A Short Wok Through Chinatown

Binondo Church, Manila

We were dropped off at the Binondo Church in the heart of Chinatown at 8:30 in the morning.

We were meeting a group of 25 people who had signed up for the BIG Binondo Food Wok (Walk).  This was touted as the ultimate tour of "Manila's most vibrant, colorful and food-obsessed historic quarter".

After almost 4 hours of wandering around Binondo, tasting Chinese delicacies in various hole-in-the-wall joints, side street markets, colorful bakeries and hidden courtyards, our group certainly had become "food-obsessed."

Chinese street offerings

We staggered home with many exotic food memories and a few additional pounds as a testament to the efficacy of the tour.  And, yes, we picked up a bit of history too.

Our guide was Ivan Man Dy, a Tsinoy (Chinese Filipino) from Pampanga who could trace his roots back to early Hokkien immigrants from Fujian province in China.  He told us that Chinese traders had been visiting the Philippines since the early 9th century.

Over time, some Chinese merchants settled in Manila, married the locals (good choice!) and a small Chinese trading community began to grow.

Street Vendor in Chinatown

Not unnaturally, a number of Tsinoy became Catholics under early Spanish colonial rule. (The Spanish had a number of quaint ways to "persuade" you to become Catholic).

Christian Chinese Shrine

In 1594, one of the early Spanish Governors of Manila (Dasmarinas), donated a tract of land to the burgeoning Catholic Chinese community and promptly planted Binondo Church in their midst.
There is still an interesting blend of Christian and traditional Chinese worship in Chinatown--as illustrated by this little shrine on the corner of Nueva Street.

For over 400 years thereafter, Binondo was the center of commercial and economic life in colonial Manila.  It is still a bustling hive of activity.  Much of the produce you see on the market stalls and in the shops comes straight from China--even the startlingly fresh mussels which spit water at you as you pass by!

Fire helmets and photos of epic fires

Our first stop was at the strangely-named Cafe Mezannine, by far the fanciest place we visited that day.  It served Hokkien dishes like kiampeng rice, chami noodles and Tonic Soup No 5 (clear broth with a cabbage leaf and a floating egg).  Be careful ordering a Gin and Tonic in there!

The owner comes from a long line of firemen and on the bright red wall you can see a collection of ancient (straw) and modern (steel) fire helmets on the wall. The Chinese introduced the volunteer fire service to Manila in bygone days and it continues to this day.  Beneath the helmets are old photos of some epic Chinatown conflagrations--probably occurring after one of the many insane fireworks displays during the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Gleaming purple fire engine in Chinatown

The buckets and primitive hoses that we saw in the old photos have now been replaced by this magnifcent fire engine.

I have no idea how it gets down the very narrow streets of Chinatown without destroying all the market stalls which sit in the street.  They were filming the latest version of "The Bourne Legacy" in Manila recently (with Rachel Weisz) and I could just imagine them using the streets of Chinatown for a dramatic car chase or shoot out among the fruit and vegetable stalls. 

But I digress.

Embroidered Chinese slippers

Ivan took us to a tiny shop which was the last place in Chinatown still making Chinese slippers.  They are very popular in Manila but slipper making in the traditional fashion is a dying art.  Flip flops have taken over.

In the good old days, decorative slippers were enormously important--especially in the days of bound feet.  We were treated to a short history of the whys and wherefores of bound feet but I remain unconvinced that it was anything but barbaric.  Sorry, but breaking a child's toes is not a good idea--in any era.

Fried siopao coming up!

One of the most memorable stops for me was the fried siopao store.  It was only made in this one (unnamed?) hole-in-the wall somewhere on Ongpin Street.

Ivan told us that they were filled with something beginning with "c" (cat, caribao, crocodile or, possibly, chicken were mentioned), and mixed with powerful herbs and pungent chives.  They were served piping hot straight from the large circular hot plate.

Being a hole-in-the wall, you ate your siopao on the street while being bumped and elbowed by new customers eager to get the fresh buns.

Right outside this little stall, there was a wheel barrow full of durian.  As you may know, durian have an explosive smell when opened but the white flesh is truly one of the great marvels of the fruit world.  I would have bought one but  we would never have been allowed into any form of transport on the way home.  They are the fruit equivalent of a dead skunk!  Definition of olfactory overload: a strong inhalation of the pungent urinal smell of durian, the meaty/chivey aromas of fried siopao, and the not so subtle street odors of drains combined with the "output" of horse-drawn calesas.  Sinus clearing, indeed.

Hand-made dumplings

Another great hole-in-the-wall, where twenty people could actually sit down at tiny tables, was the Dong Bei Dumplings store.

Here they serve authentic Northern-style dumplings and pancakes.  You could watch your dumplings being hand-made right in front of you by two smiling women who rolled and shaped them with alarming speed.

They were actually cooked in one of the tiniest kitchens I have ever seen--tucked away at the back of an already tiny restaurant.

Tasty dumplings--green and red

As it was the Chinese New Year, we were
treated to some special dumplings (stuffed with red bell peppers, pork, chives and celery) that are only made at this time of year.

Other specialities on the menu were oyster pancakes (we had some--see below--and they were delicious), pork and fungus (yikes!) and fried chicken neck.  However, I did not see any fried chicken feet on the menu.  Maybe that is more of a Filipino speciality.  The chicken feet which you find being fried on the street are are commonly called  "Adidas".  Athletes' feet?

Delicious oyster pancakes

                         

A huge pot of meat and vegetable filling

After visiting the Eng Bee Tin Grocery and the Ho-Land Bakery (endless varieties of hopia and tikoy), we ended up at the Po-Heng Lumpia House which is found down a dingy corridor in a dingy building off the dingy Rosario Street.

After such an unpromising entrance, it opens up onto a sunny courtyard crammed between two buildings.  Here they make huge lumpia filled with multiple chopped vegetables, various meats (don't ask), spices and strange powders (with aphrodisiac powers whispered Ivan).  Is that why everybody was smiling in there?

Lumpia wrappers awaiting filling

Unfortunately, we were so engorged by this stage that we could not face the 7-inch long, 2-inch wide lumpia. But we watched them being made and our fellow "food-obsessed" travelers scarfed them down like there was no bukas (tomorrow).

Ivan informed us that this style of (humungous) lumpia is only made at the Chinese New Year.  Even though New Year is only in January or February in China, they are really celebrating the early Spring. Large lumpia represent hope for a plentiful harvest after the planting season.  A wonderful example of positive thinking.

Our trusty horse and driver

Having arrived in my brother-in-law's shiny, air-conditioned car, we departed in a quaint calesa to the Light Rail Transit (LRT) station about fifteen minutes away in heavy traffic.  The horse was very calm in all the din and uproar and I gave the driver and horse an equal tip.  The driver was very happy.  The horse didn't say anything.

This was our first time to use the LRT.  It sort of "connects" with its confusing competitor, MRT, after a long walk (and extra payment) to the transfer point on EDSA.   However, we successfully found our way back to Ayala Avenue and Forbes Park in about 30 minutes.  We were spared the Manila rush hour traffic.

Lots of Tikoy (best fried)

We had left the house at 7:30am and we arrived home about 3pm.  Now that is what I call a BIG food trip.

We gratefully sat down to a nice cuppa (Chinese) and some ube (purple yam) hopia from the Eng Bee Tin bakery to recover from the tour which had been grueling on both feet and stomach.

Thank goodness those enterprising Chinese traders decided to settle down in Binondo in 1594 and pave the way for our fascinating food tour around Chinatown today.  Globalization got an early start in Manila and the "China Rising" effect has been here for over four hundred years.  Happy Year of the Dragon!