Food Trip in Binondo

Welcome to Manila Chinatown. The oldest Chinatown in the world.

I was in Manila last February. A friend from the US and from France were in the country so we decided to meet up on a weekend in Tagaytay. The friend from the US, I have not seen her since 2018 and the friend from France, the last time I saw her was way before that. Another reason for me being in Manila is to watch the concert of one of my favorite bands - One Republic. I really enjoyed the concert even though I watched it alone. I met a friend too, who was also alone. I had so much fun that I didn't want the concert to end. I wanted more. And when you're in Manila, you can't pass up the opportunity to do a food trip in Binondo. 

The facade of the Binondo Church.

Binondo Church is officially known as the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz - Parish of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary.

For those who don't know, I actually lived and worked in Manila for about 8 years. In those years, I've been to Binondo but only to a few shops like Dong Bei Dumplings, Eng Bee Tin (the famous hopia bakery) and Serenity (I've tried their fried chicken). I have eaten in Dong Bei and brought home frozen chives dumplings. They were so good. I have tried all of Eng Bee Tin's hopia flavors and my favorite is the custard one and black mongo. My go-to flavor for hopia is black mongo. The fried chicken in Serenity is very good. I didn't realize that it was that famous then when we ate there. It was the store in the Lucky Chinatown Mall that we went to.

The Chinese arch in Lucky Chinatown Mall.

So, being back in Manila, after about five years, (the last time I was there was in 2018, to attend a wedding), I actually made a list of places I need to visit but unfortunately, wasn't able to but a Binondo food trip was one of the things I could not miss. It's a must. 

Various lanterns in one of the walkways in Lucky Chinatown Mall. 

We met up with a friend in Lucky Chinatown Mall around 2PM. Our first stop is Wai Ying Fastfood. The famous dimsum restaurant. We thought that since it was around past lunch time, there won't be a lot of people. We should be good. And lo and behold, the store was a box office hit. The line was long. The last people in line told us to go to the guard and have us listed and then wait. I think we were supposed to be the 20th to be served. We waited a bit, probably around 5 to 10 minutes and then got very hungry. Jona, the other friend, went to the store across Wai Ying and bought becho-becho. It's like a donut but a bit softer. We ate that while waiting but then realized it wasn't enough. It was way past lunch time and we were famished. We were staring to get hangry.

Wai Ying Fastfood, the main branch in #810 Benavidez Street.

So, we decided to just visit the other shops and then just come back in time for our turn to be served. While we were walking, we heard one of the padyak (bicycle with side car) drivers that we should just go to the other Wai Ying branch. It's bigger and there would be no line. Well, it was a brilliant idea and that was what we did. The second store was in the same street, Buenavidez, but it's a bit of a walk. You will have to cross Recto Ave. We walked about 2 blocks, probably about 5 to 10 minutes. It's not too far but if you're hungry, everything seems to be a challenge, right? 

The second store. Bigger and no waiting.

Long story short, we made it to the other store and true enough, no line and we were seated right away. We ordered wanton mami noodles since they ran out of roast duck mami. It's their bestseller. We also ordered vegetable dumplings, their famous hakaw, shark's fin dumplings, fried wanton and  fried rice. We didn't finish everything. We brought home the rest of the fried wantons and the vegetable dumplings. The food were all very good, though I was not so taken by the vegetable dumplings. I loved their fried wantons. Next time, I should try their roast duck mami. It's one of their must-try dishes. We paid about PhP1,050.00 for all the things we ordered. What a treat, right? And no need to rob a bank.

A bowl of fried rice is good for 2-3 people.

A serving of friend wantons (12 pieces) with sweet and sour sauce.

Wanton mami (beef noodles with wanton)

Wai Ying's famous hakaw with shrimps inside.

Steamed shark's fin dumplings

Vegetable dumplings - mostly made of mushroom wrapped in rice paper.

