^

[Bea Uy]

I'll be waiting for your UP Diliman food trip Anton. It's not only the street food that's famous there. We have Beach House near the University library which is famous for their barbecue, Lutong Bahay and Lutong Kapitbahay near the area 2 of the campus, the famous Chocolate Kiss and the hidden Chateau Verde. Plus the food stalls at Shopping Center.

[cocomaxx]

Wow! Thanks for posting this. I graduated in 1993 before the entire facelift happened. Zen Garden was only defined as "The Quad" and we were one of the Quad kids. EDSA was only half as wide, and nobody ate the cafeteria food maybe because it was right under the Bio/Zoo lab and the food was rumored to be nasty (the concessionaires fared better). Our quad bench near the chapel is long gone and the memories have passed. I have gone back but only been around the university main thoroughfare and had never gone back inside the college campus. Maybe it's time for a visit to the alma mater.

[cocomaxx]

I miss the Chicken Crepe at Full House the most.

[Mark B]

Loved your entry! My batch just graduated last week, and reading your blog made me want to not leave Ateneo, or visit soon before work starts! Glad you found our campus nice! I'm itching to see and tour DLSU, but I think imposible na iyon... :(

Try UP Diliman next time! Their street foods are the BEST, especially yung isaw nila doon!

More power to you! :D

[awesomeness!]

It's called SEC walk not catwalk:) and the musician's bench as you called it is actually the AMP bench:)
WOW, thanks for this! I never appreciated just how nice our campus really is. I'm an incoming Sophomore now and i'll be sure to take it all in the next time i'm in school. This post made me happpy! I totally agree with what you said about Buddha Bean Cafe. It's the only place a get food from when i'm at Jsec!:)

[Anton]

Thanks Lisa for the correction :) Savor every minute of your college years! 

Sent from Mobile

[Anton]

Ok we will do this soon :) 

Sent from Mobile

[www.triportreats.com]

Dude,

Back in the days when my brothers were in Ateneo it looked much more rustic and "college" like. But it really looks a lot like my campus in Pepperdine. Now I'm inggit. I wonder if I can go back to college. Second degree???

[angperegrino]

Great post Anton!

Yes, the campus has changed so much since the 90s. Manang's will always be an all-time favorite. They had lechon (kawali), porkchop and the liempo back then. Some of my friends would still come to Ateneo whenever they have meetings in the Katipunan area and eat at Manangs for lunch.

I'm sad that Food for Thought is no longer there. And the great "restos" of Katipunan have all died out (Full House with its Chicken Cacciatore and Chicken Crepe, SR Thai (?), etc.) although Cravings and Sweet Inspiration are still there.

Thanks for the beautiful post once again!

[Dawn Coloma]

Hi Anton! I've been a silent follower of your blog for years. My husband and I love trying out different restaurants. Even when we were still in college which is more than a decade ago, we would go to far places to eat. Now, I even check your site before going to a new place to see if you've made a review on it.

You made a great post on the Ateneo. However, you missed one of the nicest places to eat there which is Zekaf (sa caf). It's at the basement of the University Dormitory. It's owned and run by a family of Ateneans and the one in charge of the kitchen, Kat Malvar Rodrigo, went to culinary school in New York and is a co-owner of Classic Confections in Greenbelt 5. They serve food cafeteria style but you can also order from their menu. They have a "clean as you go" policy to train the students in being responsible (and also to save on manpower needs) and they try to promote a good student culture.

Thanks for updating us on the different restaurants and events. Have a prayerful holy week. :)

[dodong flores]

Nice photos. Interesting review of the place...

[Quito]

Hey, nice post! :) I'm from Ateneo and I have to say it's actually interesting to see a Lasallean check out our campus and say how nice it is. :) Too bad you weren't able to go inside the New Rizal Library. It's really nice inside!

Oh, and you missed another good eating spot. Actually, 2 eating spots. One is the ISO Cafeteria. It's near the Bellarmine Hall which is beside Bellarmine Field. They have nice menus at very cheap prices and their sisig is awesome! The place is also airy, unlike the cafeteria which is rather too stuffy already.

