Quiapo Food Trip

*Updated June 29, 2023*

Carla, can you do me a favor, eh?

What?

Please, oh please, take some time to visit Quiapo, Avenida and Raon. 

Oh I love those places... I bought this... And ate that...

And one more thing, please ride the ferry that goes over the Pasig River. 

Uhm, ok...

That was Mark. A thin tall blond Danish guy I met during a trip to Siquijor and Apo Island (together with his Filipina girlfriend). He went on with his Quiapo adventures as if he was telling me about his hometown. The soliloquy continued for the next few hours over bottles Gold Eagle beers.

*Original post: June 2013*

He was Danish. I am a Filipino. It seemed like we were both on the wrong side of the beer table. He spoke of Quiapo like a legit Nazareno Devotee. I listened to every word he said like an ardent admirer. He never even mentioned it being unsafe. He described it as "Crazy and Beautiful Quiapo".

Uhm, lost love na lang?

Since then, I looked at Quiapo differently - unlearning all of my Quiapo judgments every time I went there. It seems funny how for four years I passed by this area almost every day during my university years and never saw what Mark was eagerly telling me about. So maybe, there's more to Quiapo than the church and the peddlers. So when I was asked by a friend for an errand run to Raon, I took this chance to be in Mark's shoes for that day. 

Food tripping was never on our list that day but maybe because of our love (borderline obsession and glutton) for food, we walked around and checked out what's in store for our bellies in Quiapo.

Boulevard Hamburger

The first stop was a hole-in-the-wall burger place that was a hit among everyone passing by it. It's the Boulevard Hamburger place sandwiched between bicycle shops and motels along Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo. We got there by crossing the footbridge from Raon (Quiapo church side) to get to the other side of the road. It's somewhere along the bicycle shops, ukay-ukay shops, and motels. 

We went inside and noticed how legit the place was. It's like we were transported into the 60's era. That very tight and almost a meter and a-half wide alley is truly an old-school one. The place was packed at around 2:30 in the afternoon. And I truly understand why--this place was never meant and not even trying to be a chill-out place. People come to eat and go. That simple. 

very tight

oh eh bakit?

ovaltine or milo?

perfect for whom?

They offered some burgers and sandwiches but we chose to have the classic Beef Burger for ₱18 each. It was screaming 100% pure beef from the signage outside. And right after the first bite we were convinced, there was nothing special about this burger, it's just like one of those burgers that you can get at popular burger joints around town. What was so special here was the ambiance and the feel of the place - it was truly an experience in itself.

Beef Burger

cucumber for fiber

more ketchup

Me and my restless feet went around to, I dunno, just walk around when I saw this peddler who was mobbed by the burger joint's staff. I was so curious so I joined the crowd and saw what everyone was raving about - lumpia. I observed how these lumpias were served and I was enticed. He kept on mentioning that he personally made all of those with love. And so he sold me on that.

kuya lumpia with love

fresh lumpia

fried lumpia

make it 6 slices kuya

saucy

I bought Fresh Lumpia (with a generous serving of the sauce) for ₱15 and Fried Lumpia for ₱10 and brought them inside the burger place. The fresh one tasted good considering its price. The filling was tasty and the crepe was on the soft side. The sauce was not that overpowering which was the deciding point. It was on the sweet but not so garlicky and nutty side. The fried one was just ok. Nothing to rave about it even the vinegar dip.

extra sauce

so-so

Fried Tofu in front of SM Carriedo

As if we were not yet full yet with our merienda, we passed by this food cart along Hidalgo and Gomez streets (in front of SM Carriedo) and forgot that we just ate. Siomai for ₱7 each and fried tofu for ₱15 per order were on sight. We tried both food items and gladly loved them both. The bigger-than-usual siomai wasn't filled with carbo-extenders that you can feel and taste the meat inside it. The sauce also complemented the huge siomai. And then the fried tofu/tokwa. They cut it into pieces before dipping it in hot cooking oil and frying it to perfection. I love the perfect balance of the tofu's crunchy outside and soft inside with the perfect dipping sauce. 

real men wear pink

bigger than usual siomai

yummy tokwa and dip

Master Hopia Factory

We went straight to Palanca street and turned left to Villalobos street and spotted my mom's favorite - the Master Hopia Factory. This is just a few meters away from the Quinta Market. My mom never fails to request this certain hopia every time I tell her that I will pass by Quiapo. It reminded her of her younger years when she and my dad would go there for quick snacks.

