Binondo is a district of Manila that once enjoyed the status of being the country’s premier financial district, that is, before the move to Makati in the late 1970s. Today, it is the home turf of Chinese businessmen, traders and restaurateurs.

Back in the Spanish era, Binondo (from the word Binundok, meaning mountains) was the place for Chinese immigrants who have converted to Catholicism. Binondo Church sits proudly in the middle of a hustling and bustling commercial district where fortunes are made and lost. It is the hometown of the world’s first Filipino saint, Lorenzo Ruiz, who happens to be a Chinese mestizo.

Soaking in all that history was very exhausting, and there was the immediate need for us to soak in some authentic Chinese grub.

Walking along Ongpin, I saw a lot of shops that sell everything from Chinese herbal medicine to snake blood. We entered one of the esteros (canals) to check out the food, but then I felt myself drawn to the end of the hallway where I saw this sign.

So in we all went just to see why there were so many people dining inside this unsightly-looking restaurant. And this was what we saw.

So it’s not a pretty sight, but what makes people flock to their place?

Seen above is tender beef on top of a bed of fresh flat noodles. Since my doctor recommended against eating beef for a month, I decided to check out the other fare that they had which will not conflict with my doctor’s orders.

An order of these scallops only cost P130.00 (US$2.90).

This Machang cost P60.00 (US$1.33)

.

The fish was cooked on top of a layer of silk tofu. This is only a half order P80.00 (US$1.80). A full order is P160.00 (US$3.60).

All very, very delicious! Plus they let us use the function room because we were a large group.

We left the place with a big, fat tummy and bigger smiles.