A NEWLY revived food crawl destination near P. Noval Street has become a hit among Thomasians and other U-Belt students, with social media users calling it the second coming of Ugbo, the famous food strip in Tondo, Manila.
Stretching across Eloisa, Tolentino, Adelina, P. Campa, and Paquita streets, the area — now called “Fusion Alley” — comes alive from 4 p.m. to midnight, transforming what was once a quiet neighborhood into a vibrant food haven filled with stalls serving budget-friendly meals for students.
The area features a diverse selection of food options, ranging from rice meals and grilled favorites to Mexican tacos and burritos, as well as pasta dishes like carbonara, baked macaroni, lasagna, and mac-and-cheese.
It also offers baked sushi, xiao long bao “dupes,” tofu squares, cheesy corn, popular street fare, mango shakes, and freshly blended fruit juices.
For many vendors, Fusion Alley’s rise has been life-changing. Among them is Apple de Guzman, a single mother who runs a Mexican food stall. She credits the steady stream of students for helping her recover from the financial struggles she faced during the pandemic.
She recalled how one night, a group of Thomasian boarders pooled their spare coins just to buy her tacos.
“‘Yung presyo ng bilihin, kailangan swak sa budget ng mga estudyante, kasi syempre, mga estudyante lang sila,” she told the Varsitarian, adding that vloggers helped her stall gain more attention compared with her original branch in Tondo.
For Jamal Gatdula, who sells pasta dishes, setting up shop in Fusion Alley and moving out of Quiapo was a gamble that paid off.
“Every day, kahit maulan, lumakas talaga ang kita namin. Nagkaroon rin ako ng ibang tauhan. Nakakatulong ako sa kanila at para rin sa pamilya nila,” he said, sharing how the new business allowed him to re-employ a former coworker who lost his job during the pandemic.”
The camaraderie among vendors has also become a defining feature of the area. Marianne Rañola, who runs a sushi stall, said sellers often supported one another instead of competing.
She recalled a time when a nearby vendor ran out of rice and three neighboring stalls pitched in to help him continue selling.
“Wala, walang kompetisyon. Tulungan, ganon. Bibili sila sa amin, bibili kami sa kanila. Parang pagkakaisa,” she said.
For students, Fusion Alley’s convenience and affordability have made it an instant favorite. Lara Lansangan, a medical technology student, said the food hub provides budget-friendly meals without needing to venture far from campus.
“Usually, Thomasians would opt to go to Binondo before this and even Tondo. E ngayon, mas malapit na,” she said.
However, the growing number of visitors has also brought new challenges, such as issues with cleanliness, waste management, and road safety. Some have even suggested closing the streets to vehicles during operating hours to better manage the influx of people.
According to Dominic Nuqui, a parking attendant along P. Noval Street, customer safety is ensured through constant coordination with officials from Barangays 465 and 466.
“From Gate 7 of UST, ‘pag tumatawid (ang customers) at pupunta sila rito, nariyan ‘yong assistant namin, kasama ‘yong mga barangay officials dito, ina-assist namin sa pagtawid hanggang sa makarating sila dito,” Nuqui said.
Parking attendant Terso Rosello said Delos Reyes Street is closed to vehicles from the start of Fusion Alley’s operations until midnight, beginning the second week of September. David Nigel C. Cortes and Elihoenai Hazael B. Cortez
