Monday, February 20, 2012

Binondo Food Trip: Masuki

Another wedding-related trip to Manila's downtown area led me and the fiancé to Binondo for lunch. It was again, my idea, because I really wanted to explore more of the place, with eye on its foodie destinations. This time we dined at Masuki which is known for their mami and siopao. From Ma Kong Mami, they changed their name to Masuki. My gut feel says it's short for "madaming suki" (with many regular customers). I stand corrected. :)

Masuki looks like one of those authentic Chinese eateries that I only get to see in Chinese movies. It's always busy and noisy. Diners come and go and the cycle repeats itself every day, which I think is very good for the business.

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We sat at one of the few unoccupied tables and called the attention of one of the waiters. We were handed an unusually big menu with limited food items (mami, siopao, wonton, siomai and nothing more). We settled for the Original Mami (P100 Regular and P110, Special). We chose the special one whose only difference to the regular one was the size. We also got two Bola-Bola Siopao (P52) and an order of siomai (P60 for two pieces).

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Masuki menu posted on the side wall

I noticed that some of the waiters were old men (who looked like senior citizens to me). Somehow, they add charm to Masuki and serve as proof that the place has been around for decades already. The open kitchen, the aroma of the food and the appearance and busyness of the place, on the other hand, gives one a glimpse of how the eatery did business back in the olden days. Needless to say, our dining experience felt so authentic to me.

Our order arrived fast one by one and we ate to our hearts' content immediately after.

Masuki's Original Mami is made of flat noodles with pork asado and chicken strips as toppings. It's a unique kind of mami because you will be provided with a special siopao sauce and chopped green onions to add to it.

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siopao sauces and chopped green onions

The result is a sweet and savory noodle soup that's surprisingly good. The fiancé and I shared our order and we were satisfied both with the taste and the generous serving.

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mami without siopao sauce...

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...and with siopao sauce

Their Bola-Bola Siopao was filled with ground pork and salted egg. I liked how soft the steamed bun was and the meaty filling went well with their special siopao sauce. But still, I think Kowloon House's version is superior to it.

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Masuki's Siomai was big and meaty. We dipped our two pieces of siomai into the special siopao sauce drizzled with calamansi juice and we were solved. Yum.

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Our bill amounted to P300+ including two drinks (Sarsi and bottled water). Cheap, isn't it? It's really fun to eat in Binondo. I can't wait to visit the other restos there!

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Masuki is located on Benavidez St. beside Polland Hopia Bakery and right across Wan Chai Tea House.

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Masuki
931 Benavidez St.
Binondo, Manila

(02) 244-0745
(02) 243-2674

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