Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown in the city of Manila, is a famous destination for food! For this trip, my friends and I hit some of the lesser-known spots. Not to say that they aren’t popular, but they’re not usually in the must-visit lists you see from most food vloggers.

Pares ni Lakay

My friend shared a Tiktok video of the Top 5 Pares places in Manila, and this was in that list. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of Pares because I feel like as a dish, it can be a bit too mushy – with the stickly/oily soup base and the chewy tendon or beef strips. What makes Pares ni Lakay unique is the Lechon Pares – which I really think completes Pares as a dish – a crispy bite of salty, fatty, pork.

This is truly a hole-in-the-wall place, it’s as humble as it gets! The lechon kawali really stood out for me. The pares itself was garlicky, and so was the garlic rice (duh). All-in-all, it was worth a try, although I don’t think it’s something you go all the way to Binondo for. But if you’re already there – sure, go ahead and check it out!

Location: 215 San Vicente St, Binondo, Manila, 1006 Metro Manila

1919 Grand Cafe

Our next stop was supposed to be a dimsum place (which I’ll talk about later in this post) but because of the long queue, we decided to first get coffee after we had our name listed. 1919 Grand Cafe is a hidden gem! Tucked at the end of Binondo, near the Pasig River, it is located at the very old HSBC building built back in 1919!

As you enter, it feels like getting transported back in time. The inside looks grand and expensive but don’t be intimidated – the price of their food and drinks are actually quite reasonable. We ordered 2 cakes and coffee and they were all very good! We were pleasantly surprised by the serving size and the little touches (like a free cookie that goes with the coffee) that complete the “grand” experience.

I definitely recommend this cafe – maybe we’ll try out their proper food next time. We had a queue in the next spot so we headed back after spending about 30 minutes here.

Location: 117 Juan Luna St, Binondo, Manila, 1006 Metro Manila

Ying Ying Tea House

Little did we know that this was going to be our final stop for this trip because we were already very, very full. Ying Ying Tea House is one of the must-try Chinese restaurants in Binondo. It’s not as hyped as Wai Ying (the more famous rival perhaps), but I was really surprised that the line was also quite long here! We got back just in time for our names to be called!

Since we were already quite full, we just ordered a few of their dimsums.

The siomai is exactly how I remember it to be – very juicy and flavorful. There’s a bite that you don’t get in other regular siomai in the metro. The xiao long bao’s casing was quite thick and it no longer had any soup inside, so it was a bit of a disappointment. The hakaw also had a thick wrap, but the shrimp inside was full of flavor. The bean curd roll was a recommendation so we tried it as well, and I liked it, too. Except for the xiao long bao, which has its own sauce, the rest is best paired with their home-made chili sauce and soy sauce. We were quite full so we had a hard time finishing our order, but thinking about it now, my mouth is actually watering again.

Because of the spicy chili, we also had to order a drink and went with the Black Gulaman. That thing is huge so you can actually split it with someone if you don’t want to get too full.

Location: 233-235 Yuchengco St, Binondo, Manila, 1006 Metro Manila

The end…for now

We wanted to try more food, but we just couldn’t anymore so we ended up going home after walking around a bit! Do you have any recommendations in Binondo? Let me know in the comments below so that we can try it on our next visit!