Samosa with chole at the food counter of Assad Mini Mart.
The cheapest samosa in Manila is now 3 pesos more expensive. It now takes a shiny ten peso coin to buy one piece of these deep-fried potato dumplings, along with some sauce, at Assad. With some chole (garbanzos simmered in spices), they go for 15 pesos a pair.
This is still much better than the two for 55 pesos at New Bombay, and I'm not even gonna wonder about Bollywood. Assad also has an extensive array of Indian sweets, and a grocery full of ingredients for your next culinary foray into the spicy subcontinent.
If you're sick of the skyscrapers and relative orderliness of Makati, come down to UN Avenue. Hop on an MRT to Taft station. From here, transfer to the older LRT line (there's a passageway through the mall) and stop at UN Avenue. When you get down the stairs, you'll see pedicabs. They will take you to Assad for 20-30 pesos.
If you want to walk the samosas off, the UN Avenue station is just ten minutes away from places like the National Library, National Museum, Rizal Park, and more.
Assad Mini Mart
1268 IJK Midtown Executive Homes
UN Avenue, Paco, Manila
(+632) 526 1349/ (+632) 526 5034
LRT Station: UN Avenue
Pedicab towards Assad
