Big Binondo Food Wok: Chinese New Year Weekend Edition

February 1, 2009

I was so lucky to have joined the Chinese New Year edition of the Binondo Wok of Ivan Man Dy 2 days before the Chinese New Year.  The tour helps you discover the fascinating places of Binondo as well as its fill your stomach with original Chinese delicacies.

 

Members of this tour have to meet in front of Binondo Church.  Incredibly, I arrived early at our meeting place so I decided to tour the church already.  It’s my first time to get inside the church and I was surprised to see the interiors of the church.  Painting of the Virgin Mary are found on the ceiling.  I saw my officemate and her friend and we all are so excited to start the wok.  As our group started to increase in number, our streetwalker, Ivan, arrives in Chinese outfit and holds the Old Manila Walk signboard.  Before starting the wok, he distributed smiley sticker which he bought at 168 store in Divisoria.  This is for us to identify our group mates. 

 

We moved to Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz where he briefly talked about a brief historical background on how the chinese populated the Philippines. 

 

 

(Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz)

 

Binondo was created by Spanish Governor Luis Pérez Dasmariñas in 1954 as a permanent settlement for converted Chinese immigrants across the river from the walled city of Intramuros where the Spaniards resided.  

Binondo is located across the Pasig River from Intramuros and the home of Chinatown in Manila. The district is the center of commerce and trade for all types of businesses run by Chinese merchants. It is said that this district was already a hub of Chinese commerce even before the Spaniards came in 1571. (Source: Wikipedia)

 

It’s amazing how he knows his history so well. I should say, he should since he is doing this tour for almost 4 years already.  And what’s more, he gives personal account when narrating.  After a short recall of our history, we moved back to Binondo Church where Ivan gives a brief background of the church.

 

 

 

(Binondo Church)

 

 

 

 

 

Ivan giving historical background of the church.  Accroding to Ivan, the church is almonst 400 years old but the inside of the church is only 32 years old.  The church’s bell tower is only original structure of the church.

 

 

 

 

Binondo Church’s Altar.  The top altar is a replica of the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

 

 

 

Binondo Church’s ceiling

 

 

 

Church’s side ceiling

   

 

 

 

 

 

Our next stop was at the old slipper store known as New La Simpatica Commercial.  This is beside the church.  The store sells beaded slippers.

 

  

 

 

First food stop was at Café Mezzanine.  This is a Volunteer Fireman Coffee Shop owned by the well known Mr. Ube Man himself, Mr. Gerry Chua.  Mr. Chua also owns also the famous Eng Bee Tin which his stores are located everywhere in Binondo.  Proceeds of the restaurant goes to the Binondo’s volunteer Fire Brigade.  Café Mezzanine is located at Ongpin st. at the back of Binondo Church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brewed Ice Coffee

 

 

 

Kiampong (fried rice, spring onion, pork adobo, and adobo peanuts)

 

 

 

Fish Ball Soup.  This soup is eaten together with Kiampong or by pouring a little soup over kiampong. 

 

 

 

 

Ube Siopao - not included in our food trip but we separately tried it (Php 45.00)

 

 

Mr. Gerry Chua arrived at the coffee shop where he has an interview with some of the press.  Luckily, after his interview, he stopped by our group to thank us for visiting his place.  Each of us was given a pack of ube hopia as souvenier.  The group had a chance also to have a picture with him.

 

 

 

 

We drop by this chinese drugstore…

 

  

 

 

 

Next from our food list is the Dong Bei Dumpling owned by Mrs. Li Jun.  What good about this place was that their dumplings are freshly made and you can even see how it is prepared.  Dong Bei Dumpling have only 4 tables which can accommodate 15 guests.  Since we are 39 in the group of wok-ers, 24 have to stand while eating. 

 

Dong Bei Dumpling:  642 Nieva (Yuchengco) St., Binondo Manila

 

Must try fresh dumpling - 30 pcs (Php 200.00)

 

Chinese Pancake - 4 pancakes (Php 100.00)

 

 

Sto. Cristo de Longos Shrine in Tomas Pin Pin St.

 

After tasting their delicious dumplings and pancakes, we moved to another light food trip at Cue Ka Ching.  The store sells chicken eggs that have been marinated with tea and soy sauce for 3 days.

 

 

 

 

 

Ivan led us to another restaurant in Benavidez Street.  It’s the Masuki Mami house established in 1930.  Their mami (noodle soup) is eaten with a sauce that is poured into the soup to taste.  Their sauce is also good to their siomai.

 

 

 

Famous Mami

 

 

 

Siomai - 2 pcs (Php 46.00)

 

 

 

the sauce both for the siomai and mami

 

 

 

With 4 food stops, my stomach is already full. But since this is a culinary adventure, this is not yet the end.  Ivan took us to this store in front of Manila Fortune Land Hotel still along Benavidez St.  This store sells siopao that is cooked by boiling it.  It also sells the original Bicho Bicho (like a churroz).  Ivan gives each one of us a siopao and the bicho bicho. 

 

 

 

Left:  Bicho-Bicho - 1 plastic (Php 60.00) ; Right Siopao - (Php 50.00) per piece

  

 

 

In going to our last food trip, we need to pass by this alley which sells seafoods, fruits, etc.

 

  

 

 

Our last food stop was at the New Po-Heng Lumpia House.  This store that serves fresh lumpia which is located inside the Art Deco Building along Carvajal st.

 

 

 

  

 

 

their yummy fresh lumpia

 

This is the final leg of our food wok.  Ivan thanked the group and even gave each one of us a box of ube tikoy and hopia.  This is definitely a great food wok ever.  Thanks to Ivan for sharing these secrets with us.

 

Ivan holds other walking tour like the Intramuros Walk, San Miguel Walk (Power Palace, and a shot of Beer - Poking around the Old Presidential Neighborhood, Chinese Cemetery Walk, FEU walk, and the Halo Halo tour (Intramuros to Quiapo).  Details of his walking tour can checked on his website at www.oldmanilawalks.com or you may contact him at

 

 

Telephone no.: (632) 7113823
Mobile no.: 0917-3291622*
Email:  fun@oldmanilawalk.com

Contact person: Ivan or Cherry