MANILA EXPLORED PART 1

This will be a three-part-or-so- chronicles of my extraordinary Sunday afternoon spent in OLD Manila for few hours…

Late this morning, after reading the Sunday’s broadsheets, I felt terribly bored and wanted to do something outside the comforts of home.  So I told my wife Tina and my son Gabby that I needed to go out for a few hours to spend time with myself.  It was a perfect timing since she, on the otherhand, didn’t like to go somewhere today, for no reason but to rest and enjoy the weekend.  

I think it’s healthy for our own stomach soul if we find time, even once a week, to spend a part of our day alone.  Magmuni-muni ba…  And so I took a train LRT line 2 ride from our place in Quezon City and headed to Recto station.   I just needed to do something as a break from my usual weekday activity, as tomorrow Monday will be a new start of  another work week… I knew I had to, ehem, hmmm.. eat something uncommon from my daily diet. LOL… So I went to Binondo, Manila and finally found the best kuchay dumplings in Yuchengco Street, that’s the first street on the left, after few steps from Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Lorenzo Ruiz  a.k.a.  Binondo Church.  The small comfort food place is known as DONG BEI DUMPLING…  

 

Have you tasted any kuchay dumplings ?

Are you familiar with kuchay or CHIVES ?  Here’s how it looks like and its difference from spring onions…

CHIVES / KUCHAY                                                       SPRING ONIONS

 

As sourced from Vegetarianism & Vegetarian Nutrition :
“Chives have similar properties to other allium vegetables, except that chives are milder, since they have fewer sulfur compounds. While garlic or onions are well documented to possess anticancer, anticlotting, hypolipidemic, antibacterial, antiviral, and decongestant properties, chives could be expected to possess similar, but substantially attenuated, characteristics.

Population studies have shown that a higher intake of allium vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of several types of cancers. The organosulfur compounds they contain inhibit tumor growth and cell proliferation, and arrest the cell cycle in tumor cells. Allium vegetables, including chives, especially have a protective effect against both esophageal and stomach cancer as well as prostate cancer. The highest antioxidant activity in chives is observed in the leaves, which are also rich in flavonoids.

There are no side effects or dangers from the use of chives. However, large quantities may cause stomach irritation.”

And so these are the kuchay dumplings from DONG BEI DUMPLING…The wrappers have that soft chewy consistency and the stuffings were so tasty! sarapppp!!!

 

I’ve tasted this kind from other chinese restaurant in a mall before, but IMO, the DONG BEI kuchay dumplings do not have that overpowering-taste, neither it has aftertaste.

Their dumplings are freshly made upon order. The thin dumpling wrappers are of special recipe made from scratch using flour that became dough in a matter of seconds, prepared in front of customers.  The friendly service crew of that small air-conditioned food haven were so accomodating and allowed me to take photos of them while doing my order…

Here’s DONG BEI DUMPLINGS menu simply posted on one of the walls covering their small kitchen…

The kutchay dumplings are best when dipped in their soy and chili sauce… I finished a plate of 10 assorted dumplings (5 kuchay, 2 pork, 3 shrimp+kuchay) for PhP 100.  I had another order for my take-away/to-go/take-out/take-home for my wife……   Burp!

  

Now I’m confident to say that I’ve tasted one of the best dumplings in Manila. The kuchay dumplings of Dong Bei is really one of the many reasons why a trip to Binondo is really worth it.

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