What's your favorite comfort food?

We all turn to food when we’re happy or down, when we want to make new memories with friends or to celebrate successes. But there’s always that one food that makes us feel better right away, that lifts our spirits — whether because of the memories it evokes or because of the taste itself.

Allana Montelibano, businesswoman

My favorite comfort food is crispy bacon dipped in vinegar with rice. It has been my favorite since childhood. My mama would always ask my yaya to feed me bacon whenever I didn’t have an appetite. Since then, bacon has been a staple in my house and is always the first thing I look for in the breakfast buffet or menu even when I travel. It never fails to cheer me up and lift my mood even in the seasonal rainy days of my life.

Beng Dee, restaurateur

My comfort food will be anything noodles. It can come in different shapes and cuisines but I prefer it cooked al dente or springy. I love it with spice and I don’t mind eating it every day, it makes me happy and satisfied. Besides it’s what Rikki and I enjoy and agree on. For me, that is comfort.

Brian Masigan, businessman

My favorite comfort food is peanuts. Why? Because when I chew on them I get intense. And when I’m intense I think clearly.

Annette Gozon Abrogar

My favorite comfort food is a grilled juicy burger with everything on it and lots of ketchup and mustard plus a side of fries. And a glass of ice-cold diet soda.

Rica Lopez de Jesus, general manager, Golden Spoon Phils.

Anything with cheese, particularly rice with cheese and cheese ice cream with cheese. When we were kids, my brother, sister and I loved cheese and we used to make all sorts of cheese recipes and all our cousins knew about it and remember it till today.

Kevin C. Limjoco, publisher, C magazine

I’m known for my voracious appetite. Your readers can actually watch our video exploits on our www.c-magazine.com website. I love to eat, from modest eateries to fast food, to gourmet and everything in between as well as around it. So to select only one kind of comfort food is quite tough but it does all boil down to a hot bowl of Nebayaki Udon with an additional egg and five extra ebi tempuras at the Shinjuku Ramen House on Makati Avenue. I regard it as the best in the world. And I do try a Nebayaki Udon everywhere I go, even in Japan. I don’t know how they do it. In fact, I don’t want to know. Their consistency and flavor is astounding. A few years ago, my best friends and I would go there almost every day and have two bowls each for lunch! It’s still a mystery, but having a bowl more than fills my belly — it instantly brings me joy and reminds me of great memories with my pals. Isn’t that the essence of comfort food?

Miles Roces, PBA partylist

My favorite comfort food is chicken tinola with malunggay. For me, it is always good any time any day. I like the taste of the ginger in the soup and dip my spoon a bit in patis every time I sip it.. When I was a kid my lola cooked it a lot. Every time I eat it now it reminds me of all those times. Tinola was the first dish that I learned to cook. So when I’m on vacation in the States and miss home I’d cook it at my mom’s place and I feel good right away.

Ton Manlongat, businessman

My kitchen is never without a box of oatmeal. This is my ultimate comfort food. I can consume a bowl anytime of the day and not worry about gaining the extra pounds. It’s perfect for breakfast and my morning runs. It’s a great source of vitamins and I would recommend this to anyone trying to lose weight.