EAT and EXPLORE – Binondo Food Walk 2018

A year ago, we shared our first-ever Binondo Food Walk EATSperience when we ate our way through Manila Chinatown, the oldest Chinatown in the world. It’s been great sharing about something that’s really close to our hearts and tummies, Chinese culture and of course, FOOD. That’s why we, together with some of our foodie friends, decided to head on over to Binondo once again so we can share more about it. This time, our route was a little different. We also decided to visit new restaurants so we can really share more of what other amazing things Binondo has to offer. In this edition of EATSplorations, EAT and EXPLORE – Binondo Food Walk 2018, we ate our way through the streets of Quintin Paredes, Dasmarinas, Tomas Pinpin, Ongpin, and Carvajal. We hope you are ready because we will be sharing a lot about 5 must-visit eateries and a few other places for snacks and pasalubong. Ready to EAT and EXPLORE Binondo? Let’s go!

The Meeting Place: Binondo Church

Meeting Place: Binondo Church

Meeting Time: 9:30am

Assign Binondo Church as a meeting point. Why? It’s the best landmark in Binondo. It’s definitely Waze-able and perfect for first-timers. TIP: Better to ride Grab or Uber rather than drive because it’s kind of difficult to park your car in Binondo. If you really want to drive and park, you may need to arrive around 7 to 8 in the morning.

First Stop: New Po-Heng Lumpia House

New Po-Heng Lumpia House is housed inside Uysubin Building along Quintin Paredes St. just a few meters away from Binondo Church. New Po-Heng is really known for their great-tasting Fresh Lumpia or Lumpiang Sariwa in Filipino (fresh vegetable spring roll).

New Po-Heng’s Lumpiang Sariwa was as good as advertised. It was packed with lots of vegetables, peanuts, seaweed, and many more. The lumpia was sugary sweet and savory nutty. Its sauce complemented it perfectly, too. TIP: Make sure to ask for some vinegar with lots of chopped garlic and pour it onto the lumpia for that much needed contrast of flavors. Also, you may want to split one with a friend so that you can still have room for more good stuff.

Second Stop: Ying Ying Teahouse

Ying Ying Teahouse is one of the go to places in Binondo when it comes to cheap and delicious dim sum. It’s been in the exact same spot for probably over a decade now and it’s still serving up one of the best-tasting dim sum in town.

The Duck Congee (Php 130), juicy roasted duck and comforting congee, was simply the best of both worlds. Another steal was the Lechon Macau and Asado Combo at 130 pesos per plate. Crispy and tender pork cuts is always a good idea after walking around Binondo’s busy streets, right? We also had Taro Puff (Php 70), Shrimp Rice Roll (Php 75), Hakaw (Php 80) and Chicken Feet (Php 70). Everything we ate at Ying Ying only amounted to 675 pesos and everything single thing we had was really really good! 

Third Stop: New TOHO Food Center

Just a couple of blocks away is Tomas Pinpin Street and it is where New TOHO Food Center is. Once we saw the roasted meat display right in front of the restaurant, we knew we were definitely in the right place.

It was around lunch time when we arrived at New TOHO Food Center (maybe) that’s why we ordered so many dishes, hehe. Well, not too bad for five food-loving people, right? What stood out for us were their Pancit Canton and Asado. The pancit had lots of sauce, veggies, and meat which we really enjoyed. The asado was really tender and smoky. We also had Kikiam (Php 126), Spicy Pusit (Php 210, and Camaron Rebosado (Php 215). It’s safe to say that after our TOHO feast, we really needed a long walk.

Shopping Stop: Dragon Phoenix Enterprise

If you are into charms and making sure that your year will be smooth-sailing, visit Dragon Phoenix Enterprise! They have everything that you need when it comes to all sorts of different ornaments and jewelries that will attract all the good vibes your way. They also offer free consultation about what 2018 has for you according to your Chinese zodiac sign and Feng Shui. TIP: There are also many other charm stores along Ongpin Street and around Binondo so make sure to do your homework first before buying.

Snack Stop: Shanghai Fried Siopao

We were still very full but it was really hard to resist Shanghai’s Fried Siopao. Super soft siopao stuffed with minced pork, chives, and all the good stuff. Perfect for snacking while walking around Binondo! Read more about Shanghai in our Binondo Food Walk 2017 EATSperience.

Fourth Stop: The Original Salido Restaurant

The Original Salido Restaurant is just a few meters away from Shanghai Fried Siopao and is known for their pork asado, chami, and coffee.

The Chami Special was amazing! Thick and chewy noodles with lots of veggies and meat. Noodles and ulam at the same time. The surprise of this EATSperience was probably how good the Buchi was. Salido’s Buchi is probably the best we have ever had in a long long time. It’s indescribably good! Perfect after all the savory dishes that we had. Well done, Salido! TIP: Order it ahead of time especially if you are planning to take some home. Believe us, it’s so good, you would want to take some home.

Snack and Pasalubong Stop: Diao Eng Chay

Diao Eng Chay (aka DEC) has been an institution when it comes to all sorts of Chinoy snacks. It is home to a wide variety of tasty treats. However, one menu item has been standout ever since Diao Eng Chay was born, their creamy and packed Chicken Pie (best eaten freshly-baked)!

Snack and Pasalubong Stop: Ho-Land Hopia and Bakery

Ho-Land Hopia and Bakery is known for their classic Hopia but over the years, has evolved into a one-stop shop for all sorts of Chinoy favorites. The place is really really small, be ready to squeeze yourself in while choosing the perfect pasalubong.

Fifth Stop: Quik Snack

Quik Snack is located along the small street of Carvajal or also known as the Umbrella Alley because of the vendors selling all kinds of fruits, vegetables, seafood, and many more.

The Misua Guisado of Quik Snack was not like any other. Probably the tastiest misua guisado we have ever had. Their Kuchay Ah was also superb! For only 45 pesos, it was really tasty and filling. We also tried their Ma Chang (Php 100) which was filled with pork, chicken, mushroom, and sausage. It was delicious and filling without the “umay” factor.

It was fun and definitely filling, eating and exploring our way through Binondo this year. We really made sure to visit different places that you will get to know more noteworthy places in Binondo. Before we end, here are a few tips that you might want to take note of before going to Binondo: 1.) Dress comfortably as it can get really hot as you will be walking around a lot. 2.) While walking around, stay alert at all times. Vehicles come in from all directions and sidewalks are filled with vendors. 3.) Take a bottle of water with you for hydration and for saving a few pesos and the environment. 4.) Make a pasalubong list to avoid overspending. 5.) Don’t try to visit every restaurant and pasalubong center all in one go. Make sure to visit Binondo again because there’s always something new to discover. 6.) Try to keep your group down to around 6-8 so that you won’t have a hard time going around. Also, it will it easier to get a table because restaurants can be really small. That’s it for EAT and EXPLORE –  Binondo Food Walk 2018! Have fun in Binondo!