Suzhou's Xiao Long Bao

We were craving for a dimsum meal last night and we headed straight to Binondo. We drove through the side streets and searched for Suzhou Dimsum.

Suzhou's specialty is the Xiao Long Bao. This is a dumpling filled with meat, kuchay, spices and a spoonful of hot broth.

Suzhou's version have a meatball that tastes with a hint of ginger inside the dumpling which is further enhanced by the flavor of the vinegar dip with julienned ginger. These are great! This is the second time that I tasted Xiao Long Bao and I'd say that this is better then the first one that I tried. I think this is the the perfect Xiao Long Bao for me. Suzhou also offers frozen Xiao Long Bao and other dimsum for take away.

Their Steamed Soy Beef and Tofu Seafood Soup are also great. I love the Tofu soup since it is not that too rich and heavy. It's midway between rich versus a clear broth. It is also infused with a lot of squid and shrimp. Light and warm! Perfect to savor down your palate along with an ice-cold bottle of Tsingtao beer.

Enjoy!

Suzhou Dimsum
Gandara St. (Padilla St.), Binondo, Manila

goin' dumplings @ Dong Bei

Dumplings are quite gaining notoriety over Metro Manila recently. Apart from their cheaper prices, they are easier to chow and they are usually marketed together with stir fried noodles and a glass of cold drink. If you are into the dumpling craze, try to visit Dong Bei Dumpling in Binondo.

Dong Bei means 'North East' in Chinese. As said, this type of dumpling originated from Northeastern China. Dong Bei serves authentic Chinese dumplings. Their dumplings can be chosen from the following varieties; pure minced pork or minced pork mixed with chopped kuchay all wrapped in their home made dumpling wrapper.

For your own choice, you can have it steamed or fried. We chose to have the steamed dumpling than the fried since it is less sinful (just kidding!). Their dumpling comes with a dipping sauce made from a concoction of local vingar, soy sauce and minced garlic. For those with spicy tongues, you can ask for their home made chilli oil to make your dipping sauce a bit hotter.

Simple as it may seem, their dumpling is very juicy and tasty. The wrapper is not too soggy nor too chewy after it was cooked. It was steamed perfectly and it suited my palate. A very light and delicious meal to end my day. While dining, you can also view how they make their dumplings.

As the dumplings are a light meal to the tummy, so is it's price tag. It comes for only 100 bucks per 10 piece order.

You can also try their xiao long pao (soup dumpling). This is quite similar to the dumplings mentioned above but with more broth inside the wrap.

Another optional add-on is the Xinjiang Beef which is a savory beef dish made from tenderloin cuts seasoned with spices and sesame oil then served with chopped cucumber.

Both of these meals are great complements to your dumpling meal.

Check it out!

Dong Bei Dumpling

Yuchengco St. (coming from Binondo Church Ongpin St., turn LEFT at Yuchengco St.)

Binondo, Manila