If you’re looking to add some incredibly yummy street food to your list of best foods to eat in Manila, then make sure these are at the top! Their kuchay (chive) dumplings are so delicious, they’ll have you fighting over the last one.

The historic district of Binondo

The Binondo neighbourhood of Manila is famed for being the oldest Chinatown in the world. Founded in 1594, this district has undergone many changes throughout the years. From small Chinese settlement to the centre of commerce and trade of Manila, one thing’s endured; the incredible street food that Binondo is known for.

The dumplings that originated in Dong Bei

About 20 years ago, a family moved from Dong Bei in northeastern China to Manila. In hopes of having a taste of home, they opened up a small shop selling what they knew how to make best, pork and chive dumplings.

Their plan was to have a small business sharing this local, traditional food with their community.

To their pleasant surprise, the chive and pork dumplings were a hit! Before long, their homemade and authentic dumplings became one of the most famous dumplings in Binondo.

Now, Dong Bei Dumpling is on every Manila street food tour and Binondo food trip list out there.

Full transparency of freshness

In China, it’s common for food to be made in the front of the shop, so that you can see the ingredients that are going into the food. Keeping with tradition, this is something Dong Bei Dumpling has implemented from the start. They make their dumplings by hand in a traditional way, fresh to order and with local ingredients.

How the best dumplings in Binondo are made

It all starts with a mixture of pork, onion and plenty of chives (kuchay). This is then generously packed inside a piece of circular, thin dough and sealed along one edge. The now chubby dumplings are immediately dropped into boiling water and left until they float to the top. With dumplings this fresh, they only take a few minutes to cook.

The secret, however, is adding in the pork mixture raw. This allows the meat to cook as it boils, releasing flavourful juices that are trapped inside the skin. The result is a dumpling so tasty and juicy, it practically melts in your mouth! If you’ve ever had a soup dumpling, you know what we’re talking about.

It’s time to eat, here comes the sauce

The dumplings are served with a delicious homemade sauce of garlic, vinegar and soy sauce. For those of you with taste buds that need an added kick, there’s also homemade chilli sauce on the side to bang them up a notch. Speaking from experience, you won’t need much of this to spice up your dumplings!

At the time of writing, there’s no area inside the shop to sit and eat. So, the best way to enjoy your dumplings is right there on the street.

What makes Dong Bei dumplings so special?

What has set Dong Bei Dumpling apart from competition over the years, is that the dumplings are made fresh to order with quality ingredients. Because of this, the dumpling is more delicate, the skin lighter and the meat juicier. Not to mention they’ve stuck to the same simple, delicious, authentic recipe that’s brought their customers back over and over again.

How to get there

Dong Bei Dumpling is located in the Binondo, Chinatown area of Manila, west of the Estero de la Reina. If you’re arriving from the east of Binondo, once you find Ongpin Street you’ll be at the heart of the neighbourhood.

Following Ongpin Street west across the Estero de la Reina bridge, you’ll come across Yuchengco Street, right after the ‘Shoppers’ Mart’ grocery store. Turn right on Yuchengco Street and follow the road almost to the end. Here, on the right, you’ll find Dong Bei Dumpling.

There’s no big fancy sign on the top of the shop, however, just a sign in the window as you walk by. This little establishment has kept itself humble despite its fame over the years, so if you don’t pay attention, you might walk right past it! Luckily, there will most likely be other hungry pedestrians looking for their dumpling fix, so follow the line of ravenous customers.

The best dumplings in Binondo

Eating at Dong Bei Dumpling is a must if you’re in the Binondo neighbourhood of Manila. No food trip in the city is complete without them. From the freshness of each dumpling to the quality ingredients used to make them, this is a place you can’t miss.

Name: Dong Bei Dumpling
Address: 642 Yuchengco St, Binondo, Manila, Metro Manila
what3words: ///gossip.sugars.outdoor
Price: ₱200/order (14 dumplings)

The post Dong Bei Dumpling: the Best Dumplings in Binondo, Manila appeared first on Hungry Two Travel.

This lively and historic district was set up across the river from Intramuros district back in the 16^th century, where all the wealthy colonial Spaniards resided at the time. This permanent settlement for the Chinese immigrants flourished, causing it to become the centre of commerce and trade in Manila by the 20^th century.

Chinatowns are known for being a hot spot of culture, commerce, and most especially food! Many things have changed over the years in here in Binondo. One thing that’s remained is that the locals know how to do street food right.

Enough chit chat! Ready to plan your own historic street food adventure through the oldest Chinatown in the world? Here’s your top 6 street foods to eat in Binondo Chinatown, Manila.

Fried Siopao

Siopao are a popular Chinese-influenced Filipino steamed bun, and the ones at Shanghai Fried Siopao in Binondo are worth the trip alone. The slightly sweet, fluffy buns are packed to the brim, full of tender ground pork, onion and chives. Once steamed, the cooked meat and veggies create an incredibly juicy bao.

