Top 5 Food Trip Destinations in and around Manila (3 of 5)
by Anton Diaz, Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Published in San Miguel Great Food Club Newsletter (November-December 2009).
(Please register in MyGreatFood.com if you want to become a member of San Miguel’s Great Food Club)
3. The Binondo Food Trip
Perhaps the nearest place for a food trip can be done
in Chinatown in Old Manila. If you have a foodie friend who knows the Binondo
area quite well, it is better to organize your own itinerary based on what
would you like to explore. Sunday brunch is a popular time to go to Wai Ying, Ying Ying or the recently reopened President’s restaurant. Popular orders would be the usual dimsum dishes of Shrimp
Dumplings, Siomai, and Pinsec Frito.
On your own time, you can also check out Quick
Snack’s Fried Lumpia along Carvajal
St. or the often talked about Sincerity Fried Chicken along Nueva St. If you are a little more
adventurous, you might want to visit the oldest restaurants in Binondo — Ma
Mon Luk (now called Masuki) for its
Siopao and Mami, and Manosa Restaurant for its authentic Chinese soups, dishes and “ambiance”.
The easiest way to explore Binondo is to join Ivan
Man Dy’s Binondo Food Wok. He will
take you to the best Fresh Dimsum place in Binondo called Dong Bei Dumplings and to other foodie secrets. This is a half-day
walking tour around Binondo where Ivan will entertain you with stories about
culinary discoveries and anecdotes about different characters in the area (like
the businessman famous for the Ube Hopia, Ube-colored fire truck and
restaurant). The walking tour ends with the best Fresh Chinese Lumpia located inside an Art Deco building owned by the
Uysubin family.
Live an Awesome Life,
Anton Diaz
Founder, OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph
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Man, I love Dong Bei’s dumplings!
How about Tasty? I forgot the exact street, but it’s in one of those side streets perpendicular to Q. Paredes. Deep fried and breaded porkchop was their specialty. 🙂
Tasty, along ongpin and another on masangkay. Love their porkchop indeed. The reopened president is not as good as the old one though.
i miss sincerity’s fried chicken big time…when i get the chance to visit the philippines, my first meal would be at sincerity’s. meals at sincerity’s have this home-cooked quality. it’s unpretentious, down to earth, deelish chinese cooking!!!
i hope it’s still the same quality.
There’s this noodle house near Wai Ying. I forget the name. They only serve fresh noodles and dumplings. Really good (especially for someone who’s not a fan of noodles =P)!
the thing with eating in binondo, you really have to condition yourself this is not greenbelt or serendra. it’s a totally different eating experience — smells (of horse s—wafting through the air), sounds of traffic, hawkers, peddlers, and Chinese-speaking residents, the hot sun beating down on you as you make your way through the maze-like narrow streets (very limited parking in binondo!), etc. it all adds up to the charm, culture, and character of the place. even though the restos and eateries there are not exactly the most sanitary — i’ve eaten beside rats and cockroaches (i told you this is not greenbelt!) — there’s no other experience like eating in binondo. Ho tsia ah!
Hi! I love your blog! I have one question though 🙂
Is this the Fresh Lumpia store you indicated in this post?
http://pinoycravings.com/2008/09/globe-lumpia-house-raon-quiapo/
That store’s got to be the GLOBE Lumpia House. I wrote about it once when I was in college and the staff really have great stories to tell! Delicious lumpia by the way hehe… too much garlic but hey – that’s good for one’s health
Haay. I miss Quiapo! I miss Binondo trips too with my college barkada! Good times!
I think the lumpia store Anton was refering to is the Po Heng Lumpia? They have the best real chinese lumpia indeed.
It might be different and I'll try that lumpia house you recommended.
Anton
Yeah, I've tried the new president parang OK lang…
Hi – your blog is manificent!! When I come home I tend to eat at the ” New Hit Resto” but as I live in London the food they serve is similar. What I love about your blog is having the info where to go for a good old fashion Filipino food, something my grandmother use to cook. Sure it’s nice to eat at posh restaurants here in London but I will not swap it for a good sinigang and kare-kare!! The best kare- kare is at Josephine’s in Tagaytay and growing up I have always had the fried chicken from Aristocrat and to this day it is still the best fried chicken I have had!!
Hi Christy,
Thanks for this comment and you are right Filipino comfort home-cooked food is still the best.
Anton
Anton, I love your blog. I grew up in Binondo, and I think you should also try Quick Snack’s black duck misua. I simply love it. 🙂
fyi greenbelt is not rat and cockroach free also..