Wai Ying's menu page 1

Wai Ying's menu page 2

Our next stop is dessert. After that very scrumptious lunch, we needed something sweet. So, off we go to Eng Bee Tin. Merly was craving their ube milk tea. We went back to the main street in Binondo which is Ongpin. The Eng Bee Tin store I knew was the old one. It's now Chuan Kee restaurant which had a very long line of diners also. The new Eng Bee Tin store is the new and big building right next to it. The line was a bit long also but moving. We ordered the combo which is the ube milk tea with the egg tart for PhP140.00. The egg tart was good. Sadly, the milk tea wasn't so cold. There was no ice on it too. There were a lot of pearl sinkers though, if you love pearls. We would have enjoyed it much if it were ice-cold since the day was scorching hot. 

The old Eng Bee Tin store, now Chuan Kee fast food. The Eng Bee Tin sign is still there.

Long lines are a common sight.

The new and improved Eng Bee Tin store. More convenient shopping.

Take out counter for milk teas, siopao and egg tarts.

Egg tarts and siopao, anyone?

Egg tart, sweetheart?

Our drinks are ready. The adventure continues.

With our drinks in hand, we went off to search for the lumpia store - Puo Hing Lumpia. It's actually right around a very small street from Eng Bee Tin which is Carvajal. We got lost trying to find their store and had to backtrack our steps. We then realized that it was just very near Eng Bee Tin, like about 2 minutes walk. We ordered our lumpia to-go and in separate bags. They don't have dine in. Each lumpia is for PhP95.00. No long lines when we were there and they serve you very fast also. We ate the lumpia for dinner when we got home. It was so-so. I have tasted a better tasting one. Or it could be that the lumpia should be eaten while it's hot, when it's freshly-made. 

Some of the store staff preparing the lumpia.

Three lumpia to-go, please.

Dig in!

All vegetables inside and it comes with a sweet sauce.

The next store we went to was the one selling fried siopao - The Original Shanghai Fried Siopao which is also on Ongpin Street. So, from Eng Bee Tin, with the Binondo Church behind you, you just walk straight about two or three blocks. It's right after the bridge. You can't miss it, with it's very visible sign and a lot of people lining up. Yes, you should bring a lot of patience with you. Almost all stores have long queues and it was a long weekend when we were there also, so there was a crowd. We lined up again for the fried siopao. Only take out orders. They were very quick in packing the orders also. The lady would take your money and the guy would pack the fried siopao. We ate it for dinner and breakfast. A fried siopao is PhP35.00. We ordered 10 pieces - I got four, Merly got three and Jona got three also. We ate it for dinner and for breakfast. It was so good. I thought it would be fried all over but the top is still like the regular siopao and the bottom is where you will see that it was fried. I would love to go eat this again whenever I am in Binondo.

Welcome to The Original Shanghai Fried Siopao.

Fried siopao it is!

Hang on, you're almost there (talking to myself while waiting in line).

Fried siopao!

The last stop is Dong Bei Dumplings. It's in Yuchengco Street. It's right next to the shortcut going to Lucky Chinatown Mall. The line was long also. A lot of people were waiting. Some were sitting on the sidewalk. The store was preparing the orders and they were not sure if they have enough stock to accommodate all those customers waiting. They will have to see by 5:30PM or 6:00PM. We couldn't wait and it was not a sure thing so we decided to just skip it. Anyway, I've tried their dumplings already so we'll live. We won't be missing out. It was bearable.

Dong Bei Dumplings store. Box office again.

We actually passed by Dong Bei earlier from Lucky Chinatown Mall going to Wai Ying but we decided to just save it for last since it's on the way back to Lucky Chinatown Mall where we were parked and that decision proved to be a dud. But no worries, if we have not tried it before then it would have been a bummer. I was a little disappointed since I planned to take home to Cebu the dumplings as pasalubong but some plans just don't work out. So, we walked back to the mall a little dejected but looking forward to eat the rest of our loot. We yet have to try the lumpia, the siopao and the egg tart. 

Wai Ying kiosk in Lucky Chinatown Mall

In the Lucky Chinatown Mall, there were a lot of kiosks also and Wai Ying has one there too. So, we also brought home more dumplings. And since the Dong Bei dumplings didn't pan out, I decided to just buy Eng Bee Tin hopia. They had new flavors I haven't tried so I bought that. A box of pork floss hopia and another box of the brownies one. A box is PhP270.00 with twelve individually packed hopia inside. I liked the brownie one better. I know, I'm partial to chocolate. The pork floss was just okay. 

