HK Beef Brisket Expert [MSG Free Beef]

We discovered a new restaurant along the little street of Benavidez near Hope Christian High School. On the first look, it is somewhat similar to Lan Zhou La Mien but smaller and brighter.

We've already pass across this place a couple of times already but wasn't interested to try as there was always a few people eating inside. One reason might be the Chinese signage which might be intimidating for those who doesn't know the language. The banner reads 港式達人清湯腩 (Gǎng shì dárén qīngtāng nǎn) which translates to Hong Kong Beef Brisket Clear Soup Expert. Anyhow tonight we were in the mood for some beef noodles so we thought might as well try something new.

Here is the menu:

Their crew told us that the best seller is the Wonton & Beef Brisket with Noodles. We decided to order the Wonton Beef Brisket Noodles, Beef Brisket with Rice Noodles and Vegetable with Oyster Sauce (not in the menu, 90 php).

Wonton & Beef Brisket Noodles

Beef Brisket with Rice Noodles

As simple as the food looks, so does the taste. The soup seems to be the result of a long process of boiling the beef and getting rid of the fats - clear and without any strong taste of the beef or the radish. The soup is also quite bland, possibly the result of it having no MSG (as stated at the bottom right of the menu) and us nothing being used to clear soup based beef noodles.

At first look the bowl of noodles looks small as compared to others but as we eat further we've noticed that there were less noodle but MORE beef. The Wonton and Beef Noodle Soup I ate had around 8 strips of beef, which is quite rare. The wonton also is mostly meat and tasted fresh - which was great.

Nothing special with the vegetable with oyster sauce, just boiled lettuce with no seasonings. The oyster sauce was the right partner for this.

The overall experience was like eating at home with your Chinese mom's cooking. Just natural, less salty and MSG free food unlike the typical Chinese restaurant which is usually oil, salty and has tons of seasoning.

If you guys have eaten here before, let us know in the comments below!

港式達人清湯腩 - Hongkong Beef Brisket Expert
Benavidez St., Sta. Cruz Manila
Right across Security Bank and Hope Christian High School

Tasting Eng Bee Tin’s New Taiwan Mooncakes

We all know that Eng Bee Tin is one of the traditional stores in Binondo that innovates. Their first innovative product was the famous Ube Hopia that until now remains to be one of the best selling Hopias in the Philippines. They have since introduced a LOT of other flavors and variants which you can’t find anywhere else. Ever heard of their Mochipia and Custard Hopia? Right now as the Mooncake festival draws near (September 27, 2015), Eng Bee Tin just released new versions of their Classic Mooncakes – Taiwan style Mooncakes. It comes in three flavors: Matcha Green Tea, Azuki Red Bean and Original Purple Yam.

As soon as Eng Bee Tin released their New Taiwan Mooncakes, we bought all three flavors to give them a try. Our conclusion: In terms of appearance, Eng Bee Tin did a good job of introducing a spiral design. In terms of taste: If our taste buds are correct, Eng Bee Tin’s Taiwan Mooncakes is basically a fusion of the classic Mooncake and their Hopia. As you’ll read and see below, Eng Bee Tin used the fillings of their Hopia instead of the usual mooncake filling.

As you can see in the images above, their Taiwan mooncakes costs 120 pesos each. Their price is lower compared to the price of their classic mooncakes but also smaller in terms of size. Their original mooncake is about 1.5 times larger. You can also buy the box set which costs 350, saving you 10 pesos. The design of their box set is good although the packaging of the mooncakes itself needs some improving.

Limited edition set of 3 box

Now, which do you think tastes better?

Azuki Red Bean, Purple Yam and Matcha Green Tea

Original Ube Mooncake

Reviewing the taste

Here comes the part we’ve all been waiting for – the taste. We had quite a challenge reviewing the taste mainly because of this particular ingredient: the salted egg inside the mooncake. We’ve noticed that not everyone likes salted egg while some really likes it – more than the filling. Luckily, the 10 people who was involved in the taste test was diverse enough that some tasted the filling only while the others tasted it as a whole.

Matcha Green Tea

Matcha Green Tea Filling

Matcha Green Tea

Since one of the trending flavors right now is Matcha Green Tea, this was the one most of us were excited to taste. Upon first bite, the taste of green tea wasn’t really that obvious Some of us who wasn’t aware of the flavor thought it tasted like Buko Pandan. Overall, the mixture of the flavor and the egg blends well and tastes good. This flavor was actually the first to get completely eaten.

