Because the Metro Manila is now in Alert No. 1, we took it as an opportunity to begin travel and to go to places we cannot go since the pandemic.
To start of this “new normal” freedom, we start in the online famous and you-can-do-it-yourself tour in Binondo.
I have been to Binondo before and it was beautiful and an adventure that will make your tummy full and your cravings satisfied.
We originally plan to visit 20 stores and who are we kidding? Lol
We did not go to all but here’s the list we want to visit, in the following order:
1. ZCT Delicious Restaurant
3. The Original Salido Restaurant
We eventually take the original plan and adjust according to what will happen during the tour. We start at the Sta. Cruz Church and took the Ongpin Street.
First stop – ZCT Delicious Restaurant. We ordered lechon kawali which is in a huge serving but it was not crispy at all. The special machang is a sticky rice combination with meat, it’s like a vanlenciana slash biko and sadly we did not like ☹The stuffed shrimp was like your typical kikiam and I think is nothing special. We decided not to order the Beef of Maki because the other shops we will go will offer the same item and the Pancit Canton is too much for a group of three and we don’t want to be full in our first stop. This is my first time going here and it’s kind of epic fail and I wish I can turn back the time, but I guess you guys learn from our mistakes hehehe
To cheer-up our journey, we decided to go to the next stop – Ongpin Mañosa. Unfortunately, the shop is for takeout only and we don’t think we can eat their famous maki along the street, but the place looks promising, there has a line of orders even for takeout only.
A few walks away from Ongpin Mañosa and we met our friends, the more the merrier and few walks away too is the Shanghai Fried Siopao.
We decided to take the fried siopao to the Estero and eat it while we wait for our food which is a very good idea, the fried siopao is still hot, fluffy and meaty.
At the Estero, we eat at the LGA Fast Food and it’s different from the shop that you will see in the entrance and look for their signage and their crews wear a yellow shirt.
It’s my first time to eat frog legs and it’s quite good and their chicken is good a typical buttered chicken, nothing goes wrong with fried chicken, we love fried chicken.
Before our next stop, we side ordered fresh lumpia at New Po Heng Lumpia and it’s fresh and a good combination with peanut and you must eat with a lot of the sauce, we love it!
Next stop is Ying Ying Tea House Restaurant, there’s a long line for lunch since it’s twelve noon and we don’t want to waste time falling in line so we order takeout of their famous Hakao and it’s no lie, their Hakao is superb with real and whole shrimp inside.
We moved on to Café Mezzanine for our last meal together before we go separate ways, it is located on the second floor of Chuan Kee and which is beside Eng Bee Tin. There’s a long line for Chuan Kee and luckily no lines for Café Mezzanine. We ordered Chicken Feet, Xiao Long Bao, Sago’t Gulaman and Mango Shake. We really like the chicken feet and it is so soft, easy to eat. The Xiao Long Bao is good too, even though it’s my first time and I don’t know where I should compare it to. The drinks were too sweet for our taste.
To end our Binondo food trip, we ate Lord Stow’s egg tart and it was amazing and you must try it.
Final thoughts, Tiktok and other online platform really give attention to Binondo and which this place deserved. The food is very incredible and the history in every corner for a budget friendly cost is not bad.
I wish we also got a chance to dine in Dong Bei dumplings and Wai Ying fast food because my last experience with these shops is splendid but the line was so long.
Kitakits in our next adventure! (See you in our next adventure)
Fried Siopao Php 35 per piece, Buy 4 for Php 120
Fried Garlic Frog Legs Php 330
Buttered Chicken Pho 250 (Estimate)
