Having a strong influence on us Filipinos, Chinese food simply cannot be denied. And once you are in a place called Binondo, there is no other way but to give in and enjoy the delicious food. That's what exactly what we did when we found a delicious food place along Benavidez street.
It's a small place, but it's not much of a hindrance to make people come and taste the delicious food of Wai Ying Fastfood in Binondo. You'll know that this place is kind of famous here, because people just keep flocking the place and there's no table that's left vacant. In fact, they have a stall nearby to cater to people who order take-outs, probably to reduce the people entering the dining area.
Upon entering you'll notice the roasted ducks hanging on the window. You'll also see stacks upon stacks of dimsum steamer baskets. The place itself is not at all neatly designed. It's just a simple food place, just like those food stalls you see at Quiapo. But when it comes to the food, we simply were just blown away. The food was good and very cheap. Plus, it's authentic Chinese cuisine. Tasting their food might just make you say the word 'delicious' in Chinese.
Anyways, here's what we ordered:
HK Lemon Tea, 50 php (cold), 45 php (hot)
Glutton Guy: This was my drink since I wanted something really cold because of the heat. I tried one of these when I was in Hongkong. You really have to crush the lemon with your spoon at the bottom of the glass to add some citrus and make it more delicious. It really tasted authentic, like the one I had at Hongkong. It was really good. Plus, it's cheap. I just wondered at first why it's more expensive than the hot version (probably because of the ice hahaha). It's really a good drink that's worth ordering at Wai Ying. : )
HK Milk Tea, 50 php (cold), 45 php (hot)
Glutton Girl: Before we even looked for a place to eat, I already told Glutton Guy that I was really craving for authentic Chinese milk tea. And I wasn't disappointed with Wai Ying's milk tea. It was very refreshing and very very delicious. There was a balanced taste of bitter and sweet. I really liked it. I'm sure you will, too.
Siomai, 55 php
Glutton Guy: Yummy authentic Chinese siomai really did the trick for me. Dip it in soy sauce with chili sauce, and you have a delicious and mouthwatering siomai. It's very different from the siomai we usually buy at food stalls at malls. It's really authentic, and it's very delicious. What more can I say? hahahaha : )
Glutton Girl: I liked their siomai. It wasn't the same old siomai that I usually eat. There's something different about it that you simply just want to have more. And for 55 pesos, it's very cheap for me. It might not be as cheap as those versions we find at LRT/MRT stations or at stalls at food courts (probably because this is AUTHENTIC siomai), but it's way, way yummier than the siomai we find elsewhere.
Steamed Spareribs, 50 php
Glutton Guy: Another delicious dimsum. It's perfectly cooked. The spareribs are soft. The flavor is unique and delicious. Dipping it in soy sauce will make it more delicious. Try it out and see what I mean. : )
Glutton Girl: Steamed Spareribs are just one of the best. They're good and I just can't get enough of them. The sauce is very good, plus the spareribs are not difficult to eat and chew. It's another Wai Ying best-seller for me.
Chicken Feet, 50 php
Glutton Guy: There's nothing not worth eating when it comes to Chinese food. And that includes chicken feet. Of course, our dimsum experience wouldn't be complete without the authentic chicken feet. And I have to say, the chicken feet was really good. It was soft, and the sauce is as delicious as the chicken feet. I know you're dimsum experience wouldn't be complete without it as well. So, you really have to try this one. : )
Glutton Girl: For me, their chicken feet was not the best. But, what I liked about it is, just what I have said earlier, is that it's authentic. I liked the way it was cooked. It's not too hard, so it's not difficult to eat. The sauce, like Glutton Guy said, is also delicious. But, like I said, I've tasted better versions of this.
Hakaw, 60 php
Glutton Guy: One of the best dimsums I've tasted. I've never tasted hakaw this good. It's smaller than the ones I've tasted before. But, it's way, way tastier. It's very soft. Plus, it's served hot. Probably the best dimsum I've tasted at Wai Ying. : )
Glutton Girl: I agree with Glutton Guy on this. It is the best dimsum I've tasted at Wai Ying. The hakaw tasted the way I imagined it to taste like, plus more. I liked it more when I dipped it on soy sauce. It's really, really good. You guys just gotta try this yourselves to see what I mean.
Wai Ying Fastfood serves authentic Chinese dimsum at its best. You'll definitely not want to miss this in your Binondo experience. So, if by chance you stumble upon a place that is Binondo, try Wai Ying Fastfood. Their dimsum are simply to die for. Plus, they also have other Chinese dishes such as congee and noodles (mami). It's affordable, and it's authentic. You'll definitely want to put this in your itinerary on your first (or your next) Binondo trip.
Rating: Buddhalicious!
