A rainy day Binondo food trip

So what do we avid traveler-photographers do during the monsoon season? Hmmm, at times, we just brave the weather and go ahead with our trip. But sometimes, we’d wisen up and not push our luck, opting to stay in the city and find something else of interest. That is exactly what we did recently when along with two fellow foodie friends, your happyfoodies braved the Saturday monsoon rains to eat their way through a Saturday. Nevermind the overcast skies and intermittent rains, the muddy streets and damp air, but really, is there something more pleasurable than sniffing out the delicious smell of Chinese food wafting from shops and hole-in-the-walls and succumbing to the temptation?

Lagal[og] said: We went to five to six eating places in a span of around six hours but our first stop was one of the more memorable one – the New Po-Heng Lumpia House. I was really hungry since I haven’t eaten breakfast yet so the smell of Lumpia (fresh spring rolls) being freshly-made was enough to stoke my appetite. The veggies are crispy, the seasoning just right, the rice wrapper is rolled thin and nice to bite into. The peanut sauce provides a perfect complement to the lumpia. No wonder people line up for a taste of their lumpia.

Ironwulf said: While we loved the lumpia, we made sure we leave room for other treats as it’s just the start of our food tour in Binondo. At the opposite street, we walked through the food street of Carvajal to sample the famous Pancit Malabon there for just a measly P35 bucks. It is loaded with toppings that make it look appetizing, but I find it a little too salty. Squeezing in some calamansi dampens the saltiness a little, adding a fine sour taste.

Just across the Pancitan is Qwik Snack restaurant. We were looking for something light to complement the pancit, so we tried their special halo-halo topped with ube ice cream. For the price of P75 pesos, I thought, it’s not something to write home about. Looking at their menu, I’m sure there are other dishes there worth trying some other time.

Lagal[og] said: Another memorable stop was the Dong Bei Dumplings Restaurant. Located near the end alley of Yuchengco St., this non-descript shop serves really wonderful Kuchay (Chives) and Pork Dumplings. We had an order of the dumplings done two ways – steamed and fried. Both are really tasty. The Steamed Dumplings literally melts in your mouth. One bite reveals the medley of kuchay and pork flavors so tasty, you can even forego the dipping sauce.

Ironwulf said: The Fried Pancake Dumplings add a crunchy variety of the kuchay and pork fillings that are already tasty on their own. We also went down to Benavidez Street in search of some hot mami noodles so fitting for the afternoon rains. We found Musaki Mami with its very distinct and inviting Chinese noodle house interiors. The large mami bowl that goes for P85 is really huge and is in fact, good for two. We ordered the chicken and pork variant. The soup is a bit bland on its own for my taste but I added in some asado sauce served separately to add more flavor to my liking. The noodle has very rich and thick dough that slightly melts in your mouth.

New Po-Heng Lumpia House
Uy Su Bin Building
531 Quintin Paredes St. Binondo

Qwik Snack and Pancit Malabon atbp.
Along Carvajal Street

Dong Bei Dumpling
642 Yuchengco Street

Masuki Mami
Along Benavidez Street