"I think, they should list shopping as a cardiovascular activity. My heart never beats as fast as it does when I see a 'reduced by 50 percent' sign"
Confessions of A Shopaholic
Blogging: 30-Day Challenge / 2nd World Pyromusical 2011 / Pettastic Online Store / Digital Lomo: Manila 2011 / Blogging Hiatus + Thrift Shopping / A Taste of Binondo / Self-Confessed Discount-aholic / The Resting Nurse: PILOT ENTRY /
February 2011 March 2011
A Taste of Binondo / Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 6:45 PM
This entry is supposedly for last Tuesday, February 8. I kept asking for the copies of the photos and they were only given to me last night!
Our supposedly Chinese New Year celebration in Binondo last Friday was moved today. It was a good decision though since it will be very difficult for us to look for a parking space, or maybe even a place to eat if we went on that day.
I have read blog entries on where to eat in Binondo so we were able to plan our itinerary before we went there: Meet before lunch time, look for a parking space, lunch at Wai Ying, take home some fried siopao and walk along Ongpin Street.
1. Meet before lunch time: ✓
2. Look for a parking space: ✓
Fortunately, we found a mini-parking lot along Ongpin Street, just a few steps away from Quintin Paredes and San Lorenzo Ruiz Basilica.
3. Lunch at Wai Ying, Benavidez St.: ✓
Thanks to Google Map! Haha! We were able to look for the streets just last night. Our landmark was President's Tea House, since we've been there before. President's Tea House is along Salazar St. If you're from San Lorenzo Ruiz Basilica side, from Ongpin St., turn right on Salazar St. You will pass by President's Tea House and a couple of fruit stands and mini-grocery shops. The first street on your right is Benavidez St. Wai Ying Fast Food can be found on your right side.
Place: Clean, Airconditioned, Has 2 floors (I think). We were on the 2nd floor, it was kind of peaceful compared to the 1st floor.
Foods we ordered: Roasted Duck & Asado with Rice, Asado & Soy Chicken with Rice, Hakaw, Kutchai Dumpling. And as usual they gave us a complimentary tea while waiting. I think it was Jasmine Tea.
Total Bill: Around Php415 ✓ ✓ ✓
Our verdict: 9/10. Almost perfect if not for the Kutchai Dumplings. Hahaha.
Here are the food photos we took. SOMEONE left my camera inside the car so I have no choice but to use a mobile camera. Hay!
4. Walk along Ongpin Street: ✓
We accidentally found the infamous Estero while looking for Shanghai Fried Siopao. And it really is beside an estero. We were supposed to eat there but we always prefer an airconditioned place. Haha! We also passed by the Cafe Mezzanine and Eng Bee Tin, just a few steps away from our parking space. There were a lot of vendors selling Chinese lucky charms but I think the ones they're selling were not yet "blessed".
5. Shanghai Fried Siopao ✓
The store is along Ongpin St. It is not literally fried. I don't know how they're cooking it, but for me they're even better than the regular siopaos!
We ordered: 4 Fried Siopaos
Total Bill: Php64 (Php16 each)
We were not able to eat the fried siopaos on our way home because of extreme feeling of fullness. Hahaha. We just munched on the M&M's Pretzels (which I tasted for the first time). And my verdict: As what the packaging says, it's crunchy, salty, and sweet. Nothing special about it. I'm not sure though if it's already available in the local market.
So that's it. Authentic Chinese cuisine for less!
This entry is supposedly for last Tuesday, February 8. I kept asking for the copies of the photos and they were only given to me last night!
Our supposedly Chinese New Year celebration in Binondo last Friday was moved today. It was a good decision though since it will be very difficult for us to look for a parking space, or maybe even a place to eat if we went on that day.
I have read blog entries on where to eat in Binondo so we were able to plan our itinerary before we went there: Meet before lunch time, look for a parking space, lunch at Wai Ying, take home some fried siopao and walk along Ongpin Street.
1. Meet before lunch time: ✓
2. Look for a parking space: ✓
Fortunately, we found a mini-parking lot along Ongpin Street, just a few steps away from Quintin Paredes and San Lorenzo Ruiz Basilica.
3. Lunch at Wai Ying, Benavidez St.: ✓
Thanks to Google Map! Haha! We were able to look for the streets just last night. Our landmark was President's Tea House, since we've been there before. President's Tea House is along Salazar St. If you're from San Lorenzo Ruiz Basilica side, from Ongpin St., turn right on Salazar St. You will pass by President's Tea House and a couple of fruit stands and mini-grocery shops. The first street on your right is Benavidez St. Wai Ying Fast Food can be found on your right side.
Place: Clean, Airconditioned, Has 2 floors (I think). We were on the 2nd floor, it was kind of peaceful compared to the 1st floor.
Foods we ordered: Roasted Duck & Asado with Rice, Asado & Soy Chicken with Rice, Hakaw, Kutchai Dumpling. And as usual they gave us a complimentary tea while waiting. I think it was Jasmine Tea.
Total Bill: Around Php415 ✓ ✓ ✓
Our verdict: 9/10. Almost perfect if not for the Kutchai Dumplings. Hahaha.
Here are the food photos we took. SOMEONE left my camera inside the car so I have no choice but to use a mobile camera. Hay!
I had this Roasted Duck and Asado with rice.
This is Soy Chicken and Asado with Rice.
Our new favorite dumplings: Hakaw!
4. Walk along Ongpin Street: ✓
We accidentally found the infamous Estero while looking for Shanghai Fried Siopao. And it really is beside an estero. We were supposed to eat there but we always prefer an airconditioned place. Haha! We also passed by the Cafe Mezzanine and Eng Bee Tin, just a few steps away from our parking space. There were a lot of vendors selling Chinese lucky charms but I think the ones they're selling were not yet "blessed".
5. Shanghai Fried Siopao ✓
The store is along Ongpin St. It is not literally fried. I don't know how they're cooking it, but for me they're even better than the regular siopaos!
We ordered: 4 Fried Siopaos
Total Bill: Php64 (Php16 each)
We were not able to eat the fried siopaos on our way home because of extreme feeling of fullness. Hahaha. We just munched on the M&M's Pretzels (which I tasted for the first time). And my verdict: As what the packaging says, it's crunchy, salty, and sweet. Nothing special about it. I'm not sure though if it's already available in the local market.
Finally! A shot from my camera. The M&M's Pretzels.
So that's it. Authentic Chinese cuisine for less!
