11 Incredible Chinese Dishes To Feast On Without Having To Travel To Binondo

Binondo may be considered the best place to eat Chinese food in the metro, but come Chinese New Year, the oldest Chinatown in the world will surely be jam-packed with festivities everywhere, making it almost impossible to enjoy your usual go-to Binondo food spot. Luckily, Metro Manila is dotted with lots of incredible Chinese restaurants that can satisfy your every craving, whether it be Cantonese, Szechuan, Shanghai cuisine, and everything in between. Here are our top 11 picks for Chinese dishes not be missed during this Chinese New Year or actually, any day of the year.

 

 

1. Paradise Dynasty’s Poached Beef in Szechuan Chili Oil

Branches in S Maison, Conrad Manila, Pasay City; SM Aura, BGC; The Podium Mall, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, paradisedynasty.ph

 

Overwhelmingly redolent with spices and peppers that Szechuan province is famous for, Paradise Dynasty’s Poached Beef in Chili Oil is worth the tongue-burning, eye-watering savory sensation. If you prefer a lighter option, the dish is also available with fish as the main protein.   

 

2. Steamed Fortune Bags by China Mommy

For orders, call (0917) 514-8540 or send a DM via Instagram
 

Photo by Pat Buenaobra

 

Greet the Chinese New Year auspiciously with Steamed Fortune Bags prepared with love and so much flavor by China Mommy. She stuffs minced pork, scallops, mushrooms, and vegetables inside bean curd pouches shaped like money bags, then steams then until ready. Available in 12 or 24 pieces, these babies are also offered with a vegetarian option.

 

3. Long Life Prawns at Red Jade

G/F Manila Hotel, One Rizal Park, Manila, (02) 527-0011, manila-hotel.com.ph

Manila Hotel’s Chinese outlet, Red Jade, is a culinary gem outside the confines of nearby Binondo. The place exudes high-class appeal matched by an impressive menu encompassing many traditional Chinese dishes. Our favorite though is the Long Life Prawns, a seafood entrée that’s amazing in texture and a delight to the taste buds. That’s because you just can’t get enough of the plumpish sweet prawn meat skillfully wrapped with crispy fried noodles. 

 

 

4. Xiù Fine Cantonese Dining’s Honey-glazed Prime Cut Char Siu

115 Connecticut Street, Northeast Greenhills, San Juan City, (02) 650-7189, (0947) 707-0228, xiu.com.ph

Photo courtesy of Instagram @xiuph

If roasts are a standard in Chinese fine dining, Xiù surely raises the bar high with its Honey-glazed Prime Cut Char Siu. That’s because the restaurant takes pride in using only prized pork collar, which is known to have fantastic marbling, or rather an excellent fat-meat ratio, making each honey-glazed bite not just tender but explosively flavorful.    

 

5. Giant Tang Bao by Bai Nian Tang Bao

G/F Uptown Parade, 9th Avenue corner 38th Street, Bonifacio Global City, (02) 246-9069 ext. 13, IG @bainiantangbaoph

Photo courtesy of Instagram @bainiantangbaoph

 

Every time we bite into a xiao long bao or soup dumpling, it’s a blissful routine—from the careful chopstick pick-up to avoid bursting the delicate skin, to gently piercing a hole to take a sip of the broth, up to our most favorite part: adding a dash of soy-vinegar dip plus a few thin strands of pickled ginger before taking that magical bite. So imagine doing it with a ginormous xiao long bao, the size of the dim sum basket itself! If you’re up to the challenge, then head to Bai Nian Tang Bao and order the Giant Tang Bao. 

 

 

6. Stuffed Suckling Pig with Dried Shrimp and Taro Fried Rice at Canton Road

3/F Shangri-La at The Fort, 30th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, (02) 820-0888

Because this coming CNY is the Year of The Pig, it may be just fitting to have the best pork you can find on the menu. To make your family celebration truly a feast to remember, order the Stuffed Suckling Pig from Canton Road in Shangri-La at the Fort. An absolute crowd pleaser, this oven-roasted masterpiece is cooked to perfection—from the super crispy skin and tender meat down to its flavorful dried shrimp and taro rice stuffing.

 

7. Mien San’s Chilled Tofu with Century Eggs

Branches in 42 Granada Street, Brgy. Valencia, Quezon City and Fox Square Building, 53 Connecticut Street, Greenhills, San Juan

Photo by Angeli De Rivera

For its Tofu with Century Egg starter, Mien San Noodle House uses the silkiest block of tofu that’s been sliced into thin squares, then topped with pork floss and chopped spring onions. Afterwards, it’s doused with a secret soy-vinegar-sesame oil dressing and finished off with pieces of century egg, so every silky-smooth serving of tofu has an addictingly pungent and creamy aftertaste.      

 

8. The Modern Dim Sum Menu at China Blue by Jeremy Leung

3/F Conrad Hotel, Seaside Boulevard corner Coral Way, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City, (02) 833-9999

While regular items like hakaw, siopao, and siomai can satisfy our dim sum cravings any time of the year, for CNY, why not take it up a notch with the gourmet dim sum selection at China Blue by Jeremy Leung? Here, you can indulge in exclusive offerings like the House Specialty Black Gold Custard Buns filled with Creamy Salted Egg Sauce or the Luxurious Steamed Truffle Mushroom Buns. Don’t forget to try the deluxe dim sum series as well, which includes Steamed Chicken Dumpling filled with Lobster Consommé or Steamed Glutinous Black Rice with Abalone and Chicken Wrapped in Lotus Leaf.

 

9. Crab Vermicelli by Ley’s Kitchen

For orders, call Ley’s Kitchen at (02) 216-0989, (0917) 848-6889 or send a DM via Instagram

Photo courtesy of Instagram @leys_kitchen

 

As they say, eat noodles for long life. And what better way to enjoy and follow through with that custom than with Crab Sotanghon from Ley’s Kitchen! Each strand is flavored with broth made from the steamed crabs, a special light soy sauce, aromatics, and other secret spices.  

 

10. Affordable Hawker Food Eats by Hawker Chan

Branches in G/F Entertainment Mall, Mall of Asia, Pasay City and UG/F City Center, SM North, Quezon City

Enjoy the CNY festivities with the Manila branch of the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred establishment, Hawker Chan, and get to experience good-tasting Chinese favorites without breaking the bank. From its signature Soya Sauce Chicken with Rice to the all-inclusive Any 3 Combination Platter, Hawker Chan will fix you good for the new year.    

 

11. Peking Duck by No. 8 China House

5/F Grand Hyatt Manila, 8th Avenue corner 35th Street, Bonifacio Global City, (02) 838-1234

Of course, no luxurious Chinese feast is without everyone’s favorite, Peking Duck. No. 8 China House does theirs exceptionally by cooking the ducks in a special wood-fired oven and using only locally-sourced mango wood to infuse its aroma into each roasted duck. The dish is then carved tableside, as it should be, then served with traditional condiments and fixings.   

 

Lead images from Hawker ChanPH  and @bainiantangbaoph