Azuki Read Bean

Azuki Red Bean Filling

Azuki Red Bean

At first look, the Azuki Red Bean Mooncake might tell you that it is sweet. However, it is not. Instead what you’ll taste is a somewhat nutty flavor. If you are familiar with Eng Bee Tin’s Plain Mongo and Red Mongo Hopia, we believe the taste is somewhere between those two. If eaten as a whole, the taste of the salted egg will mostly overpower the filling. This might be good for those who prefer the taste of the salted egg.

Purple Yam

Purple Yam Filling

Original Purple Yam

Lastly, we tasted the original purple yam flavor which is locally known as “Ube”. We believe that for those who liked the Ube Hopia of Eng Bee Tin, you’ll like the taste of this one – since the taste is almost the same. Although Eng Bee Tin is also selling an ube flavored mooncake, the taste of ube is very far from the one in their Hopia Ube, which we think is sweeter and tastier.

Overall, Eng Bee Tin did quite a great job of creating an entirely new product using its already existing ingredients. It somehow made mooncakes more enticing to eat. Definitely a great addition to your gifts this coming Mooncake Festival.

*Until September 23, 2015, Eng Bee Tin has a 10 + 1 Mooncake Promo. Get a free box of Mooncakes for every 10 boxes you buy.


Eng Bee Tin Chinese Deli
Main Branch: Ongpin St., Binondo Manila
Contact: (632) 288-8888 / 241-9999
For other branches, please click here.


Note: We wrote this blog post by ourselves, and it expresses our own opinions. We have no business relationship with Eng Bee Tin. We didn't receive any food or compensation in relation to this post.

LING NAM: Quick and Tasty Noodles

Many if not most of you have seen Ling Nam’s chain of restaurants across Metro Manila. But did you know that the first branch which opened way back in 1950 was in Binondo?



Ling Nam Wanton Parlor
616 T. Alonzo St., Sta. Cruz, Manila
Tel: 733-5231; 733-5234



Located near Arranque Market, the area is very busy during the day but very quiet during the night.

Here is their menu:
Note: Lugao's and Kaptay Mien are only available during breakfast as early as 5:30am until 8:00am.

Modern Menu

Original Menu

Original Menu

Original Menu

Here is what we ordered:

Wanton Asado Mien (Noodles) – Php 170

Wanton Beef Mien (Noodles) – Php 170

Beef Mien (Noodles) – Php 150

The noodles came less than 5 minutes after we ordered, which was really fast as compared to other Chinese restaurants in Binondo.

In terms of their noodles servings, they aren’t as big as the servings at Masuki or Lan Zhou La Mien. But it is enough to make you full. The prices are more or less the same with Masuki. As to the taste, I’ll give it a thumbs up. Nothing special about the soup but the meat in their wanton is legit like many of the ones being served in Binondo. Their beef and asado likewise are tasty and you’ll know that it was prepared and cooked for many hours hence you can feel the tenderness of the meat.

And of course, Siomai – Php 35 per piece, 2 pieces per order.

Siomai - 2 pcs per order

Not as big as the one in Masuki but bigger than 90% of the siomai you will ever see in Manila. Plus, instead of the orange coloring – there is actual shrimp at the top. The taste is okay and tastes almost the same as the one in Masuki but no without the latter's asado sauce.

Overall, Ling Nam Binondo Branch is a great place to eat if you’re hungry and in a hurry.

Ling Nam Wanton Parlor
616 T. Alonzo St., Sta. Cruz, Manila
Tel: 733-5231; 733-5234
Operating Hours: 5:30am – 10:00pm

And, if you’re interested to know more about their lugao's, here’s a review from a regular customer:
http://www.tsinoyfoodies.com/2015/02/ling-nam-wanton-parlor-noodle-factory.html

Other branches and more information about Lingnam:
http://www.lingnam.net/branches.php

How about you? Were you able to compare the taste of the dishes between the original Ling Nam and their branches? If so, how was your experience? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

MASUKI: Bad Ass Siomai and Great Tasting Noodles that SMELL

Warning: If you believe that delicious food also smell good, be prepared for a paradigm shift. As one blogger writes on his site:



Masuki Mami House
931 Benavidez St., Binondo Manila
Tel: (02) 2432674

Other branches:

2nd floor Sekai Center, Ortigas corner Madison Street, San Juan City
Tel: 744-2720

Mall of Asia, Main Mall North Wing

[embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17037245597/[/embed]

[embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17037244087/[/embed]

[embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17211290882/[/embed]

Masuki is one of those classic restaurants in Binondo which already existed before my parents (Right now, my parents are senior citizens) Yet Masuki seems to attract customers both old and young.

[embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17034815580/[/embed]

[embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/16592733613/[/embed]

Here's their menu:

[embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17014929757/[/embed]

[embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17034815910/[/embed]

Although the price of some of their noodles are more expensive, it only means you’ll be getting a lot more meat on your noodles. The prices of their siopao and siomai are also more expensive than your usual dimsum but wait until you see the size of their servings.

My friends and I ordered the following:

Original Mami (Special) – Php 130

[embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/16592755843/[/embed]

Asado Mami (Special) – Php 130

[embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17187008136/[/embed]

Wonton Mami (Special) – Php 170 (more expensive than the above two but look how many the wontons are.)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17187017106/

2 orders of 2 pieces Siomai – Php 35 per piece total of 140.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17005524647/

Their siomai might be one of the biggest you'll ever see. As one guy wrote in a review:



And instead of the usual soy sauce plus calamansi, you can try what my friend Aimee usually does:  Their special asado sauce (free for every order of their noodles) + calamansi. Since their sauce is thick, you’ll really taste the calamansi flavor wrapped around their siomai. Yum!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17005517317/

Every order of their noodles comes with their famous special asado sauce. Eating Masuki noodles without this is like eating spaghetti without tomato sauce.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17025424800/

What we usually do is put some sauce on the noodles before we eat it. Some might like to mix it directly into the soup, but we think this approach will lessen the flavor of the sauce. Anyways, it's up to your liking.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17212375121/

The aftermath:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/16590488094/

Overall, Masuki is one of the place you will really enjoy here at Binondo. It’s one of the oldest and yet still one of the most famous restaurants in Binondo. Delicious food, huge servings and maybe the exotic smell of the soup all at the right price is I believe some of the reasons that makes this restaurant stand the test of time.

Here are also some of the many reviews you can find circulating the internet:



 

Masuki Mami House
931 Benavidez St., Binondo Manila
Tel: (02) 2432674

Other branches:

2nd floor Sekai Center, Ortigas corner Madison Street, San Juan City
Tel: 744-2720

Mall of Asia, Main Mall North Wing

Here are other pictures of their interior:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/16592733613/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17187002066/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17211267112/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17186993316/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131835579@N04/17005501417/

 

Lan Zhou La Mien: Big Bowl Noodles at Affordable Prices

Lan Zhou La Mien is one of the most famous noodle restaurants in Binondo. Known for its hand pulled noodles and huge serving of dumplings, this is one of the restaurants in Binondo you definitely have to try.

Lan Zhou La Mien
Locations:
1354 Benavidez St, Binondo, Manila (infront of Citibank)
499 San Fernando Street, Binondo, Manila
1354 Masangkay St, Sta. Cruz, Manila (directly infront of Metropolitan Hospital)
Tel: 559 9466

Lan Zhou La Mien - Benavidez Branch

Here is their menu, you can notice that all their foods are below 200 pesos.

What's more, their servings are huge. One order of their noodles is often enough for anyone. I ordered Chicken Kan Pan Mien. Basically it's chicken noodles with special sauce but with the soup served separately.

Chicken Kan Pan Mien

For those who want additional flavor in their noodles.

Condiments - I usually put a lot of spring onion into my soup.

16 pcs Dumplings

All these dumplings for just 160 pesos (as of 4/16/2015).

Overall, it's hard to be disappointed to eat at Lan Zhou La Mien especially if it's your first time. With their huge servings at affordable price, you'll leave their restaurant feeling satisfied. Personally, I really like their Kan Pan Mien, Beef Lamien, Steam Dumplings and Lamien Guisado.

