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I like Manila’s Chinatown because there’s an “otherworld-ly” quality to it. I’ve never been to mainland China (although have been to Chinatowns in other parts of the world) and the one near my home in the center of Manila is the closest I can get to exploring this culture, considered one of the oldest in the world.
Manila’s Chinatown is a mish-mash of sights, sounds and flavors. It’s a pain in the neck driving through its alleys so the more wise would be better off walking. This will give you more time to check through the stores, mostly in Ongpin. Jewelry stores. Feng shui stores. Boutiques. Fruit stalls. The various merchandise displayed on the sidewalk. And of course the food which makes Chinatown one big foodie’s paradise!! The bakeries, teahouses, noodle shops and full-scale restaurants mostly-filled with strange-sounding Fookienese/Mandarin/Cantonese chatter during peak hours.
I feel that Manila’s Chinatown is one big universe to be explored and I would surely come back. It helps that you have a Chinese-Filipino friend to guide you. Here’s some more highlights from my mini-trip.
Salazar Bakery is an old institution in the area. I’ve seen one in an SM mall but the biggest I guess is their branch in Ongpin. What could be found here? Delicious-looking bakery products and refreshments of course. These include their giant chiffon cakes, cupcakes, biscuits,siopao, tikoy, moon cakes, and their own version of native Filipino delicacies like pichi-pichi. We bought several pieces of their hopia and it was very good.
Beside Salazar is the Mandarin Palace resto. At P150 for lunch and dinner, I think they have the cheapest buffet this side of town. We ate here for our Rotary Club function once and the servings were very considerable, knowing the price. I should go here once again to try their dimsum set breakfast, at only P65.
The health-conscious would love this Xiamen-style lumpia filled with tofu, seaweed, carrots, cabbage , brown sugar and some other ingredients that escape me now. The taste is indescribably good and it’s best to get it at this nondescript counter called New Pou Heng Lumpia House along Ongpin. They only have four items on the menu, and that’s their bestselling Xiamen lumpia (P35), maki soup (P35), misua soup (P35) and mongo soup (P35).
In front of the Lumpia House is this unnamed stall selling another Chinatown must-try… the cheap and yummy fried siopao. This stall sells other goodies like packaged quekiam, siomai, shrimp rolls and kiam pong, among others. There’s nothing like them for cheap and tasty pasalubong.
Many Eng Bee Tin Hopia shops can be found in Binondo which attests to the popularity of this delectable product even among the Chinese community. (Click on the EBT link here, it rocks:) The EBT Hopia Combo which combines flavors like pineapple, ube and mango is certainly one great innovation. Eng Bee Tin hopia is highly recommended for munchin’, and you can’t possibly resist buying some more for pasalubong!
Stumble It!
I grew up there …yan few steps lang from fried siopao …… if u have seen some ladies selling fresh seafoods in the corner of Ongpin Street and the street directing to Aranque Market :), one of them is my nanay :)(yes tukayo! my mother :)) .. and I remember I and my siblings used to help her selling prawns and fish …naka-antabay na yung plastic bag beside the weighing machine. Most of the times pa nga we helped her customers by sending them to their cars or shops/homes nearby. How I miss doin that again … my mother wants me to continue her “business” since matagal akong BUM.
Hi tukayo Nalen. If you notice the collage of pics above, I took a picture of a seafood stall sa may sidewalk. Baka nanay mo ang nakita ko:lol: Business must be so good because I looked at her fare and then 5 minutes lang akong nawala, all bought na ang isang balde of the huge prawns (at P580 a kilo) I still have to check out Arranque Market though.I heard nandun daw talaga ang genuine Chinese ingredients for cooking. Regards there:wink:
i dunno what happened to our pic when jher and i went on a date in chinatown. it was really romantic, gurl. walking under a drizzle of rain with iced caramel macchiatto on hand. unfortunately, hindi kami nakabili ng hopia sa eng bee tin. pero sarap dun! hoy, nabasa mo na ba ang surprise ko?
