The best Chinese restaurants (according to me) in Metro Manila
As my friends and especially boyfriend know, food is a really important aspect of life for me. It seems to apply to most of my peers as well (and by peers, I mean Asian or Asian American compatriots). Since I started dating a Dutchman, I realized that we do not have the same cravings, taste buds, and priorities for food, and in particular, good Asian food. Blame my parents, for feeding me Chinese meals all day for 18 years of my life. For a while I thought I was just being weird, that I was always missing and craving delicious Chinese/Vietnamese/Korean/Japanese food, but when I had a reunion with my girlfriends this past summer in France, we spent 2 of the 7 days hunting for good pho and spicy Chinese cuisine. So I'm not that weird, hah! (Or we all are..)
AWESOME, AUTHENTIC, AFFORDABLE Chinese food in Metro Manila is actually much harder to find than one would believe, considering the oldest Chinatown in the world, Binondo, is here. I've been to Dong Bei Dumplings (meh), President Grand Palace (meh), and Wai Ying Tea House (for dim sum, super meh! - read my review here), all in Binondo and was sorely disappointed.
My not so PC thoughts: Even though this is the oldest Chinatown in the world, so it's probably quite Filipino-ized, there must be some FOBs in town! Where the FOBs be at?!
And after living here in Metro Manila for 15 months, I have come across three (3) awesome, authentic and affordable Chinese hole-in-the-walls. They're just not in Binondo. In no particular order, I give AAA grades to the following:
#1 Yen Yen Taiwan Street Food at 198 Wilson Street, corner of P. Guevarra in Mandaluyong
I've passed this place on the way from work a few times, but the exterior looks a bit ghetto and definitely not all hole-in-the-walls are delicious in the Philippines (they're mostly just dirty with gross bathrooms sans toilet paper). This morning I was browsing through a food delivery website and I came across Yen Yen's menu... and I got super.. super.. excited. Their Spicy Wontons (8 pieces for Php 140 / US $3) in red hot oil are infinitely better than Shi Lin's (which are disgusting) - I literally killed that shit in 3 minutes, flat. In my car. Before it barely moved 2 inches in traffic.
While Filipino bloggers rave about the fried Pork Chops and Chicken Chops, I go for the legit stuff: Hot & Spicy Pork Blood & Intestines (Php 270 / US $6)
Next time, looking forward to trying Yen Yen's Braised Beancurd, Taipei Braised Beef Noodle Soup or Beef Noodle w/ Tendon and Tripe, Wonton Noodle Soup, Stir Fry Pork Kidney and Eggplant with Minced Meat.
#2 Eat First Chinese hot pot at 4756 Salamanca St, Makati. it's the broth that's legit - get it half spicy half non-spicy (and spicy actually means spicy here). There's also a good array of meat and veggies to drop in, including beef tendons, pork blood (how come I'm the only person I know (besides parents) that ever eats this), fish/shrimp/beef balls, sweet potato noodles, lotus root, winter melon, kelp seaweed, ho fan, etc. Lots of Chinese FOBs seen here.
#3 Mao Jia Hunan Cuisine at 7467 Bagtikan Street, San Antonio Village, Makati. The spiciness can be upped a notch but on the whole, this venue has a very solid menu, including Boiled Chili Beef with Veggies; Scrambled Eggs with Tomato, Rib Soup with White Gourd, Stir Fry Pork Stomach, Spicy Crab, Stir Fry Frog, etc. Also lots of Chinese FOBs seen here.
Special Mentions: Tim Ho Wan's dimsum, but that line is ridiculous and even I think not worth it; Hai Shin Lau's expensive canto-styled gourmet seafood; Lutong Macau's cheap, steamed suahe (游水蝦); and Crystal Jade's dim sum. I have been to the hole-in-the-wall You Jie Xiao Chao on Camia Street near Rockwell but the flavor didn't really do it for me (nor even the Dutchie, who's lived in Beijing for 2 years).
Disclaimer: I am a Chinese American girl who *thinks* she knows what delicious and "authentic" Chinese food is. Qualifications: FOB parents who only eat Chinese food; lived in Hong Kong for half a year; lived in New York for 5 years (including 1 year on Lafayette St., Chinatown); best friends and former roommates are all Chinese-American and we often debate which region trumps all others i.e. Sichuan, Shanghai, Canton, Hong Kong, etc.; and oh yeh, the first three years of my life including when I first began eating solid food took place in Guangzhou, China, so I am, from nature and nurture, qualified to critique Chinese food. This also makes me extremely biased towards eating Chinese/Asian food all the time and makes my boyfriend extremely tired of eating this shit all the time.