Wanderlust Week #2 - Binondo Plus!

Another tick off my 25 things list last week. Yay! Last Saturday, I was with my high school friends for another wanderlust day. It was actually my idea to go on a Binondo food trip since I have never been there and I heard the food was simply irresistible. My friends gladly obliged since they too wanted to take part in my little adventure. We met at Carriedo LRT Station since it was the most accessible place for all of us. We just walked our way towards Ongpin Street and wandered around Binondo using our trusty Google maps as our guide. I made a lot of research prior to our trip and I narrowed 7 places that we should go to. Unfortunately, we only got to visit 6 places because of lack of time. But, as I always say, it's all goooood.

The entire trip consisted of the following food stalls/restaurants: Fried Siopao - Wai Ying Fastfood - Cafe Mezzanine - Carvajal Street - Sincerity Restaurant - Estero area. 

Top L-R: Shanghai Fried Siopao, Masuki, Wai ying Fastfood;
Middle L-R: the busy street of  Benavidez, Chinatown Welcome Banner, Cafe Mezzanine;
Bottom L-R: Carvajal Street, Spa-la-la (I love the name of the store!), the homey street light of Binondo

Fried siopao madness. The fried siopao was surprisingly good!
At 16php, we had our tummies giddy for more.

We then walked towards Wai Ying fastfood where you can reportedly find the best Nai Cha. Indeed, their Nai Cha did not disappoint. We also ordered other sumptuous meals such as Shrimp Chong Fan, Curry Beef Siomai, and Hakaw. I personally loved their Hakaw and their Curry Beef Siomai was surprisingly good. I never thought you could mix curry and siomai in one dish! Soooo good.

Clockwise from top left: the famous Wai ying Nai Cha, Curry Beef Siomai,
Shrimp Chong Fan, and Hakaw, my personal favorite!

We then walked ahead and went to look for the Estero but ended up instead in Cafe Mezzanine where my good friend, Gilson, and I tried their Moon Cake with 2 eggs. It was my first time to try a moon cake and the taste was indescribable. There was a surprise egg in the center which contributed to the sweet-salty ensemble of the cake. Delicioso! 

The intricate design of this mooncake made it more special.

Our next stop was Sincerity restaurant but on our way there, we sidetracked towards Carvajal street since the lights and the colorful decors were amazing to behold, attracting all of us to just pass by there. The place was about to close though and so we did not get to see the colorful fruit and vegetable stands. We finally arrived at Sincerity restaurant and ordered their famous Sincerity Chicken. It was pretty okay. My gustatory receptors were not that exceptionally impressed though.

Sincerity Chicken (L) and Spicy Fried Frog Legs (R).

Our last stop was the Estero where the (in)famous Spicy Fried Frog Legs were old at a meager price of 110php for sharing. I must admit the thought of eating frogs appalled me but then again, I am advocating a YOLO life so I went for it. Besides, I searched the internet for any casualties regarding their Frog Legs but I haven't seen any reports of it. Haha! Sigurista, teh! So it came to me as a surprise that frog meat actually tastes like chicken but has the consistency/texture of fish meat. It was not that bad after all. In fact, I would not hesitate to eat it again the next time we  get to visit Binondo.

At Wai ying Fastfood. From L-R: Gilson, Luisa, me, Maymay, Edward

We were all full after the food trip. But the night didn't end there. We traversed the Manila road from Binondo to Quiapo to get our dose of card reading ("hula") with Madame Remy. For my hula, Madame Remy said I love to travel and that that is my number 1 passion right now. With regards to my love life, there are problems here and there that need to be solved. I will be a milyonarya someday and that I shall have 2 kids. I will also be receiving a special surprise within 2 weeks. Ain't that awesome? Haha! I love the milyonarya part. I didn't get to take a picture of myself though. Instead, I took pictures of my boys killing it with Madame Remy. Edward, in particular, dropped some awesome questions. And Madame Remy's favorite word: MAAARI. Hahaha! Whatta fortune teller!

Left: The busy road from Ongpin to Quiapo. Right: Gilson and Edward getthing their hula with Madame Remy.

Our last stop was at the Ayala Triangle Gardens where we get to experience the Lights and Sounds Show. This is a daily show held at ATG Makati City every 6:00-9:00 PM and is being brought to the audience by Ayala Land and Makati Tourism. The show started last November 16 and will be continuing its magical spectacle until the end of December. I love the concept of lights and music being merged into one pro bono show. The entire show was masterfully invented and skillfully executed. It was for me a brilliant way to cap the night! 

Pardon the blurry picture. You've got to see it in person to appreciate it, I guess.
But ain't the lights lovely? (:

L-R: Sean, Maymay, Gilson, me.

My good friend Luisa was not around for the show but another friend came, my BFF, Sean, with whom I bestow the nickname vayets/vayetch. A quick trip to KFC and a little chat with my high school friends made this trip very memorable. Once again, the Jo(e)vialist in me is giddy and another YOLO moment was conquered!