There were a number of hopias to choose from but my favorite here is the Mongo Hopia for ₱8 each. And this is perfect with a bottle of soda. The dough is not too flaky nor too thin and the filling is not too sweet nor bland. This has been my favorite hopia too. Thanks to my mom. 

smooth, walang sabit

The day didn't just end there. We went to the Muslim Town of Quiapo in search of halal food but the rain ruined our hopes of finding one. We could've waited for it to stop but it pushed us back to the other side of the road, the Quiapo church. And then I told my buddy, "I've never been inside the Quiapo Church." And that marked my very first visit to one of the most famous churches in the country. 

We spent around ₱70 each for this food trip. I couldn't even purchase my favorite cheeseburger meal with that price but I wouldn't trade this food trip for that fast food treat. I'm gonna call Mark right now and thank him.

*Updated July 2015*

Globe Lumpia House

My buddy has been bugging me to go to this stall in Raon to try out their fresh lumpia or spring rolls. I don’t dig spring rolls that much but just to shush him, I approved of his longtime wish.

Globe Lumpia House has been around for more than fifty years and from what I heard, they offer the best fresh spring rolls in the area (or maybe in the metro). For first-timers, it’s quite hard to find this hole in the wall near Quiapo and Recto, but you can ask around and people will lead you to the right place.

The queue for greatness

They have no other branch

I’ve been there thrice already and every time we went there it’s as if the queue was for a certain lottery that has the biggest jackpot prize ever; it’s always jam-packed. On some days, they close as early as lunchtime if they already emptied their trays.

They have a seating area before but recently, they remodeled it to just have a take-out corner rather than convincing their customers to grab a bite with the convenience of seats - I'm not a fan of take-outs though.

My buddy can finish three!

For ₱18 what do you think is the difference between their fresh lumpia with other stores? First is that they make it fresh every time and all the time. You may want to check out how your lumpia is made through the clear glass where they assemble your order. Next is that the lumpia is served in bite sizes with special peanut garlic and hot sauce. Lastly, it’s really yummy. The explosion of sweet, garlicky, and peanut taste is just too perfect with the right amount of veggies inside the crepe. You have to try it to believe it, as they say.

Ma Mon Luk Restaurant

If you grew up in Manila then you’ve probably heard of the most famous noodle house in Quiapo. Ma Mon Luk Restaurant has been around since the 1930’s. The humble beginnings of the original owner, Ma Mon Luk, is quite interesting. An immigrant from Guangzhou in China, he started selling out the original mami or hot noodles on streets with typical metal containers with a bamboo pole as support. He was the one who introduced the idea of hot noodles in the country with his own handmade egg noodles naming them mami (ma = his name | mi = mister). Clever, eh?

Moving on, me and some of my travel buddies were having a Sunday food tour around the area. We showed them our fave food stops until we ran out of places to satisfy our cravings for legit food in the area. We then saw Ma Mon Luk along Quezon Boulevard and decided that we should try their famed noodles.

We entered the old restaurant that seemed packed with hungry diners. The crowd was a mix of old and new generations. The former seemed to know what they wanted while the latter was consulting the menu posted on the wall for the options (just like us).

We ordered a huge serving of their Special Mami (₱105) and Special Siopao (₱60). Our food arrived in no time and we were all thrilled to try it out.

Special Mami and Special Siopao

Sadly, I wasn’t impressed with their mami. The soup was tasty but it overpowered the whole noodle dish. The broth has this weird stench that seemed to come from the chicken. The noodle is yummy on its own devoid of the soup. Same thing as the sliced chicken and beef strips, it was tasty and tender. I just didn’t like the soup at all. Well, a friend was raving about it and finished the whole serving. To each his own, I guess.

The siopao has a different story. Paired with the special sauce, the pork asado and salted egg filling were yummy.

Underwhelming

Overall, I think the restaurant has its own following of customers who are craving for that type of taste. That’s just not me. I want my mami and siopao to be as simple as they can be.

Moud Restaurant

It was my buddy’s plan to show me around Quiapo and its hidden secrets. We went to the Muslim Community and felt like we were transported to Malaysia with the items that were sold on the streets. Halal food products, traditional hijab veils, and fresh produce lined the streets.

At the end of the street, I saw this mosque and my buddy said that we could go inside to check it out. We asked the security officers if we could take some photos of the mosque and he agreed, but only up to a certain area.

