Time to finish off some unfinished business.I thought of detailing our DISCOVER BINONDO Staycation + food adventure experience but I guess it has been a drag and new year has dawned.Allow me to summarize the remaining entries then before I forget the details,least,lose interest in writing about it altogether.
First, feel free to read my previous entries on my Binondo Series: RAMADA MANILA CENTRAL Staycation + Discover Binondo.
Binondo Welcome Arc
After eating fresh lumpia at NEW PO HENG,I invited my wife to walk around the area.The moment we stepped back into Quintin Paredes Street,I heard her say again "it seems like I am in a different country,it feels different". We immediately saw Eng Bee Tin, the equivalent of Jollibee when it comes to hopia and other Chinese delicacies.
You can find one in every corner of Binondo so it's not easy to miss.Since both of us were still full,it was difficult to think what to try.We thought of dropping by on our way back since it's just near the hotel but we never really went back----So many food finds in Binondo kasi dimo alam uunahin.Good thing I managed to snatch a Special Coconut Cake for 13pesos which I initially thought us same as sapin-sapin but the store assistant said is not.Turns out that it tastes exactly as sapin-sapin.I love sapin-sapin and we shared the coconut cake while walking through Quintin Paredes St.leading to Jones bridge.Walk past another Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arc.Walk to the bridge and took photos with the Central Post Office building on the background.I thought of walking all the way to Intramuros and spend some lazy time there but my wife had something else in mind. (Nakalimutang kong she took Masteral Course in Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila within the city wallskaya sawang-sawa na sya don. )
Since it's almost Christmas,she thought it would be better if we give time to buying bargains for gift in Divisoria.I dread Divisoria,I always get sick of cough and flu whenever I go there.Yes,the filthy smell if enough to offset my immune system.Anyhow,survived Divisoria yet again.My wife managed to buy a few things but I didn't.Hirap pumili pag walang pera.lols.At least we were able to buy new accessories for our Christmas tree that night.We came back the next day after checking out of the hotel to buy more pang-regalo.
survived Divisoria
walked past LUCKY PLAZA on our way back to the Hotel
The fresh lumpia and the coconut cake proved to be heavy on the stomach.The chaos in Divisoria was not able to drain the energy we got from those food.We had the dilemma therefore where to eat upon checking back at the hotel.Looked at my Binondo Food Wok map courtesy of OLD MANILA WALKS.Estero and Mr.Ube were the easy options.We went for both.
ESTERO
Estero is called such because it's next to a estero (waterway).These waterways used to be where boats load goods and merchandise in and out of Chinatown in the early day.They are now heavily polluted and clogged with garbage so the practice has long ceased.How I wish we still have them so that we don't have to go Thailand anymore to see their riverboat market there.
My wife being a lover of soup and noodles ordered,well,noodles which costed around 65pesos.Big serving but not so big in taste.We said we want it spicy but it was not spicy enough so we requested more chilli paste.I thought there's something lacking in the taste but my wife said she liked it.
MR UBE
We then moved to Mr. Ube which offers rice and noodles.Here's where you can find Thai,Singaporean,Japanese Noodles and stuff. Ordered Mr.Ube Specialty which is a stir fry noodles.Costed 115pesos for a platter.Coupled it with Pork Siomai,Mango Shake and Almond Shake.All in all,I paid 263pesos. Mr Ube Specialty is good although I find it a little greasy.It has condiments of octopus and shrimps which I like.I think my fault was that I came there full so it was kinda difficult to take in more carbs.I enjoyed the Pork Siomao though.It's soft so di masakit sa panga sa pag-nguya.The Shakes were also nice.
Mr.Ube Specialty
Pork Siomai
Mango Shake
Too bad I was too full I wasn't able to sample their colorful Siopaos.Siopao lover pamandin ako.Next time! :)
Passed by a shrine before heading back to the hotel to offer a prayer and incense.
We went back to the hotel afterwards to relax.Spent hours in the bath tub as usual before going to bed.We woke up early the next day.We heard mass in Binondo Church before having breakfast.
BINONDO CHURCH
It's not just a Catholic Church.It is a symbol of the fusion Chinese and Catholic faith.In 1596, Dominican priests founded Binondo church to serve their Chinese
converts to Christianity as well as to the native Filipinos.Cool!