So tell me Jerome, where did you buy the iced caramel macchiato?:wink: There are other good hopias aside from eng bee tin actually. it’s hiopao-siopao-siomai-what-have-you country. Oh gee, I read your surprise already. Perfectly understandable. Di pwedeng maging Blogger si dearie kung si wizhart ay nasa WP, ahehe. Regards:smile:
I love chinese foods
ajay,
were you able to try the CU CHAY SO available at Salazar’s?
am not sure if that’s the correct way to spell this delectable empanada-like treat,
but that’s definitely the main reason i drive by Ongpin.
spanx!
uy kelan tayo mag chinatown foodtrip?
ahahahaha i might go there din anytime this month. baka b4 or after ako mag out of town…
miss ko na yung pandan flavored tikoy sa eng bee tim ang fried siopao. kain tayo sa may estero. masarap daw dyan eh.. parang dampa.. ikaw pa yung mag papaluto kung ano gusto mo…
Eric: kwento ka kapag nagpunta ka na doon sa estero, intrigue ako e.
Ajay: I love eng bee tin, noon di mo ako mapapakain ng hopiang mongo pero simula noong natikman ko ang eng bee tin, nawala ang pagkaayaw ko. But I remember when i was a child, may binibilhan kami ng papa ko na hopiang baboy diyan na talagang ang sarap. At ang baboy sa loob ay hindi kundol, real pork talaga at ang lalaki ng hopia. Hay naku, saan kaya iyon? Di kasi nasabi ni papa bago siya namatay.
tukayo!, I remember the timba, Sa kumare ni nanay yan, Ninang sa kasal ng sis ko
dun sa kabilang side ang nanay ko 
….sariwa talaga diyan .. I know dahil nung di pa ko umaalis I used to go with them para mamakyaw ng paninda we have to be at the market very early just to get the freshest seafoods 
Thanks for the tip Spanky. I’ll check out the Cu Chay So on my next visit to Salazar. Regards…:smile:
Malapit na ang Chinatown food trip Eric. Schedule na lang ang wala, hahaha:grin:
Lani, don’t worry I’ll try to search you the best hopia baboy:razz:I’ll ask my tsinoy friends..
Melai, ALA EH, kilala mo pala lahat ng tindera doon eh:cool: I bet the seafoods are really fresh. The restos that dot the area should demand nothing but the best. Regards tokayo:smile:
We also sell live baby squids, at saka mga katam-tamang size as in buhay na buhay
gustong-gusto ng mga chinese yan 
not to mention yung mga tumatalon na lapu-lapu
at syempre pa live crabs and alimasag … Di ba ko halatang rumaraket na dito …lol!
Squids & crabs..hmm, favorite ko yan tokayo. At ang aking specialty as a cook is adobong pusit. Ang sarap sa mainit na kanin, di bala?:lol: Seafoods naman talaga ang specialty sa Chinatown restos, yun nga lang mahal dahil por kilo (o per gram) ang order, di ba? Sige, plugging ka lang amiga, baka me umorder ng di oras ditoe:cool:
That lumpia looks like vietnamese spring rolls. It looks very delicious. Is the sauce sweet?
Yes Toe, sauce was sweet and the filling as well. Unlike the Vietnamese noodles, it had no vermicelli (tama ba ako?)
Hi Ajay,
I saw your site while searching for information about Manila. You look like you really know what you’re saying so I was wondering if you could help me choose a place to stay in? I have checked the list of hotels in Manila at this site. Any comments?
Thanks!
Hi Neil. Depends on your budget really. That’s a good directory of hotels you gave me. Regards
Oh wow!
As a native of Binondo ( lived there for six years before I moved to QC ), i can almost consider Binondo as a dream. Why? Upon waking up, get out of the house, and you’d be surrounded by the tempting aroma of food everywhere. Eat breakfast at a nearby restaurant, walk lazily to buy groceries, and eat preserved mango when you just feel like it. Sarap din ng fresh sugarcane juice! 
The fried siopao, also called “chen-pao” is one of the yummiest treats on earth. Sarap! Rush to President’s and Wai Ying’s if you can! ( under same management )
Hi Beauty. Yes,Binondo is a foodie’s paradise, as I said. I just bought my chenpao in a small stall but I gotta try your recos one of these days. Cheers:smile:
Yesss…Binondo the town where the Chinese pastries that are quite hard to find all live in.
I want some CHIEN PAO and PINEAPPLE HOPIA…