Somewhere in Ortigas has become part of my weekday rhythm — meetings, errands, gallery runs and somewhere in between, my regular eatery.

It’s not fancy. It’s not curated. It doesn’t have mood lighting or artisanal plating. But it’s cheap, reliable and kind to my wallet. And sometimes, that’s the real luxury.

I walked in for lunch, already knowing what I wanted.

“Sir, what do you want?” one of the staff asked.

“Can I have the pork kare-kare and vegetable dish?”

“Okie, sir. How many rice, sir?”

“One rice, please.”

She paused.

“Sir… one rice?”

“Yes. One rice for me.”

Her face was full of questions. The kind you don’t say out loud but can clearly see forming. One rice? With pork kare-kare? For you?

And there it was again — that quiet assumption. That because I’m chubby, I must eat more. That my body automatically orders extra. That one cup of rice doesn’t make sense attached to a frame like mine.

But here’s the thing: being chubby doesn’t mean I don’t make mindful choices. It doesn’t mean I don’t know my portions. It doesn’t mean I’m unaware of what’s on my plate.

Sometimes, I just want one rice. Not two. Not unlimited. Not what people expect. Just one.

What struck me wasn’t offense — it was awareness. How often do we attach appetite to appearance? How quickly do we build narratives about people based on size alone?

Food is complicated. Bodies are complicated. Life is complicated.

Some days I eat more. Some days I eat less. Some days I’m stressed. Some days I’m disciplined. Some days I just want pork kare-kare and one rice.

That moment in the carinderia reminded me of something bigger: people see the body first, the discipline second. They see the weight, not the intention. The stereotype, not the story.

I am chubby. I love food. I appreciate a good deal. And yes, sometimes, I only order one rice. And that should never need explaining.

□□□□□

Ian Belleza is the author of Chubby Chronicles, his personal storytelling platform that explores art, culture, travel and everyday reflections through a candid and thoughtful lens.