The Art of Merienda Cena

Filipinos are known as great eaters. In between breakfasts and lunches, and lunches and dinners, you’ll find a fascinatingly unique tradition for coffee and snacks. Locally, we call them merienda cena. But don’t skip this part just yet, because Meriena Cena is not just a time for coffee and snacks, not your usual alas tres thing going on. Simply put, it’s a meal between two meals. It can be heavy and can be pursued between the hours of 4pm to 6pm, that’s right before a late dinner, and way before your midnight treat.

The merienda cena that we’re talking about does not consist of coffee or tea or some pastries and biscuits, which westerners might have in mind. While it’s not really a hot meal and a range of courses usually offered during lunch or dinner, it’s still a complete meal that Filipinos love to indulge in and satisfy their cravings. To put it simply, the bigger the meal, the better it is.

For some households, merienda cena means a host of dishes waiting for eating and bantering. Some have a bilao of pancit palabok or malbon with all sorts of kakanin on the side. Some would prepare a classic pair of steaming dinuguan and puto. There are tons of choices that can be served during this slightly heavy meal of the day. For affluent homes, the hosts even offer a warm bowl of lomi complete with condiments and a serving of fresh lumpia or buchi.

If you’ve ever been to the house of an Ilonggo host, then expect to get a bowl of batchoy or pancit molo. Pinoys just are into eating so much. If you’re searching for the perfect merienda cena as if searching for the Holy Grail, there are a lot of Davao resorts and food destinations that offer an eat-all-you-can merienda set up. One being Malagos Garden Resort’s food selections that are all artisan and homegrown. Known to be one of the best resorts in Davao, Malagos has proven how food is the ultimate key to a Filipino client. Check out more of their gastronomic delights on their website malagos.com.