What makes the ones here at Shanghai Fried Siopao extra tasty and unique is that they’re steamed in oil. They end up coming out slightly fried and crispy on the bottom, while still pillowy, soft and extremely juicy throughout.

Quite different from your typical steamed bun, we had to try two just to be sure of how good they were.

Made and cooked in their small shop right along the busy Ongpin Street, these fried siopao have been a staple of Chinatown for many years. The siopao are bought up as soon as they come out of the steamer, satisfying the line-up of hungry customers. So, whenever you stop by, you’re guaranteed to get one that’s piping hot and fresh.

Name: Shanghai Fried Siopao
Address: 828 Ongpin St, Santa Cruz, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
what3words: ///sour.lost.trucked
Price: ₱35

Kuchay Ah Pie

Next up on the list is kuchay ah pie, a fried pastry that looks similar to an empanada. They get their name from the prominent flavour of chives, which is kuchay in Filipino.

These little meat pies are made of a flaky pastry that’s so rich it’s almost buttery, and because they’re fried and not baked, they’re extra crispy. The pie is stuffed full of pork, tofu, chives, turnips and carrots, married in a savoury yet slightly sweet gravy.

We couldn’t believe how heavy and packed full they were. So much so they resembled more of a ball than a pie!

The best place to try these is at Quik Snack. They do a number of different Chinese-Filipino dishes here, but they’re especially known for their pies, with the kuchay ah being their number one.

Name: Quik Snack
Address: HXXG+R5X, Carvajal St, Binondo, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
what3words: ///shut.pretty.infuses
Price: ₱65

Pork and Chive Dumplings

An absolute must eat street food in Binondo Chinatown is the pork and chive dumplings at Dong Bei Dumpling.

Thin dumpling skin is loaded with a mixture of pork, onions and plenty of chives. Immediately after being made by hand, they’re boiled until they float. The dumplings come out so full of flavour and juicy, they literally melt in your mouth. So much so they boarder on soup dumplings!

They’re served with a special homemade garlic-vinegar-soy sauce mixture, with a spicy chilli sauce on the side for an added kick. This is some spicy sauce, so if you like your tongue on fire, we highly recommend it.

What sets Dong Bei apart is that the dumplings here are made fresh to order with quality ingredients. You won’t find anything frozen around here, and as far as we’re concerned, it really doesn’t get any better than that.

Name: Dong Bei Dumpling
Address: 642 Yuchengco St, Binondo, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
what3words: ///gossip.sugars.outdoor
Price: ₱200/order (14 dumplings)

Hand Pulled Noodles

This delicious looking bowl of fresh hand pulled noodles can be found at a fantastic place just on the outskirts of Binondo. At Lan Zhou La Mian, they pull their noodles fresh to order, right at the front of the shop so you can see the chefs in action as they prepare your meal.

We don’t know about you, but hand pulled noodles always hit that little bit different for us. Dunked in boiling hot water, they only take 15 seconds to cook. The freshness can be tasted in the texture of the noodles, which are just that bit firmer and chewier than others.

There’s a number of different noodle soups to choose from, but we recommend the beef lamien. Full of tender beef, bok choy, scallions and carrots in a hearty, beefy broth, you won’t believe how generous they are with the noodles!

Each table is ready to go with a massive bowl of scallions and sauces for you to add, dependant on your tastes.

Name: 兰州拉面 Lan Zhou La Mian
Address: 1356 Masangkay St, 262 Zone 24 Tondo, Manila, Philippines
what3words: ///memory.shams.penny
Price: ₱280

Hopia

These little pucks are hopia, one of the most popular pastries found throughout Binondo.

This traditional pastry is full of thick mung bean paste inside a thin pastry shell. The soft textured pastry can be flavoured with a number of different tastes, but the local favourite is ube, purple yam.

Eng Bee Tin opened up in 1912 and were the first to introduce ube jam into the traditional hopia in the 1980’s, as a way to revitalise a once dying business. The vibrant purple colour stood out amongst all the others, bringing them to fame in no time. Now with multiple stores throughout Binondo, tasting their hopia and Chinese-Filipino pastries is a must.

We decided to the best way to taste hopia was to go for both the original and ube.

The ube has a distinct sweet jam taste to it that’s perfect if you have a sweet tooth. If you’re not a massive sweet fan, then go for the original. Nice and pasty, these taste more like a sweet white bean than anything else. The hopia come in packs of four, which is a pretty good deal for what you pay for.

Many shops around Binondo sell hopia, so have a wander around if you want to taste the different ones of this historic Chinatown.

Name: Eng Bee Tin
Address: 628 Ongpin St, Binondo, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
what3words: ///senses.minder.solder
Price: ₱50-56

Ube Bubble Milk Tea

When exploring Binondo in Manila, you’ll definitely need to cool down at some point, trust us!

We love a good bubble tea, and luckily right next door to Eng Bee Tin (the flagship location) is where you can find the best ube bubble milk tea.

