I initially wanted to post my Chinatown entries from a recent foodtrip with journo friends. But realized I haven't sat down to write about the whole experience. Anyway, since its nearing Chinese New Year, am sharing these snippets from our brief trip to Binondo:
We walked all the way from Escolta to Ongpin guided by Miss Gigi, who knew the place although her Chinese family lived in Cavite. She also navigated us through Salazar St, where we saw these goodies:
Jay and I cannot get over the cherries, the berries, and the large Australian strawberries. There are also fruits from Driscoll's. (By late afternoon, half of these were off the shelves!)
Binondo, which houses the oldest Chinatown in the world, has been the center of culture and commerce for Chinese, Tsinoys, and mestizos as early as the Spanish colonization era. Barred from the walled city of Intramuros, these merchants established a residential and business town in the heart of Manila. The location is said to be auspicious for business.
Now, Binondo's Chinatown is famous for its historical structures, temples, affordable food and wares, exotic medicines, and genuine Chinese food. Its also an awakening trip for us who have never been to Chinatown!
The area closes as early as 7p.m., a surprise for this group of first-timers. According to Miss Gigi, Chinatown is like a typical market. While markets close at lunch time, the high influx of buyers extended the store time until late afternoon. "They're not closing early," she said in response to a question I posed. "They're actually closing late." - 1/26/2014
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