Want to experience Asia but on a tight budget? Don’t fret, man. You can save yourself from the hassles and hustles of going to airports and flying off to neighboring countries.
Attention, foodies! The flavors of authentic Asian cuisines are right next to your doors. Yep, you read that right. You don’t need to travel overseas to savor fresh diners.
At the heart of the country’s capital lie the esteemed restaurants where you can pamper your taste buds. Satisfying gastrointestinal cravings should not be expensive! So go on a food trip with your loved ones at Lucky Chinatown in Manila.
Located on Reina Regente and De La Reina Street just south of Recto Avenue, the 108,000-square-meter shopping mall has a variety of restos you could choose from. It is a hub of tasty servings that are sure to satisfy your oriental cravings from dumplings to noodles to rice dishes.
Read along because Manila Standard has listed the finest restos for a memorable Asian experience:
1. If your taste buds crave for saliva-inducing Taiwanese dish a la Dao Ming Si, Shi Lin restaurant is for you! Featuring a limited but well-curated menu including its most famous steamed xiao long bao, the restaurant at the mall’s ground floor has a fine dining ambiance coupled with an open kitchen. So customers just like you can see how the bestseller soupy dumpling is made. Shi Lin also offers congee, pork and shrimp wanton noodles, fried mantao, pork chop fried rice, and iced Taiwan milk tea. Plus their hospitable and friendly staff makes an excellent foodie experience!
2. At the third floor of Lucky Chinatown, the aroma of roasted meat invites customers to try Mitasu Charcoal Yakiniku. As a go-to place, this spot serves charcoal-grilled meats, sushi, sashimi, rolls, ramen, and shrimp tempura. You can bring out the meat’s distinct flavor by cooking the food yourself using traditional charcoal stoves. In this Japanese-themed restaurant, you won’t get bored, for sure. Indeed, the family that cooks Japanese barbecue together, stays together. Bimi!
3. A couple of steps away from Mitasu, Masuki offers the best of both worlds in the mami food-scape. Capture the taste of Vietnam’s classic noodles in this resto that has an equally spectacular chicken and beef mami. As a bonus, the noodles are spiced by chives in tandem with their secret special sauce. Their freshly-made noodles are very bouncy in nature due to the bamboo-kneading technique used to cook them. Just a little secret: Their special sauce in noodles also goes well with their siopao and siomai.
4. Another noodle house found in Lucky Chinatown’s ground floor is San Guo La Mien. This store boasts of its authentic hand-pulled noodles made especially by experienced chefs who maintain traditional Chinese techniques. Unsurprisingly, their smash hit beef noodles are sold to their (mostly) Chinese patrons. Aside from their noodles, be on the lookout for a thrilling menu including steamed dumplings—a treat which are free from preservatives.
A full stomach will surely energize a pair of legs! After satisfying your cravings, invite your friends to explore the rest of the shopping mall.
The stars need not to align for you to try Chinese astrology. At the ground floor of Lucky Chinatown stood Phoenix Dragon, a Feng Shui store where you can purchase lucky charms to push away bad luck. Samson Chua, the store’s owner, will tell you about your future in terms of career, health, and love. You would want to know if your special someone will finally say yes to you. Ayiieee.
Why did people coin the phrase “no pain, no gain”? Pain is non-existent in acupuncture, but certainly, there is gain from this medical practice that has existed for centuries. That is why you should keep coming back to Wellness Sanctuary & Orthodontics Clinic located in the third floor of the mall. This clinic offers acupuncture treatment worth considering for overall health improvement. A ticklish sensation from tiny, cute janitor fishes is also available for your pleasure.
The superb foot massage from Beijing Foot Spa is surely a must-try when you go to Lucky Chinatown. Take a sip from their offered drinks while enjoying a 35-minute foot express, which includes not only therapeutic strokes on your lower limbs, but also a soothing massage from your temples to your arms. With a dim-lighted, quiet environment, the place is sure a rest hub for the stressed, and an escape for professionals.
Aside from enjoying Asia’s foodie and tranquil massage, cap off your adventure by immersing to Miao de Amituofo Pureland – Mahayana Buddhist Temple. You will be greeted by warm and hospitable Pure Land Buddhists ready to introduce the practice that was once taught inside the classroom. Offerings are welcome, but what matters the most is that you are grateful for the food you received from the beginning of your trip to Lucky Chinatown, down to the smallest blessings that you will get. Fill your hunger for heritage!
In this shopping mall, discover what Chinatown has to offer—from temples, Feng Shui goods, and affordable Chinese food.
What are you waiting for? Reading about it will not be enough, so hit your friends up in your group chats and take them to Lucky Chinatown mall to experience Asia like never before!
Or you could just tag them below and take them to an affordable food trip this weekend!