Re-Discovering Chinatown in Binondo

Eating Duck Empanada

I have been to Manila countless times and I kinda lived there when I was in college. So every time I look for something different to do each time I go back for work or vacation. When I made my November 2011 Manila Checklist, a Binondo Tour was one of my priorities.

Binondo is Manila’s Chinatown, the oldest Chinatown in the world. It is where most Filipino-Chinese families settled during the Spanish era. It is located along Pasig River across the Manila’s Walled City of Intramuros. The enterprising Chinese settlers made it into a bustling center for trade and commerce. Until now, a lot of Fil-Chinese families reside in Binondo and a lot of their businesses are still located in the vicinity. And of course, it is teeming with food establishments that specialize in various Chinese cuisines.

I have been to Binondo only a couple of times. Both times, I enjoyed the tour despite the scorching heat of the sun. The combination of food and history was irresistible to me. I was happy that my friend, a Binondo resident (100% born and raised in Binondo) offered to be my tour guide. As a Chinese food lover with Chinese roots, I was excited.

With my tour guide extraordinaire Dennis Lim, and tour buddies Ralph Lim and Yvette Deloso, I took another adventure around Manila’s Chinatown, Binondo:

The video does not do much justice to the whole day of eating, hearing trivia and historical anecdotes, and enjoyable walking. We visited 8 restaurants, ate 5 times, took home some tasty treats, drank sugar cane juice, dropped by 2 churches and 1 temple, passed by 2 arches and the Jones Bridge, and learned more about Binondo and our Fil-Chinese community.

My top foodie picks: Taro Puff at Ying Ying Tea House, Chinese Style Fried Chicken at Sincerity Restaurant, Egg Yolk Pao and Salt and Pepper Squid at Fu Yuan Tea House, and Chicken Pie from Diao Eng Chai (DEC). Will definitely blog more about these at Kusina Maria.

This Binondo Tour made me want to go back, again and again, even if there’s too much traffic and too many people on the streets. I am considering living in Binondo for a few days, maybe sometime late next year. Just so I can wander off on my own and get lost in the amazing foodie destination that is Manila’s Chinatown. Might be fun to be there during Chinese New Year. While I don’t speak Chinese, I am, most definitely, a Chinese at heart.

Many thanks to Dennis, Ralph, and Yvette who made this Binondo Tour very much enjoyable, tummy-filling, and memorable!

I’m looking forward to discovering and enjoying more of Metro Manila’s hidden gems during my next trips there. Got any suggestions for me?

And what about you? Discovered anything new or old in our Philippines lately?

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