Call me clueless, but it was my first time to try Manila Chinatown’s famed estero cuisine during our food trip last Saturday and I absolutely loved it. Thanks to Eric for pointing out the nondescript row of eateries to me which is located along the river; hence the name estero or estuary, I suppose.
Seaside restos – where you buy the goodies fresh and have them cooked before your eyes- have mushroomed in Manila but the one in Ongpin estero remains. What I really dig about the place: it was dirt cheap!
Total food bill for our group of three amounted to only P345, or a little more than P100 per person. This includes the fish fillet with black beans, pork in salt & pepper, the mega fried rice and the soup, all of which was more than enough to fill us up,a s we were already full from tasting the dumplings on an earlier jaunt.
We savored the hototay soup. I’d like to call this as “the soup with a little bit of everything.” At the Ongpin estero, they cook it with bits of pork, liver, fish, shrimp, veggies and then topped with egg. Definitely good for the rainy days!

AJ! was thrilled to accidentally find your blog. have been in australia since 2004 working on my phd. will be finishing in 2007. will return to UP. regards to our friends when you see them. take care. w.
Wow Estero is cool I love to eat at the Esyero! 💡
yummy fotos…
hi ms ajay…can i link u in my blog galore?
Estero, nandoon pa ba yon? The last time, I made a balikbayan and went to Ongpin to buy the UBE HOPIA, I looked for the Estero. Was I looking in a different street, kasi nakita ko airconditioned na restaurant? Gawd.
Kasabay kung kumakain diyan mga Chinese businesswomen na masisilaw ka sa diamond sa lalaki ng bato tapos sasabayan nila ng usapan in Chinese. Waah Mihawma . Sarap ng pagkain anoh?
Prof. Wendell, hello. Nice to see you again here in my little space of all places. Maraming salamat for dropping by..I linked you:)
Ang-ang, thanks for dropping by too:wink:
Ams, sure. That would be appreciated.:smile:
Yes Cathy dear, buhay pa sya.Doon nga kami kumain sa airconditioned area eh, and the local Chinese still patronize it:cool:
Ajay, Eric:
final sked of Cabalen Food Trip is on Saturday, August 12.
see ya then~~
spanx!
can i join the cabalen food trip ajay? ill try to get a saturday restday for the month of august para join ako..
=)
sino sino join?
I’ll see you guys:wink:
i miss tikoy! nyam!
ajay dear,please check the berks next blog entry post,
there’s a calling ajay call for you there. 🙂
Mas masarap ang mochi ng Japan, Sachi. The mochi you gave me was the best!!!
Blog entry post? Noted:wink:
food looks really good!
you’re not so clueless, I have never ever been to Chinatown, would you believe?!:???:
You should have been with us Hanagirl:smile: Food was good…and cheap!!
I loved the estero too… and I loved watching them cook the food. 🙂
I told my husband about your estero outing. He said he’d bring as long as I don’t mind the smell of the estero. Isn’t that the charm?
Way to go, Toe!:smile:
Haha. About the estero smell Noemi, no problem. You have the option of eating in the airconditioned room upstairs:razz:
at wala namang amoy estero di ba?
in fact when we had lunch there lakas ulan nun.. pero no trace of estero amoy…
I was trying to post the usual informative resto-eateries-hawkers-foodcourt-food entries kasi treat kami ni sis sa korean resto sa chinatown dito ..unfortunately di kasinglakas ng powers nyo ni ajay ang pagpopost ko ng entry na ganyan lol!!! …. ang kaya ko lang ay kumain ….
anyways, I remember Ongpin again ….. I used to deliver seafoods there at estero …. at sa gabi fetch naman ako ng tira-tirang mumu diyan para sa piggeries ni tatay 🙂 …pay sila sa amin sa umaga at pay naman kami sa kanila sa gabi.
mali jairam po pala 🙂
Oo nga Eric, let us convince them:wink:
Ang dami mong good memories of Binondo tokayong Melai, puwede nang gawing talambuhay:smile:
n
The Cobalt Blue Vase
©2005 Bill Murphy
Music: Grieg: Peer Gynt © Kendall Waterman “Let the Flowers Make Your Day.”
Sat, Jul 15, 2006 | 13:34:44 Pacific Time (US)
Happy Birthday!
I hope you had a wonderful time on your birthday, Kim. 17! Imagine that. You’re growing up much to fast. 🙂
Lots of love to you,
Lola Arlene
…..
From: Arlene
lawa@shaw.ca
IP: 24.83.133.197
ca9606-up-rolly
You didn’t get to experience the first one, did you? Before it was closed. Well, this one looks nicer as it looks cleaner and besides, the cuisine never changed, I’m sure. So, you are lucky! 🙂
I don’t know how this happened but the last comment was from me. The name and email is that of my friend’s. I could explain it easily if I was in Canada and using her computer. hmmm, weird! Just to make sure, I’m rolly.
Hello, was looking for a Hototay recipe much like the one in estero and found your blog… I love their hototay!!! Thanks for posting pictures!