Need to plan out your romantic Valentine’s date with your howe? We’ve got you covered. The oldest Chinatown in the world, Binondo, is one of the most popular areas to visit in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, for a cultural and culinary experience. In fact, aside from Manila bike tours, historical sites in Manila tours, and Instagram-able locations in Manila tours, a Binondo food tour is one of the most well-liked day trips nearby.
In the streets of Binondo, you may find both well-known tea shops and restaurants, and hawker booths. There are restaurants providing both foreign and Filipino cuisine in Manila, in addition to the well-known Chinese staple foods that may be found amidst historical sites.
If you and your howe live nearby and are fond of Chinese food, here are some restaurants to check out and try:
Wai Ying Binondo
If you’re seeking inexpensive dim sum in Binondo for your Valentine’s date, Wai Ying offers it at a fair price. Although there is sometimes a large line at their two-story Benavidez Street location, the delectable meals are definitely worth the wait. You won’t have to wait long for your subsequent orders because of the speedy and responsive service. If the main branch is full, they also have a satellite branch across Hope Christian High School in Tondo.
It is highly advised that you try some of Wai Ying’s best-selling dishes, including their beef mami, mixed meat congee, curry beef brisket rice, honey-baked rib rice, roasted duck rice, hakaw, siomai, steamed spareribs, chicken taro roll, vegetable dumpling, roast Peking duck, roast suckling pig, fried-style noodles, lemon chicken, and fish fillet.
President Grand Palace
Want to experience authentic banquet style Cantonese cuisine? Try the President Grand Palace. This restaurant, which has been a staple of Manila’s culinary landscape for more than 40 years, is well-known for its authentic Cantonese cuisine. Here you can indulge in the full range of Cantonese fare, from lauriat style to smaller date fare. After all, one of China’s greatest regional cuisines is Cantonese, with its subtle, energizing, and authentic flavors.
Lan Zhou La Mien
Among other Chinese cuisines, Lan Zhou La Mien is well-known for its Lanzhou-style noodles, which may be divided into smaller strands. Try something new on your Valentine’s date by tasting their hand-pulled lamien noodles. One bowl of noodles, which contains the stems and soft slices of the meat of your choice, may already serve two to three people. If you want extra broth, you can also get more of it.
Dong Bei Dumplings
Don’t have a big budget for your Valentine’s date? Then check this out! Less is more when it comes to Dong Bei Dumplings. There is a counter for making dumplings in a tiny room, a dining area, and a kitchen. It’s amusing to see rapid hands wrap flat dough over hog filling, but it also takes a lot of work. The low cost of dim sum makes it a popular choice for big appetites.
They are well-known for their extensive selection of dumplings, which include shrimp, cabbage, pig, and kuchay dumplings. Dong Bei also offers xiao long bao, pancakes, beef noodles, and noodles with soybean sauce.
New Po Heng Lumpia House
Do you or your howe love lumpia? Then this is the perfect place for you! This not-so-secret hideaway’s challenging location is made up for by the lumpia filling at New Po Heng Lumpia House. The family-run restaurant is housed in the pink Art-Deco Uy Su Bin Building, which also has a modest Roman fountain. It is an outdoor canteen, so you can eat outside without being engulfed by the commotion and traffic of Binondo.
Lumpia is the restaurant’s best-selling dish, as implied by the name. You may also sample some of their other well-known specialties, like kiampong, pig, seafood, and misua soup. If you’d rather take some lumpia home with you and cook it on another day with your howe or even family, they also sell it frozen.