Another one is the cafeteria of the Loyola School of Theology (LST). It's kinda far from the Loyola Schools mainland (that's what we call the general area which you visited) but if you're really hungry, its worth a long walk or a short tricycle ride. They serve food which is similar to Manang's but at really really cheap prices. The pic you showed in your post? In Manang's it will cost you 100. But in the LST caf, it will only be about 70 pesos, even less. ;)

Try them out when you come visit again!

[Quito]

May Rodic's na rin sa Ateneo caf! pero iba pa rin ung experience ng Rodic's sa UP mismo!

[Quito]

Yes, this year's batch wasn't really that great. But the batch next year seems to be rather promising. They start during Summer Semester which is around mid April. :)

[Quito]

It's 10% cheaper in the Mac store in Ateneo. :) That's why a lot of students use Macs

[Anton]

OK that's why... I was wondering if there was a special discount for Atenista... I have not seen one inside La Salle though...

[Anton]

Thanks for this tip! I have new reasons to go back and explore Ateneo :)

[Anton]

Thanks for this tip! I heard they have a cafeteria under the university dorm and with this comment, I'll check it out. Sounds interesting since Classic Confections is one of those dessert places that we like :)

[mike]

UST food trip naman dyan... you have Almer's, Mikes BRB, SR THai, JQK chicken, and the other restos in the P.Naval Street

[Anton]

Yeah a UST food trip sounds exciting... Is there any worthy resto inside the school or most of the yummy ones are really outside?

Sent from Mobile

[Crissy Cruz]

Hi anton! Nice post! Loved the pictures :)

[Leigh]

I miss Food for Thought! I forgot all about it until I read it here.

Manang's is still the best.

Ibang iba na pala Ateneo ngayon... hehe! I was part of JGSOM before and glad that it's know what it is. We used to sell our food beside Colayco building with all the semi-run down blue wooden stalls. :)

[Alma]

Lots of great places to eat in UP Anton! You will love it... Its not as posh as Ateneo, but the food is great!

[Marvin]

Hi Anton! I had a good time reading this post. When I was a Freshman in UP Diliman XXV years ago, I used to visit Cervini Hall almost three times a week early in the morning during my regular jogs (I was a Track and Field medium distance runner). Katipunan Road at that time was nothing but the southbound side of the existing Katipunan. The northbound side was part of the Ateneo campus. Also, there were MMTC blue buses going inside the Ateneo campus that time. Much has changed since then; but same Ateneo ambiance.

[sdasddasd]

The Colayco Pav still exists po :D I guess It just wasn't shown in the pictures. Actually, maraming wala sa pictures dito.

[anne]

hi anton!

the caf in the Loyola School of Theology is famous for its turon. i don't remember why but we'd usually go all the way there to buy some :)

thanks for the feature! i didn't know the Rizal Library looks that way now. :)

[Anton]

I'll check out that Turon then...

[Stephen Chan]

FRIEND KO SI NICO!!!!!! :D

[Lorraine]

I agree you should try UP one of these days! Not just the street food but there are also hidden treasures every-single-where! =)

[Cristina]

Awesome post! It's funny I took a photo of the exact same spot where the new library now stands in April of last year and was just wondering what it looks like now, and you took the photo to satiate my curiosity. Thanks! I also took one of your photos, but credited you of course. Feel free to check out the post here http://tapsilog.tumblr.com/. Thanks again!

[Anton]

Galing Cris! I like the way the before and after photos! very nice, thanks for sharing!

Anton

[alsdfj]

Actually, the Colayco Pav that most alumni know is different from the one that's now in the MVP building. The Colayco Pav now is named after the old building that was demolished to make room for the new org building.

[Peter M]

Hi Anton,

ADMU Alumni here. I have to say you've done a great tour of the school! I'm quite impressed.

Didn't realize we now had a bookstore. Where is this located by the way?

