Almost 10 years ago, my husband and I had lunch with Don Jaime Sumulong (now deceased) and his equally good-looking son Edward, Dr. James Dy, and Mr. Ong, at the Pacific Centre in Binondo, Manila. The restaurant served unlimited dimsum buffet every weekend.
Since then on, everytime the topic of dimsum came up, we would tell our children, “oh there’s this dimsum buffet in Ongpin, we’ll go there”. We never got the chance or time to go to that restaurant. Ongpin is an hour drive from our area or two hours during weekdays and schooldays. Distance wise it’s no more than 20 kilometers but the traffic could be troublesome.
But last Sunday, at last, we went back to that restaurant. And guess what, ALAS, it’s no longer there. The place now looked different. My daughter was annoyed by us, 10 years have passed and we didn’t google first if the restaurant still existed.
We ended up in another restaurant along Ongpin Street.
We took Aurora Blvd, less jeepneys because it was a Sunday. There used to be rows of furniture stores here selling baby cribs and cabinets. This part has deteriorated and now looks pathetic. Parang squatters area.
Not using the foot bridge.
Maybe this sign could force pedestrians to climb up and down the steep stairs.
Waiting for passengers. One can ride the karitela around Chinatown up to Divisoria.
Tindera setting up her paninda. She lives on this sidewalk spot, too.
Where’s the ultimate Chinese buffet?
The big Chinese restaurant inside Pacific Centre had been closed for a long time.
The space is now occupied by 2 smaller restos, a fast food, and some shops.
We ended up in this restaurant, called President’s, located right along Ongpin Street.
Many tourists are brought here by travel operators
My daughter testing her camera.
Pork asado with ang sarap sauce
Fish Lip soup. It’s like kissing fish lips to lips.
Yang chow (fly lice) and steamed lapu-lapu. After we’ve finished eating the fish, that was the only time I remembered to complain to the head waiter that the fish was already dead before they steamed it. The laman was no longer as soft as when cooked while alive.
And please remember this tip. VERY IMPORTANT!
Look at the fish’s mouth. When it’s open or nakabuka, it was screaming for help while being steamed, meaning it was definitely still alive and fresh. But when mouth is closed, it had been resting in peace prior to the trip to the steamer. Amen.
Edmund and I had almond and lychees for dessert, my kids had their favorite mango sago.
There were many sidewalk vendors selling expensive fruits.
This store has good pork asado.
Say how many kilos, they’ll weigh, slice, wrap, you pay and you go. Eat na!
Beggars abound. They harrass people. On weekdays little kids asking for money would get into your nerves. Oh no they are not cute. They are ngyut. Sarap kurutin. And liliit pa, mga husslers na.
When I was little, everytime we would come here, my father never failed to buy and drink fresh sugarcane (tubo) juice.
Lido is nostalgic to my husband. The pork asado is ever present in all their family gatherings.
Waiting for our take home orders.
me and daughter
This is their protection from bad elements.
Please meet our whole family. Clockwise- Julienne, Edmund, Marvin and Annie me.
Fried Bola-bola siopao, masarap and the dough is very soft. Siguro dahil bagong luto.
Cashier will never run-out of panukli. Unlike in department stores, groceries, Mercury Drug, laging kulang ang sukli.
I bought this giant atis from the side walk vendor. It’s more than a kilo. I paid P500 for this one piece. It’s taller than a coke can. Hindi s’ya lasang atis. Hindi masarap. Sayang lang yung P500 ko. I just wasted my money.
