When In Manila, there are a lot of good places to dine at any given time.But before there was BGC, Makati and the like, there was Binondo. For us Chinese, Binondo was and still is one of the best places to find authentic Chinese food! One of the world’s oldest Chinatowns, Binondo lies at the heart of the Filipino Chinese experience and walking its streets is a great way to discover Chinese culture, from its deeply rooted religious practices to its delectable cuisine. Lucky for us, we can now enjoy most of these at the Lucky Chinatown Mall.
Last year, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls gave us a taste of Tuscany at the Awesome Secret Foodies Tour in Tuscany, Mckinley. This May, Lucky Chinatown, a heritage project of Megaworld Lifestyle Malls in Binondo, will be the place to go to explore some of these fascinating traditions at the Awesome Food and Culture Secrets of Lucky Chinatown Tour. Hosted by Our Awesome Planet’s Anton Diaz and Mercato Group’s RJ Ledesma, the food and culture tour costs only P888 and will run for 4 hours, from 11:00AM to 3:00PM on May 10, 24 and 31 and on June 7, 2014. Guests can buy tickets at the Lucky Chinatown Concierge or the Eastwood Mall Concierge.
Last Saturday, I along with other friends from the media got to experience first hand the wonders Lucky Chinatown has to offer. It was not only an appetizing treat for our tummies but also for our minds! In the Secrets of Lucky Chinatown Tour, you will not only get to explore the different restaurants in food stalls but also get a feel and deeper understanding of the Chinese culture as you drop by temples and the like. So let me give you a digital tour of what you can expect at the Secrets of Lucky Chinatown Tour.
Botanical Herbal Hall: Introduction to Tea
For our first stop, we tried some authentic Chinese tea which uses various herbs to help remedy a variety of illnesses at the Botanical Herbal Hall. The teas served at The Botanical Herbal Hall have no preservatives and are made of all natural ingredients. They produce all their tea on their own to make sure that you get nothing but the best.
 The Botanical Herbal Hall is known for their 4 signature teas namely (L-R) the Maybloom Tea, Plum Tea, Pear’c Tea and the Lo’5 Tea. Each tea has its own special ingredient and specific purpose. The May Bloom Tea tasted a bit sweet and its key ingredient is the May Bloom. This tea helps strengthen our stomach and lower our cholesterol. Perfect for those who enjoy going on food trips! The Plum Tea tasted like kiamoy! Its main ingredient is the dark plum and helps in digestion as is does a mild cleanse to our bodies. The Pear ‘C on the other hand uses snow pear and chrysanthemum as its main ingredients. This tea helps cool down our body if we feel hot internally due to eating too much fatty foods. It is also recommended for those who need to improve their eye sight. Last but not least is the Lo’5 Tea. This was one of her favorites as it is the recommended tea for coughs and phlegm – something most of us need quite often. It’s main ingredient is a fruit called Momordica Grosvenori and 5 different kinds of flowers.
Next we went for a stroll at the Lucky China Walk. On weekdays, this place is usually clear, however on weekends, different food stalls are set up to give customers a different experience and more food to choose from.
The Lucky China Walk is filled with food stalls on the weekends
 Miao De Temple Incense Lighting
After hydrating ourselves with all those healthy teas, it was time to feed our souls with a short visit to the temple. The temple is a place where people go to pay their respects for Buddha. Everything in the temple including the images and fruits are intended to educate us f Buddha’s teachings. In the temple, we were encouraged to light an incense and proclaim our wish. Hey, nothing to lose right?
continue reading to the next page to see the other food and culture stops we had during the tour