Golden pork floss hopia and brownie hopia. Hopia you will like it.

Each box contains 12 pieces of each kind.

The next day was my flight back to Cebu. I did enjoy our food trip in Binondo. Aside from the cardio exercise from all the walking, it was good to be out and about and seeing other people doing the same thing. It was good to see tourists and locals alike enjoying this little strip of food heaven without having to spend much. All in all, I think we spent about PhP500.00 each, way below PhP1,000.00 which is very good considering the prices of everything nowadays. Food trip in Binondo was a total success and thanks to Merly and Jona. I would definitely go back there when I am in Manila the next time and also do a tour of Intramuros. Of course, there's food too. Food is life.

Dimsum buffet for breakfast. Yum!

Thank you again,  Merly and Jona for accompanying me in this food adventure.

From right: Gurlayas, Merly and Jona at Wai Ying.

While waiting in line to order ube milk tea at Eng Bee Tin. 

Till the next adventures of Gurlayas and My Walking Shoes. Busdik Tiyan!

Singapore: The Road Less Traveled (Part 2) - Pulau Ubin

The year was 2017. We went to Singapore to try our luck. While waiting for calls for interviews, we explored Singapore. A friend came with us to spend a few days in Singapore. On one of those days, we decided to try going places that are not often visited by tourists and since we were also tight on the budget. Yes, the road less traveled as I call it. So, I checked on some blogs and found a list. On the list was Pulau Ubin. 

Ferry terminal at Pulau Ubin

Pulau Ubin is an island northeast of Singapore. There's a bike trail, a mangrove walk where birds could be seen, an observation tower and a looped boardwalk. It is known to be the last rural area in Singapore.  The island made us curious and going there didn't need us to rob a bank. We only needed to ride a ferry boat for 3.00 SGD and there is no entrance fee. So off we go.

One of the ferry bumpboats going to Pulau Ubin.

How to get there?

To get to Pulau Ubin, you need to check what's the best route for you, depending on where you are staying in Singapore. For us, we stayed at Bishan, so we have to take an MRT to Tampines East station. From there, we need to get on a bus going to Changi Village Terminal where the ferry for Pulau Ubin is. The ferry plies from Changi Point to Pulau Ubin every 15 minutes. The bumpboat ride from Changi Point ferry terminal is about 15 minutes to Pulau Ubin.

You will know that you have reached the island because you will see the ferry terminal with the "Welcome to Pulau Ubin" sign on it. As you get off the ferry, you will see bicycles lined up near the boardwalk. This is the method of transport here. The easiest and fastest way to get around the island. Past that would be an arch with another welcome sign which is the main gateway to the island itself.

Let's go biking!

Pulau Ubin is just a small island, about 10 square kilometers in terms of area. Walking would be a bit of a challenge so we decided to rent bikes. A bike is for 10.00 SGD. I can't remember if it was just for an hour but I think we stayed for more than an hour on the island and we used the bike for the whole time there. 

The first part of the trail is an asphalted road and there's a section there where there are a lot of wild monkeys. Emphasis on the word "wild." Most of them would stay on the trees but during our visit, there was this one brave monkey who followed us. When it came for us to stop and take pictures, it decided that it was his golden opportunity to try to take my friend's bag that was sitting on the basket in front of her bike. It tried to take the bag and my friend was screaming for me to help her. I, on the other hand, didn't know what to do. I was not sure how to shoo away the monkey because touching these wild animals was definitely a no-no. Fortunately, the bag was too heavy for him so he let it go and run off to the trees. We had quite a trauma after that experience. Wild monkeys are definitely not to be trifled with. We didn't even know what made him want to take the bag. We had food but it was in my bag and they were dates. Do they eat dates? I don't think my friend had any food in her bag. Probably, the monkey wanted a branded bag too. My friend's bag was an authentic MK.

Once the monkey ran off, we pedaled our bikes like our lives depended on it to get away as far as possible from that monkey-ridden place. Once we were sure we were far from them, we relaxed. The path following that was unpaved and a bit muddy because it rained a day before. The trail is both uphill and downhill. There were times we had to get off our bike because the path was too steep. It had been years since I had been on a bike and I don't think we were up for that literal mountain bike ride. We thought the way was going to be just a plain paved road all the way but it wasn't. 

