Take a food tour of Binondo this Lunar New Year
Binondo continues to charm even with its traffic-choked streets, beckoning locals and tourists alike to discover its distinct charms. This has become more apparent now as the Lunar New Year approaches.
During a visit to the oldest Chinatown in the world earlier this week, there were lines for some of the area’s attractions like the one next to Vege Select (739 Ongpin street) that sells skewers and cold sugarcane juice, as well as the stall down the street that offers toasted siopao.
Photojournalist Jilson Tiu grew up on Abad Santos street near Binondo, and remembers how Sunday mornings were always spent there with his grandfather and a host of relatives—over a dozen at a time. The patriarch would take them to Ma Suki for a hearty breakfast of congee, mami, and siopao. They would get there as early as 7 a.m. but would sometimes have to wait so they could all be seated together.
The restaurant on Benavidez street was established in 1930 and was originally known as Ma Kong, which is even older, possibly over a hundred years old.
During the pandemic, Tiu lived in Binondo near Recto Ave. and would just come down to buy food at either of two establishments when he didn’t want to cook. Hok Ren Yee Fried Siopao at the corner of Luzon and Masangkay streets is managed by a friendly “auntie.” There was no line snaking out her door but locals would pop in and out to buy siopao (asado, bola-bola, and special bola-bola with sweetened peanuts) or ingredients apportioned in plastic tubs to add to soup or stir fries.
A few steps down Masangkay is the original Ha Yuan restaurant with its tiled walls and a cafeteria-style setup where one takes a metal tray, chooses cooked food from the display, and pays for it before sitting down at one of several tables.
Veggie rolls
“I always come here for the pork barbecue, but my grandmother used to order maki mi,” Tiu said. The latter is described as a thick pork tenderloin soup originating from the Chinese Filipino community in Binondo. The viscous texture of the dish is an acquired taste, so we skipped that and split a huge fresh lumpia stuffed with chopped cooked cabbage, peanuts, and mung beans.
I’ve tried the lumpia at the Ha Yuan branch in Quezon City, just off Timog Ave. but this one seemed fresher, more balanced. The lady behind the counter who assembles each veggie roll upon order used a light hand when it came to the sugar, which I definitely preferred.
There are a number of other eateries that sell fresh lumpia in the area, but another of Tiu’s favorites is Eastern Garden (954 Ongpin street) that has been open since 1950. Its version is smaller and thus more manageable, but contains roughly the same ingredients. Tiu also comes here for the fried tokwa that is served with red sauce. Apparently it’s so popular that the eatery often runs out of it by midday.
In her book “Palayok: Philippine Food Through Time, On Site, In the Pot” (Bookmark, 2000), Doreen Fernandez acknowledges the depth of Chinese influence on Filipino cooking. “The use of soy sauce and other soybean products (tokwa, tahuri, miso, tawsi, taho) is Chinese, as is the use of such vegetables as petsay, toge (mung bean sprouts), and pickled mustard greens (mustasa).”
New discoveries
After the pandemic, Tiu moved to Makati but would make it a point to visit his old stomping grounds at least once a month, whether on his bike or by commuting. He would go on to discover “new” places where he could get his mami fix like Min Nan Di Yi Wei (832 Benavidez street). The tiny, air-conditioned eatery can probably seat 20 people at a time. Customers choose from a glass showcase that includes chicken feet, pig intestines, and hamonadong dila (tongue), but we were there for the beef noodles. Served in a deep melamine bowl, the fat noodles were topped with generous slices of beef and a couple of beef balls all in a tasty, fortifying soup.
Tiu wanted to show me this coffee shop he said wouldn’t look out of place in BGC, but before that, we walked off the meal and took in the sights of Binondo mere days before the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Shops were decked out in red and gold with some selling rotating Chinese lanterns. Lining the already narrow sidewalks were forests of miniature orange trees covered in protective net. Open carts sold assorted produce like kamote, cherries, plums, and dragon fruits, some sliced open to expose crimson hearts. Tiny sheafs of palay were knotted and beribboned, ready for hanging to symbolize prosperity and abundance in the coming year.
At Bee Tin Grocery (733-735 Ongpin street), shoppers were stocking up on unshelled peanuts, gold foil-covered candies, and other round, auspicious sweets.
“My grandfather used to come here and buy bags of chips that he would hand out to his grandkids at home. He also liked the pork jerky. The one they sell here is soft so when you bite into it, your teeth sink in and you don’t have to tug at it,” said Tiu.
Then, it was finally time for coffee at Apologue (934 Benavidez street). We ordered Americanos and sat down at one of the tables near the door. Tiu said he likes coming here “to chill” because the place serves pour-over coffee and there’s a bike rack just outside. The cafe gives off an industrial vibe but is smartly designed with a narrow wooden shelf lining the wall and electrical sockets at eye level so guests can charge their phones and still keep an eye on them.
Binondo is always a good idea, but especially when seen through the eyes of one who has lived near, in, and away from it.