We entered the Manila Golden Mosque or Masjid Al-Dahab which is around 40 years old. I took some snapshots and observed how our Muslim brothers were ardently praying. 

Manila Golden Mosque

Moving on, we headed to one of the famous halal restaurants near the mosque, the Moud Restaurant. We had a hard time looking for it but the huge rotisserie at the entrance was our clue that we’re at the right place. If you’re quite unfamiliar with the term, halal means actions or objects that are allowed under Islamic law. For food, it's not just that pork is prohibited; the animal has to be raised, handled, and slaughtered according to specific Islamic practices to be considered halal.

I so love photo menus!

I heard that they serve the best-roasted chicken in Quiapo and we had to sample it. Photos of the dishes were printed on a huge tarp with their corresponding amount. We just wanted one thing, their roasted chicken.

We ordered Half Chicken (₱180) and some Biryani Rice (options of Biryani, Java, or Kabsa rice).

The chicken and rice combo were uniquely good. The special sauce complemented the chicken. It has this distinct flavor that is not the same as the roasted chicken I grew up with. This was a special meal prepared in a very special way. If we weren’t as full as we were, we might end up finishing a whole order of chicken.

So there you go, some of the great food finds in your good old Quiapo. You may want to suggest more eateries, kiosks, or restaurants around the area, just buzz me, and I'd go there right away :)

*Updated October 29, 2022*

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by blissfulguro (@blissfulguro)

Christian, my now-husband, has been complaining about his blurred reading vision and I've been suggesting an eye check-up as well as prescription eyeglasses for the longest time. Yesterday, we got an opportunity to leave Akira, our son, with his grannies to go to Quiapo 'coz we heard that the optical shops there are at par with the ones we usually see in malls. 

Cafe Kabuhayan (Quinta Market Quiapo)

And having been to Quiapo countless times, we've been plotting our food trip itinerary while we were at LRT as we will try some new food finds we saw in other food vloggers' videos and go back as well as our old-time favorites. 

Carriedo

It was a Friday which meant "Quiapo day" for the Nazareno devotees. The sudden gush of rain welcomed us as we combed Paterno Street for the perfect frame for Christian's eyeglasses. There are so many optical shops there but we ended up with RSA Optical Supply because aside from their funky frames, the staffs are friendly as compared to other shops (snobby employees turn away customers, for real). 

So after his "check-up" and learning that he only had a problem with reading, we haggled (which we read was a normal thing there) and got a good deal with the prescription reading glasses. We were asked to come back after an hour which prompted our Quiapo food trip.

Globe Lumpia House

For us, a visit to Quiapo wouldn't be complete without a visit to this famous lumpia house. The dine-in area that was available some years ago wasn't there anymore and the store caters to take-away customers only. 

The same no-nonsense approach to selling was still there. Surprisingly, there wasn't a long queue during that time and it took us five minutes to get our orders. Photos and videos weren't allowed in the assembly area though unlike before. As usual, your lumpia will be prepared right after you order it.

We didn't get to try their chicken empanada, brownies, and achara but their fresh lumpia, which now sells for ₱35 each, was still good. The minced fresh garlic and the chopped nuts were remarkable and the sauce complemented it very well. The veggies inside were simply-cooked and the humble lumpia wrapper was not too thick nor thin. Overall, it was still a great snack that brings back good old memories of our carefree boyfriend-girlfriend days.

Jolli Dada's Eatery Pancit Palabok

The COVID-19 Pandemic brought about a new hobby in our household--watching food vloggers eat or cook. We learned a number of dishes that we got to cook as well as new stores or restaurants to try. One of which is this palabok place right under the Quezon Bridge in Quiapo.

Jolli Dada's Eatery was formerly known as Dada's Eatery and is in the palabok business since the 1940s. I dunno why we missed this during our first few Quiapo food trips but I think it wasn't as popular before as it is today because of some vloggers who featured it. 

We walked along Quezon Boulevard and followed the road that led us underneath the Quezon Bridge. Lutong Maynila is still part of Quinta Market but it's actually packed with eateries of all sorts. Noticeably, the ones that are facing the street have huge signs of "Palabok" on their stalls which told us that we're in the right place.

We didn't get the chance to look around and went straight to Jolli Dada's Eatery because there was no queue at all. Judging from other vlogs that we've seen, it's almost always packed with hungry diners but at that time, around 12:07 in the afternoon, we were the only ones who were ordering.

The staff asked us if we were dining in and when we said yes, they immediately found us a place where we squeezed in with other diners. Surprisingly, after we got our orders, people started lining up at the store. We got our palabok at ₱70 each.