SINCERITY RESTAURANT
Well,it was my wife who said it's "malinamnam".What is malinamnam in
English again?Unlike in other friend chicken outlets,the one at
Sincerity is not so much on the chicken breading,but on the chicken
itself.And I get the feeling that their chicken are native,as compared
to 45days na malalaki pero walang lasa.The sauce is also not the typical
gravy you have in fastfood chains but something of a red paste that
doesn't taste like ketchup.Forgot to ask what it is.Sorry.And the black
pearl is nice too!Sincerity Restaurant,liiiiiiiiike!
black pearl
TE YA KONG TEMPLE
It was kinda tricky to find.Although I have a little reservation about the presence of improvised motorbikes (popular in the area of Divisoria for its heavy duty load capacity) in Ongpin, my wife and I being at the Northern tip of Ongpin hired one.The young driver who took us for 30php was not familiar with the temple so we went into a brief joyride around Binondo reaching the outskirts of _____Market.
We found it finally.Disembarked in Ongpin cor Fernandez St.Walked a few meters then turned left to Kipuja.At the bend,matatanaw mo na yung dead end.The building on the left of that dead end is where the temple is.
Te Ya Kong Temple is located at the 3rd floor of an old building.The guard directed us to the elevator and told us to press third on the button.No bag checks,no questions asked. No id's needed.
In his blog, Doc Gelo stated: "Seeing almost all people in red, lighting incense sticks and praying, I can’t help but to admire the Chinese-Filipino community for their strong faith.".Read his entry here: A WALK WITH DRAGON + LIONS.
Nakakatuwa kasi other than the interaction with the guard directing us to the elevator without us asking, we never talked to anyone.There were only a few people in the temple that time,the caretakers and some devotees.But nobody bothered us.Para lang kaming dumaan na multo that nobody saw.Everybody were deep into what they were doing.My wife and I seated in one of the benches inside the temple and observed people praying.Nakakatuwa.
PO CHUAN TIN BAKERY
Other than the food map I had with me,I got a lot of tips from my
twitter friends.One suggested I try their hopia at PO CHUAN TIN
BAKERY.It's difficult to find hopia in old fashioned red wax paper
nowadays but at Po Chuan Tin,they still to it the old fashioned way.When
we got to the store,both owners were at the counter and when they
noticed I have a dslr and started snapping photos of their products on
the shelf,the wife approached me and said they have newly made Tikoy
Daliri and she wants us to taste it.She directed her aid to get a few
pieces for us to sample.Both couples were very friendly.
I thought the
woman is the daughter of the man so they started picking on it and
joked.Turns out they are husband and wife and they own this small bakery
which has been in the same site for many year.The male owner showed me
an Inquirer article about their hopia being the 3rd most popular in
Binondo.He said they got a review stating their hopia taste "greasy" in
contrast to that of Eng Bee Tin.He was quick to point out though that
reason for that is because they use corn.That means oil that is good for
the heart as he is a heart attack survivor himself.The wife immediately
made a follow up saying their hopia is unique because it's the only
hopia in town that doesn't become as hard as a rock when refrigerated.He
took two pieces of it from their fridge and made us to try em.True
enough,they're chilled but still soft.I realized later on that the
secret is the thin crust.In other stores,their hopia has a lot of crust
and a little filling.It's the other way around at Po Chuan Tin
Bakery.The one with the traditional Red Wax paper at least.
Back to the
oil used,the male owner was ............... read the rest of the story here: "Tikoy Daliri" and Vegetarian Hopia at PO CHUAN TIN BAKERY Binondo.
Vegetarian Hopia at PO CHUAN TIN BAKERY
Tikoy Daliri!
Don't miss the FRIED SIOPAO along Ongpin too!
they also sell this strange meal that I tried when I was in KL
and I don't want to try it again.haha
BINONDO is the perfect setting for a food adventure.
Here are the other food outlets I featured thus far:
---Discover Binondo: NEW PO HENG Fresh Lumpia
---DISCOVER BINONDO: Dong Bei Dumplings
---Discover Binondo:HO-LAND CHINESE DELICACIES
PS: Thanks to the followers twitter friends for the tips!
Richard Co
@TalesfromtheTum
Rosso, Tasty, Quik snak, Sincerity, Masuki, buy hopia from Po Chuan Tin
Varry ♡
@Varrylicious
try Wai Ying Fastfood at 927 Benavidez St., Binondo, Manila. The best for me ☺
docgelo
@docgelo
A trip to Binondo is incomplete without trying BEST lumpia at New Po Heng, dumplings at DongBei, Eng Bee Tin Hopia!
michymichymoo
@michymichymoo
estero for exotic food. :P
Wasn't able to try all of em but there will always be next time.I really ,really enjoyed Binondo so much I will definitely go back more often :)
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Read the rest of my BINONDO SERIES
here: http://www.pusangkalye.net/search/label/DISCOVER%20BINONDO