(Wai Ying Fastfood is located at 927 Benavidez street, Binondo, Manila. They have another branch in front of Hope Christian School. It's near Metropolitan Hospital.)
When you think of Singapore, one of the things that come into mind is the good and comforting food. Well, you don't have to go all the way to Singapore just to taste delicious Singaporean cuisine. If it's good Singaporean and Chinese food you're looking for, why not try Tao Yuan Restaurant at Manila.
The place is kind of hard to find, because it's almost at the end of the road. It took us loads of walking before we reached the place, and by the time we reached the place, we really were hungry. We think you can get to the place though by riding a "padyak" or a taxi if you prefer a more comfortable vehicle. We just don't know how much it'll cost you since we just walked to get there (and boy were we tired).
When you get inside, you'll feel the formal-like ambiance since it really looks like a high-end Chinese restaurant. And believe us when we say that you'll really feel out of place because everybody seems to know each and everyone inside. Some would stand from their tables and go to other tables to talk. There were some expensive food on the menu, but there also some dishes which are light on the wallet and big in servings. They offer free tea and peanuts, by the way. Wanna know what we tried? Well, here goes:
(By the way, you might want to reconsider on ordering drinks since theirs cost 100php each. And that's just softdrinks hahahaha)
Lak Sa, 328 php
Glutton Guy: I really liked Tao Yuan's version of the Lak Sa. It's taste is very authentic. You can taste the nice blend of the coconut milk and the spicy seafood flavoring which I really love. It was the exact taste as the original Singaporean Lak Sa. The thing that it lacked though was the seafoods. The one I ate before was full of seafood like cuttle fish, shrimp, and oyster. The Tao Yuan version lacked seafoods because there were only shrimp and squid balls. It was still good nevertheless. : )
Glutton Girl: At first I was afraid of this dish because I really had no idea what it was. When I tasted it though my thoughts about it completely changed. It was really really good. The spicy flavor of the soup was tolerable and the noodles were really firm. The shrimps and other ingredients that are in the soup were also good. It's one big bowl of comfort food for me. Overall, I think it's a Singaporean dish worth trying.
Hainanese Rice, 50 php
Glutton Guy: Personally, I don't think it's worth it. It was just like buttered rice. It doesn't have any distinct taste. So I think it would be better if you would just order regular/plain rice. : )
Glutton Girl: When I read other blogs about it saying that it's really good, I expected it to be a good one. However, there wasn't anything special about this rice. It was just like normal fried rice that I could make at our house. Add the fact that it costs 50 php, I'd say that I would go with Glutton Guy's suggestion of just ordering plain rice.
Hainanese Chicken, 445 php (Half)
Glutton Guy: I really liked this dish. What I really don't like about the usual Hainanese chicken is the gingery flavor. Tao Yuan's version was not too gingery, which is why I liked it. True enough, it's also another dish you've gotta try at Tao Yuan. : )
Glutton Girl: What I love about the dish is the tenderness of the chicken. The half chicken is actually good for 3-4 persons. The sauce was good and the just like what Glutton Guy said it wasn't too gingery. Plus, it was beautifully presented.
Beef Tenderloin with Special Sauce, 328 php
Glutton Guy: This was my favorite amongst all of the dishes we ordered. I really loved the sauce and the beef was very tender. Plus, the servings was big. I'd have to say, it's another must-try for you Glutton Guys out there. : )
Glutton Girl: I really loved this dish. It's also my favorite. No wonder that sauce is so special - it was really really good. The beef was very soft and perfectly cooked. It was like a better version of beef with broccoli, minus the broccoli. This is probably one of the dishes that I would order again upon my return at Tao Yuan.
Mango Dessert, FREE
Glutton Guy: I liked it very much. It's free, so I just appreciated the generous gesture. Anyways, the mango was really sweet. You can tell that it was juiced out from fresh mangoes. It was a really sweet end to a glorious feast. : )
Glutton Girl: Just when I thought that nothing is free anymore. And this is one delicious free dessert. The mangoes were sweet and were pureed evenly. There were no mango lumps, which was an added plus. The tapioca was soft and good as well, a perfect add-on to the dessert. One word to describe it? Lovely.
Don't forget that they also offer delicious Chinese food. They offer hot pots, dimsum, live seafood, and even shabu-shabu. There's a lot of dishes to choose from at Tao Yuan so you'll never run out of good things to try. So next time, if you're up for some good Chinese or Singaporean food, why not give Tao Yuan a try? Bet you'll love it there. We did. : )
Rating: Buddhalicious!
(Tao Yuan Restaurant is located at General Malvar Street, corner A. Mabini Street, Malate, Manila. It's just near Pan Pacific Hotel and in front of a Korean store.)
