Around Chinatown in One Afternoon!

When I was a college student in Manila way back in the late 1980s, I would usually spend my vacant hours strolling along Recto Avenue hunting for old books or just browsing in the Filipiniana section of National Bookstore beside Orient Pearl department store. Afterwards, I would usually walk towards Quiapo or Avenida Rizal, sometimes as far as Aranque (where I wondered at the display of exotic pets),Binondo (the dimsums!), and Divisoria(the bargains!).

Now bitten by nostalgia, I decided to spend my whole afternoon today in the places of my youthful years. My Recto, my Avenida, my Binondo, and my Divisoria.
I arrived in Recto about a quarter past 1 pm. It was a pleasant cloudy afternoon, somewhat cooler than the usual hot temperature of afternoon in the city. It is something that you feel before a drizzle.

Kalesa terminal in Binondo. Some Filipinos thought that riding Kalesa is an expensive way to transport in Manila, but I think it is cheaper than a taxi-ride, since an hour of ride costs only 100 pesos compared to taxi's 150.

The Tutuban Center Mall used to be the central train station of the Manila-Dagupan Railway of the American period.

A few minutes later it began to rain. It was a sudden downpour, and it suddenly stopped, too, about five minutes later.

Then I headed over to Juan Luna St. Formerly known as Kalye Anloague, this old street was mentioned in the Noli Me Tangere of Rizal as the street where Kapitan Tiago's mansion was located. Hhmmmm. It feels great to be walking on the street once traversed by Don Crisostomo Ibarra and Senorita Maria Clara.

At the junction of Juan Luna(Anloague) and Rosario Street (now Quintin Paredes St.), is the magnificent Binondo Church. This must have been the Church where Kapitan Tiago's family heard mass every Sunday.

I then strolled towards Chinatown...in Ongpin St. This is the welcome arch of the Manila Chinatown.

Eng Bee Tin is my favorite hopia shop in Chinatown. I have been eating its delicious hopia and tikoy for as long as I can remember it. My father, who worked in Chinatown as building contractor during the 1970s and 80s, would usually have Eng Bee Tin sweets as pasalubong to us.

This is Mr. Peter Ong, a friend of my father's and the manager of Eng Bee Tin. He is a hands-on manager, making sure that customers are relaxed and get what they need immediately. Here he acquisced with my request that he posed with his display of Tikoy and Moon Cake.

Dee Lam Records is the place where I buy my favorite Chinese and Cantonese Cds. My favorite singers are Jackie Chan(yes, indeed, he is a great singer and has won the equivalent of Grammy Awards in Tokyo), and Teresa Teng.

Of course, I would not just stroll along Ongpin. Eating is my favorite hobby, and in Ongpin one of the best places to eat Chinese foods is Cheng Kuan Restaurant, which is just beside the Binondo Church.
Whenever I dine here, I always order only two things: Gokong and Kiampong. Gokong is a meat and pork innard stew mixed with abalone and mushrooms. It is a very aromatic dish and is the restaurant's specialty. Price is 90 pesos per order. Kiampong is a steamed fried rice mixed with generous fillings of pork meat (price is 24 per order). It is just like machang...the Chinese way of preparing Arroz Valenciana.

Hmmmm...This is really great. Whenever I eat in a Chinese restaurant, I make it a point to eat the Chinese way:Chopsticks!. When in Rome, do as the Romans do! When in Chinatown, do as the Tsinoys do! Hehe. I feel like I'm King Jung Jong here, the King in the popular Korean soap opera Jewel in the Palace. Hmmm.... napakasarap nito Jang Geum....ano bang pampalasa ang ginamit mo dito?

But if you came to Chinatown to taste the best pancit in town, then you should enter this place: Manosa, one of the best in the pancit-cooking business. Also great to try for pancit is the nearby Ramon Lee Restaurant, which also serves the best fried chicken in Ongpin. Both restaurants offer very reasonable prices for a sumptuous meal.

The Arch of Goodwill that serves as another entrance to Chinatown. On the background is the Sta. Cruz Church.

If you have not been to Chinatown but this street looks somewhat familiar to you, then you must have watched the movie "Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag" by Lino Brocka. In the movie, this is the street where Chua Tek Trading was located, the place being spied upon by Bembol Rocco to look for his girlfriend.

Afterwards, I went over to Avenida Rizal to ride the LRT to head back to home. This is the Avenida near Carriedo St. 4:35 pm.

I debarked from the LRT at the Blumentritt Station. This is the Palengke Obrero. This shot was taken from the LRT station.

See, I can travel all of Chinatown in just one afternoon. I don't feel tired. The entire tour is relaxing and rejuvenating. So fellow Pinoys, before dreaming of Paris, New York, or London, why don't you try a tour of nearby Manila. This is where our heart is....Our Manila.