Known as one of, if not the oldest, Chinatown in the world, Binondo has been home to the Chinoy community since the time of the Spaniards. Look around and you will see mom-and-pop businesses (usually of the hardware variety), jewelers, street vendors, and of course, some of the best Chinese food in the Metro.
Among the numerous choices, including perennial classics such as Wai Ying and President Grand Palace, there stands the classic Ying Ying Tea House. Offering roast meats, a plethora of dimsum, and steamed buns, among others, Ying Ying was always a great choice for a food trip, but the question in 2025 is whether or not it is worth braving Manila traffic to get to.
That is because Binondo is and has always been one of those destinations that has always been so close, yet so far (because of the traffic). So is Ying Ying worth the Resto run? Read on to find out.
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The drive
Driving to Binondo has always been an ordeal. It doesn’t matter if you live in Manila proper or Makati; crossing Jones Bridge into Chinatown is like entering another world.
Tight streets and numerous one-way streets pose a challenge to even the best drivers, while lane-filtering two-wheelers and numerous potholes are sure to put you on high alert at all times.
This doesn’t even take into account what happens when it rains, as flooding can be common around the Taft area, which is one of the most direct routes into Binondo through Manila. On a good day without much traffic, you can get to Ying Ying from Makati in less than an hour’s drive. That being said, it would be best to avoid rush hour if you value your sanity.
Parking and accessibility
Parking, like driving to Binondo, can be hit-or-miss. There is available street parking at about P50, which we were lucky to snag right across Ying Ying. Just make sure you get your ticket from a uniformed City of Manila personnel. There is also a parking lot right beside the restaurant, but that one has less of a chance of having a slot; but one can hope.
For us, the easiest way to reliably get to Ying Ying would either be by motorcycle or scooter (easier to park) or by commuting.
In terms of accessibility, those of you with mobility restrictions would have a hard time. Chalk this up to a slippery floor and a lack of ramps or alternatives to using the stairs. We would recommend a table on the ground floor, although this is much tighter than the second floor, given that it is also the takeout counter.
Venue
While it has undergone a renovation from the Ying Ying of old, it still has that classic Binondo charm. The façade better reflects the true age of the restaurant, and as mentioned, the floor is slick with the oil of all the fried wanton.
Other than that, it is clean for Chinatown standards. When we got there, the bathroom was also neat enough in case the dim sum disagreed with our stomachs.
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Food experience
Here is really where Ying Ying shines. There is just something special about Chinese food from Binondo, and Ying Ying holds up. The highlights of the menu include the dimsum selection, as well as the roast meats, although Sheng is particularly a fan of the oyster cake.
Everything tastes authentic, is served in very generous portions, and, accompanied by the house tea, tastes like home to those who are fans of Chinoy food. It makes the entire ordeal of getting here worth it. You will just have to take our word for it, because it is one of those experiences you just have to have yourself. The mountain of food that arrives, thankfully, doesn’t cost as much as it looks.
Value for money
Here Ying Ying shines once more. We spent around P350 per head when we were there, and this got us a selection of dim sum, a mountain of cua pao with condensed milk, and an even higher mountain of oyster cake (fookien style) with hot sauce. This is a sense of value you just don’t get outside Binondo. Yes, prices have increased, but this is still so much less than the inflation that the rest of Manila has been subject to.
This value alone makes you want to come back. In fact, we bought some take-home food in the form of one of their frozen packs of twenty pieces of siomai for about P500—so we would recommend bringing a cooler, as we did.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, Resto run is all about finding restaurants worth the drive, and sometimes, that drive may be just around the corner. Get through the traffic, the parking issues, and Ying Ying is more than worth your time and effort. While there, be sure to try out other Binondo eats. We’ll do so in our next visits.
Score: 9/10
Travel time from Manila: 10min to an hour from Malate or Ermita area
Budget: P300 to P400 per person
Website/Reservations: Ying Ying Tea House
More photos of Top Gear Philippines’ visit to Ying Ying Tea House:
