MANILA, Philippines – The World Street Food Congress (WSFC) is happening in Manila for the first time, and it’s bringing 25 international street food hawkers together in one place. (READ: 15 hours, 10 restaurants: Here’s everything we ate in the ultimate food trip)

The WSFC 2016 Jamboree is happening at 9th Avenue corner 25th Street at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig from April 20 to 24. Here’s the jamboree schedule:

• Wednesday to Friday (20 to 22 April 2016) – 4 pm to 11 pm
• Saturday (23 April 2016) – 12 pm to 11 pm
• Sunday (24 April 2016) – 12 pm to 9 pm

The WSFC was created in 2013 by “food guide maven” KF Seetoh of Makansutra in Sinagapore, as a project that helps celebrate and promote food culture. 

Rappler was at the jamboree on its opening day and checked out what the stalls were serving up. Before we show you all the tasty food though, here are a few tips based on what we observed on April 20.

Be early

If the next few days are anything like the opening day, then people will be lining up both inside and outside. The queue turned at the corner of the block, and after a few hours, the area reached its full capacity. People were still being let in, but at a much slower pace.

It’s best to be at the jamboree early so you can beat the lines at the stalls, too. Entrance to the jamboree is free.

Share your table

There will be a lot of people at the event, and even though there are tables and chairs, there aren’t enough for everyone. You can share your table with the other diners at the jamboree – politely ask, or if someone asks, kindly oblige. You can also bring a blanket or mat, and have a picnic on the field.

Bring your friends

Not only is it more fun with more people, but you can try more of everything this way. You’ve already waited in line and found a table, now divide and conquer! You can grab a dish each and share, instead of having a whole serving to yourself.

Here’s what you and your friends can try at the jamboree:

Alhambra Padang Satay – Satay beehoon (P220)

Satay beehoon (rice noodles) is a noodle dish that comes in a rich satay sauce, topped with seafood, vegetables, tofu, and sticks of satay.

It’s a Singaporean-Chinese dish, but Alhambra Padang Satay’s is prepared halal and Malay style.

The Cinnamon Snail – Smoked chili grilled tofu bao (P160)

The Cinnamon Snail is an award-winning vegetarian food truck from the USA. At the jamboree, try their smoked chili grilled tofu bao with kimchi, pickled basil, and sambal oelek cream.

Banh Can 38 – Banh can and banh xeo (P280)

Thuloan Phan makes her Vietnamese savory fried seafood pancakes the old-fashioned way – with traditional clay pots and pans, which have been recognized by UNESCO.

These pancakes are made from scratch, using blended, pounded, and pre-soaked rice. Watch Thuloan make their pancakes:

Thuloan Phan from Vietnam makes her Banh Xeo with traditional clay pots#wsfc16 @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/fJ4s7Vj5F6

— vernise tantuco (@verntantuco) April 20, 2016

Nam bo Sticky Rice Banana – Sticky rice banana (P150)

Another street food dish from Vietnam, sticky rice banana is a cured banana encased in sticky rice and wrapped in a banana leaf – which is then grilled.

It’s good on its own, but you can also try it with roasted sesame seeds and sweet coconut milk.

Hajjah Yetty Sate Maranggi – Sate maranggi (P250)

Check out Hajjah Yetty at the jamboree if you’re looking to try some authentic sate maranggi (beef satay). The stall pioneered the dish in Purwakarta, Indonesia, 20 years ago, and this is their first stall outside of Indonesia too.

Ayam Taliwang Bersuda – Ayam taliwang (P220)

Ayam Taliwang is a char-grilled chicken dish from Indonesia, marinated in spicy bird’s eye chili. At the WSFC Jamboree, it’s served wtih a side of Plecing salad and sticks of satay.

Markobar – Chocolate martabak (P200 for a half pan)

For the chocolate lovers, a martabak is fusion street food from Indonesia, made of min chang kueh (a type of Chinese pancake) topped with 8 different kinds of chocolate and sprinkles.

Markobar cafe (short for Martabak Kota Barat) is co-owned by Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo. (READ: The private life of Jokowi’s son Gibran)

Sunset Warung Bali BBQ Ribs – Bali BBQ ribs (P300)

Bali-style barbecue ribs, also known as iga bakar, are wood-fired baby back ribs slathered with a rich Asian marinade made of kicap manis (sweet Indonesian soy sauce), spices and sambal. At the jamboree, you get shredded vegetables and pickled radish to go with your ribs.

Wan Dao Tou Assam Laksa – Penang laksa (P190)

Fans of Malaysian laksa will be happy to know they can try the dish by Wan Dao Tou’s Ee Quen, Penang’s assam laksa champion in 2011. The laksa at the Jamboree is topped with fresh fish flakes, hae ko (sweet prawn paste), and tamarind – all in Wan Dao Tou’s family sambal recipe.

102 Private Kitchen – Braised zhu hou chicken (P180)

102 Private Kitchen is serving up zhu hou chicken from Guangdong, China. It’s braised in soy bean, salt, sugar, sesame seed, and soy sauce. You can order your chicken with rice, too.

Keng Eng Kee Seafood – Seafood platter with 3 Singapore flavored dips

Dip your crispy fried soft-shelled crabs, squid, and eggplants in one of Keng Eng Kee’s 3 dips – chili crab, black pepper, or salted egg yolk.

Pepita’s Kitchen – Spicy paella lechon (P280)

Hailing from the Philippines, Pepita’s Kitchen’s stuffed lechon was a hit at the WSFC 2015 and is just as good at this year’s festival. If you’re visiting the jamboree, a bite of “Lechon Diva” Dedet de la Fuenete’s lechon is a must!

HK Street Old Chun Kee – Har cheong kai burger (P300) and har cheong kai (P200)

The flavors of har cheong kai might be familiar to the Filipino palate – it’s a chicken patty drizzled with bagoong or fried prawn paste. Have it on its own or as a burger; both versions come with taro fries.

Donald & Lily – Mee siam (P190)

Another beehoon dish, mee siam comes with a tangy, sweet and spicy broth with sambal, seafood, egg, and fish cakes.

Chey Sua Carrot Cake – Carrot cake (P160)

Don’t be fooled by its name – this isn’t the sweet dessert most of us are familiar with. This Sinagporean dish is actually pan-fried/steamed daikon radish and rice flour cake with eggs and pickled and salted daikon.

Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck & Kway Chap – Duck rice set (P250)

Kway chap is a Chinese dish that uses every part of a pig. Have it with yam rice, offals, braised duck meat, and stewed pork belly. It comes with a spicy vinegar chili sauce, too.

Satpal Chaat Bhanda – Aloo chop (P150) and Golgappa (P150)

Try some of Krikshan Lal’s aloo chop and golgappa, which he’s been selling in India for the past 25 years.

Aloo chop is a potato croquette made of a fried potato, turmeric, chili powder, masala powder, and ginger garlic paste mixture.

On the other hand, a golgappa is fried unleavened bread (puri) stuffed with flavored water, tamarind chutney, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion, and chickpeas.

Shyamia – Hyderbadi biryani (P260)

Biryani is a mixed rice dish from India, and at the jamboree, you can try Biryani by 55-year-old Pochamma, who has been selling it for the past 10 years.

Pochamma makes Hyderabadi biryani, cooked with basmati rice, chicken, yogurt, onion, masala spices, lemon, saffron, coriander leaves, and fresh onions.

Churros Locos – Churros sundae (P180)

Churros Locos from the USA is serving up churros topped with vanilla ice cream, nuts and sprinkles, and your choice of chocolate, strawberry, or caramel sauce.

NCC Catering – Hoy tord (P220)

From Thailand, NCC Catering is serving up a hoy tord or a seafood omelette, made of tapioca flour, rice flour, lime, and water, fried with eggs, and topped with seafood, coriander, spring onions, bean sprouts, and white pepper.

North Philippines (P180)

There are 5 stalls from the Philippines, each serving a taste of signature street food from their area. Each Philippine region’s stall has 3 kinds of food for one price.

At the North Philippines stall, you can get okoy tikyosko (shrimp fritter made of mango, sprouts, shrimp, horseradish, squash, sesame seeds, and carrots), panar (pastry stuffed with unripe papaya, garlic, onions, shrimp, and crab meat), and kiniing-inapoy bingungen (Cordilleran smoked pork, mango, cucumber, egg, and lettuce, in rice).

Southern Philippines (P180)

From the south, try a grilled longganisa Lucban, a sugar glazed squash pilipit, and suman sa lihiya. On the side, nibble on some fried kiping and cassava chips with chili con longganisang Lucban.

Bicol (P180)

Bicol is known for its spicy cuisine, and the stall that represents the region at the jamboree doesn’t disappoint. A visit to the Bicol stall will give you a Bicolano Wellington (Bicol express wrapped in puff pastry, topped with pumpkin puree and salted egg), some pasta Bicolandia (pasta in coconut piquant sauce) with moringa, and a scoop of sili ice cream.

One Visayas (P220)

The Visayas stall at the jamboree serves a spread of La Paz batchoy, tahong lumpia han jibong (mussels in vegetables all fried in a lumpia wrapper), and Samar salokara (a pancake dish with ground rice, coconut milk, and coconut wine).

One Mindanao (P150 for the panna cotta, P180 for the sinuglaw and satti)

The Mindanao stall at the jamboree uses traditional dishes and ingredients with a twist. Their version of the Italian panna cotta is made with fruits like durian and biason, while their satti (grilled chicken satay) is dipped in a sweet and sour sauce instead of peanut sauce. They’re also serving sinuglaw (grilled pork belly and tuna) with green mango, cucumber, tomato, and salted egg.

Are you planning on visiting the WSFC 2016 Jamboree? Which of these dishes do you want to try? Let us know in the comments! – Rappler.com