We were handed two rectangular plastic tubs with the famous super special pancit palabok. Disposable utensils and other condiments were resting on the tables. We were saddened by the fact that there's so much waste with regard to their use of plastic containers and utensils. We watched as the staff threw some of these directly into the garbage bin. Imagine how many plastic tubs they throw out every day (we took home our used tubs so as to reuse them). Maybe they ditched their usual plate as it's easier for them to use the plastic ones with the huge crowd they're getting every day. The pancit sauce was still hot though when they handed it to us. 

tasty pancit palabokbut nothing's special about itit was just loaded with toppingsthe sauce and noodles were so-so

Moving on, we were too excited to try the palabok with overloaded toppings of crushed chicharon, tinapa powder, toasted garlic, adobong pusit, hard-boiled egg slices, fried tofu, and hardcore chicharon with laman. The noodles were on the thicker side and I would've preferred to have the thin ones but I guess they don't have them. The sauce was thick and orangey and it covered the whole thing. The serving was way too generous for its price.

We have this thing where Christian and I would try out something new simultaneously so we could discuss it right away. We tried as much as possible to get a portion of everything all in one bite and as soon as we did, we looked into each other's eyes and we were thinking the same thing. Yes, Jolli Dada's pancit palabok is good but there's nothing special about it aside from the fact that there are loads of toppings on it. I dunno if it's because we're from Malabon and we literally know the really good ones from not (whether it's pancit Malabon, luglug, or palabok). Or maybe we've tried better ones and we're not totally agreeing with the verdicts of the vloggers with this particular recipe. Or I dunno. Haha.

For me, the basis of a really good pancit palabok is the noodles and the sauce itself would stand out, regardless of how many toppings you add to it. Or maybe the selling point of Jolli Dada's pancit palabok is the generous servings of toppings. We will try the other stalls in the area on our next Quiapo food trip though.

Excelente Chinese Cooked Ham

I've tried some of Excelente's cooked hams in the past holiday seasons and I used to ask myself why would people line up and pay a hefty amount for it when you could buy a cheaper version somewhere which is somewhat tastier. But then, my uncle, who's an Excelente loyal, would tell me that there's a proper way in preparing the ham unlike those you buy in the grocery stores wherein you could eat it on its own. 

With that in mind, I didn't set any expectations when we entered the store. We were kinda lucky that day because there was, again, just like our first two ventures, no queue at all. We scanned the display counters and gazed upon the perfect hams in all shapes and sizes. 

masarap ang Excelente ham sandwichkahit manipis ang lettuce

We went to their dine-in area and realized that they are serving rice meals and other snacks. We settled on the seats available and then got ourselves a ham sandwich which cost ₱120 at that time. It was regular sliced bread with bits and pieces of ham with a hint of mayo dressing (not sure if it's really mayonnaise though) and a half-inch wide strip of lettuce (I think they just put it there for added color) We took a photo of the sandwich (for Instagram) and went on with our first munch. 

It was good! We were both surprised as we were expecting it to be just plain but yeah, my uncle's right, Excelente's ham is very good if it's prepared the way it's meant to be. I just forgot to ask what kind of ham that was though which is a very good reason to come back. 

Kim Chong Tin Hopia 

Right after our ham sandwich adventure, we went to Kim Chong Tin Hopia Factory, just two stalls away from Excelente Ham store.

I've already tried their hopia before and their old-fashioned pugon-baked hopia recipe dates back to 1927. We bought diced hopia mongo and their regular hopia mongo both for ₱54 for 6 pcs. And as expected, they are still warm when they handed them to us.

What I love about the hopia at Kim Chong Tin is the consistency of the taste. You get the same not-so-sweet treats every time and almost every time, they're still warm.

Bakers' Fair Quiapo

We planned on having siopao at Ma Mon Luk Restaurant on our way back to get Christian's glasses but they were closed when we got there. Hopefully, they were just renovating. We then went to its nearby stall to have our favorite hopia ever.

We bought diced mongo hopia at ₱9 per piece. You get this cheaper when you buy in 10s or 20s. 

The hopia at Bakers' Fair is very different from the other ones because it's really good when it's hot and even when it's cold. The thin crust had a hint of salty taste which totally complements the sweet mongo filling. 