Lan Zhou La Mien
Locations:
1354 Benavidez St, Binondo, Manila (infront of Citibank)
499 San Fernando Street, Binondo, Manila
1354 Masangkay St, Sta. Cruz, Manila (directly infront of Metropolitan Hospital)
Tel: 559 9466

Pasig Ferry, the coolest way to Binondo

Update: Regarding the smell, There is unfortunately a smell at Escolta terminal (not in Guadalupe Terminal) which you'll most likely notice if you stay there while waiting. My advise is to only stay there a few minutes before the ferry leaves or use the Guadalupe to Boni Route for a stench free experience.

One of the most common complaints of those who are going to Binondo is the constant heavy traffic. No matter which way you go using land transportation, it really takes a while just to get to the main streets of Binondo such as Ongpin and Juan Luna. Base from my experiences (year 2013-2015), it usually takes me on average 1-2 hours to reach the end of Jones Bridge by car or by public transportation. But what if there was a better way to get to Binondo with less hassle and more fun? The answer came to me while I was returning home from Guadalupe EDSA and saw a little ferry that came from terminal for the Pasig Ferry.

MMDA Pasig Ferry
Schedule: Monday - Saturday, Departure time differs per terminal but has 1 hour interval.

View from Gateway Condo, Guadalupe

I would like give thanks to my friends Jersey and Sharon for letting me take a picture from their unit.

I was curious if the people in the ferry were tourists so I decided to take a look.

Pasig Ferry Guadalupe Terminal Fares

I was surprised to find out that there was something like this, a ferry that can take you to different places along Pasig River and one of the destination was ESCOLTA (near the famous Savory Chicken Restaurant, and also the end of Jones Bridge). There is a ferry that departs every hour starting from 6:30am in the morning until 4:30pm in the afternoon, Mondays to Fridays. I actually arrived just after the ferry left but I decided to wait and take the next trip.

My Ticket

Inside the terminal

The inside of the terminal is actually pretty hot and with little ventilation, so I suggest coming here around 15 minutes before the scheduled departure if you want to avoid the heat especially during afternoons (Note: My experience here is at Guadalupe Terminal).

A few minutes before 2:30pm, we were called to board the ferry.  

Here we go!!

Guadalupe Bridge

Tivoli Gardens

Swimming Kids

2nd Stop: Sta. Ana Terminal

Lambingan Terminal: Couple's Destination

3rd Stop: PUP Terminal

Federal Land Condominiums

Binondo Skyline?

Manila Post Office

FEATI University

Final Destination: Escolta Terminal

Escolta Terminal

Escolta Terminal

After you exit the Escolta Terminal, turn left and go up the bridge and you'll see this:

Welcome to Manila Chinatown!

The traffic you won't need to experience, thanks to Pasig River

Overall, the trip was really fun, somewhat relaxing and FAST. The entire trip only took around 40 mins instead of the usual 1-2 hour trip (We left Guadalupe Terminal around 2 30 pm and reached Escolta around 3:10pm). I saw a lot of new view of places such as Binondo, Malate and Mandaluyong. You can even see a complete view of Malacañang Palace, the only sad thing is that you can’t take a picture while in the area, not unless you want to be questioned by the accompanying coast guard haha.
In terms of smell of the river, I wasn’t able to notice any but if ever my nose let me down during the trip, please do let me know to help inform the others.

The Pasig Ferry is open during Mondays to
Fridays Saturdays. The ferry from Guadalupe Terminal leaves every hour starting 6:30am in the morning until 4:30pm in the afternoon, this is going to Escolta. As for the Escolta Terminal, the ferry leaves every hour starting 6:30am in the morning until
4:155:30pm in the afternoon. This is as of April 4, 2015. They might change their prices and schedule without prior notice, but I will do my best to keep the information as updated as possible. Too bad they aren't open until the evening and weekends to cater those who have work during the weekdays.

MMDA Pasig Ferry
Schedule: Monday - Saturday, Departure time differs per terminal but has 1 hour interval.
Stations:

#	Station	Location
1	Plaza Mexico	Intramuros, Manila
2	Escolta	Binondo, Manila
3	PUP (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)	Santa Mesa, Manila
4	Santa Ana	Santa Ana, Manila
5	Guadalupe	Barangay Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City
6	San Joaquin	Barangay San Joaquin, Pasig City
7	Pinagbuhatan - Acasia	Barangay Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City

Apologies for some blurry pictures, the sun was too strong that it affected the lighting. I will also update this in the future once I obtain more information like the contact numbers of each terminal.