With a taste similar to taro, their ube milk tea is creamy, cold and mildly sweet with a strong ube flavour that’s oh so refreshing. Not to mention the tapioca pearls are fresh, chewy and delicious. You’re gonna find it hard to resist anything ube flavoured from now on! It’s definitely become our new go-to favourite.

Name: Tea Brothers
Address: 628 Ongpin St, Binondo, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
what3words: ///they.evolving.chambers
Price: ₱95

Some of the best street food to eat in Manila can be found in Binondo Chinatown. As the oldest Chinatown in the world, you’ll find loads of popular Chinese-Filipino foods as you wander the streets of Ongpin and the Binondo neighbourhood.

We hope this list of the top 6 street foods to eat in Binondo Chinatown, Manila will get you well on your way to trying some of the best Filipino food in Manila.

Check out our video below trying the top 6 street foods to eat in Binondo Chinatown, Manila.

The post Top 6 Street Foods to Eat in Binondo Chinatown, Manila appeared first on Hungry Two Travel.

What exactly are khinkali, and why are they so loved?

Khinkali are considered the most popular Georgian food and one of the national dishes of the country. Khinkali are so popular they can be found in almost every restaurant in the country. They’re a type of extra-large dumpling that’s chock full of meat and spices, creating a rich soup inside the dumpling. Georgian soup dumplings are differentiated by their plaited knobs of dough and giant size. They’re incredibly hearty, absolutely massive, full of flavour, and are not to be underestimated.

What are Georgian soup dumplings made of?

In order to make the perfect soup dumpling, the raw meat filling of lamb, pork, beef, or a combination of the last two, is formed into a ball and surrounded by raw dough. Each dumpling is sealed tight with a decent sized knob of dough left on the top. We’ll get to its purpose later.

The dumpling is usually boiled or fried, and as the meat is cooked inside, this is when the magic happens. All the juice released from the meat and flavour of the spices is trapped inside the dumpling. This creates a rich and delicious soup inside the dumpling which the meat sits in, hence the name, soup dumpling!

The best part of khinkali, the soup

Extremely important and the number one takeaway if you get anything from reading this, is that the soup inside the dumpling is the most precious part! You have to be extra careful how you eat khinkali and make sure that you do it the proper way. If not, you’ll lose your soup and most definitely get looked down upon by the local Georgians around you.

The most functional part of khinkali, the tail

The top of the dumpling where the pleats meet is often called the ‘tail’ and is a large knob of dough sticking out the top. This part is the most helpful and functional part of the dumpling when it comes to eating. It acts as your ‘handle’ for holding onto so that you can be sure not to lose any precious soup. The tail is also quite tough and unappetizing, so make sure you don’t eat it! It’s strictly for functional purposes only and keeping track of who’s eating the most.

It’s eatin’ time; how to eat khinkali

How do you eat Georgian soup dumplings, you ask? The proper etiquette is to grab your khinkali by the tail with your bare hands and turn it upside down. Then, carefully pierce the top side of it with your teeth and make a small hole.

From the hole, slowly sip out the hot, rich soup. Do this without the dumpling bursting open or spilling and getting all over the place!

Once the soup has been devoured you can easily nibble around now and eat the dumpling and juicy meat inside.

The use of any utensil is highly advised against. Doing so in any way would pierce the dumpling on your plate, and in absolute horror, you’d lose your precious soup before getting the slightest chance to enjoy it.

Khinkali of all sorts of shapes and sizes

Depending on the region of Georgia you’re in, you’ll get khinkali with a different variety of spices and fillings. Some of the most popular are khevsuruli khinkali, which have onions, salt, cumin, and chili pepper, and kalakuri khinkali, which is the more modern recipe and uses the same spices as khevsuruli, but with the addition of herbs such as parsley and cilantro (coriander).

Some even more modern versions of khinkali do away with meat all together. These have fillings of imeretian and cottage cheeses, mushrooms, mashed potato, and even a potato cheese mix. For those looking for something crispier, there’s also deep fried khinkali. These are one of our favourites, although they’re a little harder to come by.

We even came across a khinkali soup with teeny tiny khinkali floating in the broth. So, whatever you fancy, there’s a wide range of khinkali for any taste and palate. Even if you’re vegetarian, there’s something for everyone.

How to order

When out at a restaurant looking to get your khinkali fix, it’s important to note that one order typically means five or more of whichever type you’re looking to get. This is the case in most restaurants. Only one or two of all the places we tried allowed you to order them by piece. Something to consider when choosing the type you want, since an order of five is actually quite a decent meal considering the size of them!

If you’re interested in seeing first-hand the best way to eat these little beasts without leaking soup on your plate, or all over yourself, then please watch the video below. We try a few different kinds of these delicious soup dumplings and get to experience true Georgian cooking.

The post How to Eat Khinkali, the Most Popular Georgian Dish of Massive Soup Dumplings appeared first on Hungry Two Travel.