After the land of the monkeys (because they literally own that territory), we reached the Chek Jewa Wetlands. This is the part of the island where there are mangroves and there's a boardwalk. This is also the part where you can see birds if you are lucky. We didn't get to see any birds. From here onward, you would have to walk. You would have to leave your bike here. 

While we were parking our bikes, we met some other tourists and there were also some stray monkeys. One guy mentioned that his mom's shades got stolen by one of the monkeys when they last visited. We then told them about our experience. Yes, bad monkeys.

From here, you can take three different routes to get to the rest of the wetlands. One way is to go through the boardwalk in front of House #1. There's a Tudor style house at the back of the visitor center. Unfortunately, we didn't take that route. We opted for the second one which took us to this vantage point looking over that boardwalk and the water. We didn't know there was something else to see there. 

After our circuit of the island, my friend asked the bike shop owner about that house we saw on the map or on one of the pictures we saw on the blog. He told us it was right at that first boardwalk which we didn't go to. He told us we can go back and see it but we were a bit exhausted. Not to think, we would have to go through the land of the monkeys again. I don't think my heart can take two close encounters with them in one day.

Next is what they call the looped boardwalk where you can see the corals when it's low tide. It wasn't when we were there so we didn't get to see the colorful corals and other marine life which are one of the attractions.

Yes, I seemed to have a habit of making jump shots on any walkways. I did a jump shot also on the Treetop Walk. 

This one-kilometer looped boardwalk will then take you to the part where there are mangroves.

Aside from the mangroves, there are also a lot of nipa palms with fruits growing in the area. During our visit, I didn't have any idea what this jackfruit-like fruit we've seen but when I was writing this post, I looked it up on Google and it was a fruit of a nipa palm.

They also have an observation tower which they call Jejawi Tower. It's a 20-meter high observation deck which gives you a 360-view of the island from above. We didn't get to see much. One part, you can see just the top of the trees.

The other view is where you can see the sea and some mountains. Again, I only found out while writing this post that  those mountains are in Malaysia.

There are some other plants and flowers also. 

One of the highlights of our day, aside from that encounter with the bag-stealing monkey, was we spotted a wild boar. Yes, in the flesh. It was in a hurry to go somewhere. Good thing though because we don't want another close encounter with the wild kind. The monkey really gave us a scare.

Pulau Ubin apparently had five granite quarries which were used to build some of Singapore's structures like the Causeway, Istana and the Raffles Lighthouse. These quarries are now closed and are now a habitat for some birds like herons.

On our way back, we didn't have to pass through the kingdom of the monkeys again. Fortunately, there is another road which goes by one of the quarries and ends at the crossroad going to the monkeys lair. I was so relieved we didn't have to go through there again.

So, here are some of the buildings on the island. They have this structure which had a sign saying they are raising funds to rebuild the temple. 

There was the temple and there was a store right beside it. We wanted to buy drinks from that store but I think the woman who owned it did not speak English or we just changed our minds. I am not sure.

There was also an eatery. No, we didn't try to eat there.

Then, they have about two or three bike rental shops. There are only 38 people living in the island. 

Then, there's the visitor center and the rest rooms.

So, all in all, it was fun. A different side of Singapore. Biking was a good cardio exercise and I missed being on a bike. Walking through the boardwalk was a relaxing way to spend a day with the breeze and the salty smell of the sea. It was true enough, the road less traveled and it was a very memorable experience for us. 

Would I want to revisit Pulau Ubin? Yes, I would and hopefully, no wild-bag-snatching monkeys roaming around just waiting for its next victim. I'd prefer them to stay in the trees. It would also be a chance to see that house #1 which we missed on this tour.

After that tour of the island, we went back to the mainland to eat our late lunch. We were starving and we badly needed an ice-cold coke. We needed to cool down after that excitement with the monkey.

There are other sites and places in Singapore that are not so popular with the tourists. They have a hot spring, a waterfall and some other bike and hike trails. Hopefully, on my next visit to Singapore, I would be able to visit those places and tell you my experience about them.

Some information regarding Pulau Ubin were taken from Wikipedia and Google.