[Anton]

Beside the old Rizal Library if I'm not mistaken.

[Arthur B.]

I guess it was called the Country Club since it was/is located beside the tennis courts.

[asia]

wow I <3 your blog! Great pictures and insights! If only i had the same dedication to mine. Plus I love manangs. There's a new stall in JSEC called Sabroso, owned by a friend, cheap mexican food that can feed two people each serving!

[anonymous]

Hi! My friend posted one of the pictures here on Facebook, paticularly the one with the students playing cards on the bench. I'm part of that group (well, not in the picture. haha) and we call it the Higad Bench. It's been called that for more than 10 years now, and has moved from one place and another. The Zen Garden used to be called the Quad. This was all before the new buildings started popping up. Great post by the way! :)

[Anton]

Thanks for the comment and sharing the Higad Bench trivia.

[xine]

There's also a Happy House is La Salle now! Located at the Animo Foodhaus, it's at the back of the Pizza Hut stall (although Pizza Hut is no longer there)

[Tj Uy]

Too bad you didn't get to try one of the best food stalls in the Ateneo cafeteria. It closed about two or three years ago but it served decent food. Its called "Beef Teriyaki" where they serve a breakfast sandwich with orange juice for 25 php and the chicken strips with mashed potato (served with gravy and the option to top it with chili) for i think 35php.

[Jez]

Hi Anton! I enjoyed reading your blog about our campus. :) Sayang though, you visited during the summer when the fields are dry and brown. Hope you can drop by again during the rainy season :) The Gesu-Bellarmine shot as well as the view outside the 2nd Floor Caf (which we call 'Caf Up') would look more awesome. Saturday mornings are best because you'll be able to smell the lovely scent of freshly-cut grass. (Haha, that's my only consolation when attending 9-12 Saturday classes)

Anyway, just to share some info:
- The Zen Garden was known as 'Quad' before. But it was already called Zen garden during our freshie years ('05) And the benches were called 'Higad Benches,' if I am not mistaken.
- The Musicians' bench in front of the Matteo Ricci Study Hall is called the 'AMP Bench' during our time. (I'm not sure if this was changed already) AMP stands for Ateneo Musicians Pool.
- Manangs! That's where we stay before or after PE classes. And that's where some alumni meet-up to have random lunch whenever we miss our college days :)

[Anton]

Galing! Thanks for this, and I'm learning a lot from these comments on the Ateneo Foodie Culture :)

[Jeff]

Hi. Good idea. May I suggest that Anton also try the street foods near Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP)? It is really inexpensive but still deliciously satisfying!

Keep up the good work Sir Anton.

[Anton]

ON PUP, what's good there?

[Mina]

Super late reply (I saw the link from a friend's tweet!), but this post is awesome. It brought back so many memories of the Loyola campus (even if I've only graduated for a year)--I miss it all.

If you decide to come back, there are a couple other places you can try.

1. LST Caf - somebody mentioned this already. It's a bit far out, but the loyal ones always troop to this caf located inside the Loyola School of Theology because of the very cheap but very yummy home-cooked food.

2. Zekaf - It's at the basement of the University Dorms. It's a bit pricier than most student meals, but the ambience and food are superb! Was started by Sir Toto Malvar (of Camp Explore in Antipolo--another place you have to go to for the food) and his family.

[IliganFootball]

Para narin akong nag tour ah.. ganda nman nito..

[Jollo v]

Hi anton! too bad you weren't able to try Food For Thought. It used to be a kiosk/burger machine type of sandwich bar outside Colayco Hall (now the MVP Center). They had great sandwiches. Also, in the area of Quad 2 (the garden outside MVP, there used to be the occassional Rodics visit.

[Ben Garcia]

Not much to eat at inside the UST Campus aside from fast-food chains like KFC and McDonalds. You have to go outside of the university, particularly to the P. Noval and Dapitan side to have a taste of UST cuisine. Although I couldn't say its genuinely UST food, since other schools line up the area, like the University of Perpetual Help.