So there. Our latest Quiapo food crawl. Our post-wedding, post-Akira, post-pandemic, overdue Quiapo date. Regardless of whatever happened, one thing's for sure, we were the kind of couple who gets excited about date trips like this even how messy and muddy because it rained, even if get to squeeze ourselves again in LRT trains, and even 

*Updated June 6, 2023*

We had our latest Quiapo date yesterday because Christian needed his camera lens to be repaired so after leaving our son to the parentals, we went on with our usual commute to Carriedo from Monumento via LRT. 

We first went to the repair shop along Hidalgo St., and then we were told to wait for six hours to get it fixed. While some will get frustrated with that long waiting time, Christian and I were more than happy that we had so much time to spare to go around Quiapo and we even went further to Binondo (which deserves its own blog post.)

While in Quiapo, we went to the numerous shopping stalls for eyeglasses just below the Carriedo Station of LRT. Christian needed to have a second reading glasses so he got one and I also asked my eyes to be checked. It turned out that I still have a 20/20 vision but I really love a particular frame taht I tried on so I asked if they could make it as sunglasses instead and they agreed. We waited an hour to get our glasses done and they were really great. We got it for ₱400 a piece.

Nhoy And Josie Eatery

It was last year when we watched a Youtube video about a Quiapo Food Tour that featured Jolli Dada's Eatery and its famous pansit palabok. We were quite not impressed with the packaging (because of the disposable plastic container) as well as the taste 'coz we live in Malabon and our standard of palabok is very high. So we promised ourselves that we will go back to this place to try other eateries.

The famous Jolli Dada's Eatery was packed when we arrived at around half past twelve in the afternoon. we immediately checked our eatery options and were swayed by this not-so-old lady and asked us if we were to have our pansit there or to go. After which, she asked if we wanted thin or thick noodles. We were actually amused on the goings-on that we found ourselves seated in front of Nhoy And Josie Eatery which they claim to have Kapampangan specialty dishes.

The lady went back to us and asked us, once again, if we wanted thin or thick noodles. We ordered one of each.

We were surprised when they served the pansit palabok on a normal plate which is a far cry from the wasteful disposable plastic containers from the other eatery. The toppings were loaded and at ₱80 per plate, you surely get value for your money. 

I noticed the thick almost soupy sauce that drenched the plate. Underneath it were the toppings of 

(please prepare your anti-cholesterol medicines. haha) squid strips, crushed chicharon, crispy fried chicharon or pork skin, crispy fried pork fat, boiled egg, and some other garnish. 

Just on the first bite, we noticed how better it was as compared to the pansit palabok of Jolli Dada's Eatery. Again, we have high standards with palabok so generally, the taste was okay. We were just not fans of smooth and thick sauces. Plus, if your remove the amazing toppings, the taste of the pansit will be comparable to that of what you could buy in normal eateries. 

We were in the middle of our meal when we saw the couple on the next table buying a dinuguan and puto combo. The envious me was triggered which prompted us to order the exact same thing. The bowl filled will dinuguan was ₱80 and the puto was ₱20. Both were good but nothing super special. 

Do you have any suggestions on your favorite snack or restaurant in Quiapo? 'Coz we will definitely try it out.

Bakers' Fair

565 Quezon Blvd, Globe Electronics Building (formerly Globe Theater),

Quiapo, Manila

Contact Number: (+63) 2.8524 0260

Boulevard Burger

Quezon Boulevard, Quiapo, Manila

Excelente Ham Store 

155-157 Carlos Palanca Street, Quiapo, Manila

Contact Number: (+63) 2.8733. 6355

Globe Lumpia House

740 G. Puyat Street (Raon) corner Quezon Boulevard,

Quiapo, Manila

Contact Number: (+63) 2.733.2918

Jolli Dada's Eatery

Lutong Maynila, Quinta Market, 

Quiapo, Manila

Contact Number: (+63) 916.697.3824 and (+63) 968.713.5916

Kim Chong Tin Hopia Factory

149 Carlos Palanca Street, Quiapo, Manila

Contact Number: (+63) 2.8733. 6345

Master Hopia Factory

Stall 24 324 Villalobos Street,

Quiapo, Manila

Moud Halal Restaurant

Globo de Oro Street, Quiapo, Manila

Nhoy And Josie Eatery

Lutong Maynila, Quinta Market, 

Quiapo, Manila

Contact Number: (+63) 961.1369.737

R. Ma Mon Luk Restaurant

545 Quezon Boulevard,Quiapo, Manila

Contact Number: (+63) 2.733.7596

Open Hours: Everyday | 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.