Date Budget: PhP 350Actual Spend: PhP 332
Quality: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Accessibility: 3/5
Fun Factor: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5
Highlights
- Authentic Chinese dumplings from Dong Bei
- Great tasting Chinese-style fresh lumpia from Po Heng
- Chocolate coated sunflower seeds
- The legendary Ube Hopia by Mr. Ube himself
The Experience
A day before the Freedom Run at UP Diliman, we decided to take a Chinatown-themed carbo load. Since Kirsten had her Saturday class, I went to Binondo and went back to Eastwood just in time for dinner (or just a little late? Kirsten already had this hungry stare).
To start off, we had this fresh Chinese-style lumpia from Po Heng. It is the best I've tasted so far. It's way better than those you can buy at malls, and cheaper too! It's a great buy for PhP 55.
We also got some kutchai dumplings from Dong Bei. The dumplings were great with the Chinese-style vinegar-based sauce. At PhP 100 for 14 pieces, it was a bang for the buck!
We also got an order of Xiao Long Bao from Dong Bei. Several friends recommended this soup-filled dumpling to us. The taste did not fail us, though the soup filling already dissipated due to the Christmas rush induced traffic. We'll dine in Dong Bei next time to make sure that we'll get to taste the soup!
All these tasty Binondo treats were great with rice!
I was also able to get a seasonal item in the Bee Bee Tin Grocery: chocolate-coated sunflower candies! It is similar to peanut M&M's, but has sunflower seeds instead of peanuts. Sunflower seeds are great for snacks and desserts.
To top off, we had a pack of Eng Bee Tin's Ube Hopia straight from one of Mr. Ube's many stores in Ongpin. This is a must buy in Binondo since this is Kirsten's favorite.
This carbo load experience is equally fun as the run itself. Looking forward to our next Binondo adventure!
Spend Breakdown
| Fresh Lumpia (Po Heng) | 55 |
| Xiao Long Bao (Dong Bei) | 60 |
| Kutchai Dumplings (Dong Bei) | 100 |
| Sunflower Candies (BeeBee Tin) | 45 |
| Ube Hopia (Eng Bee Tin) | 42 |
| Extra Rice (2 cups) | 30 |
| Actual Spend | 332 |
How to get there
- From LRT United Nations Ave. Station, ride a jeep going to Divisoria.
- Get off at Binondo Church. You'll find most of the above establishments along Ongpin St. Dong Bei is located at the back of Binondo Church.
Landmarks: Binondo Chuch, Ongpin St, Divisoria, Manila China Town, Plaza Ruiz
Address:
Ongpin St.
Binondo, Manila
Philippines
Operating Hours: 10am to around 8pm
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