An unexpected gem of a restaurant in Chinatown

The "wonderful" pot of tea.

Siomai, P55.

Wanton noodles, P100, good enough for 2-3 persons

Bola-bola siopao, P55, two pcs.

The simple interiors of Tasty Wok.

Outside the restaurant

AJ and I found the perfect excuse to go to Chinatown (again, for me) one Saturday last February. We were in that Quiapo area near Raon where stores selling eyeglasses abound (I forgot the name of the street!). AJ needed a new pair of eyeglasses so there we went. After having chosen her frame and her eyes checked, we were told to come back at 6 p.m. to get her new spectacles. I looked at the time: 4 p.m. We had two hours to spare! I thought, where else to go best to eat and waste time but in Binondo! So instead of whining about having to wait for two hours, we happily trekked the "dangerous" paths of Quiapo and Sta. Cruz to cross over to Chinatown. In a few minutes, we were there, but not before AJ falling victim to some misfits. As we walked under the LRT over Rizal Avenue, my daughter found her backpack pocket open, and her large bottle of Victoria's Secret cologne gone. Lucky you, I told her, it was just the cologne, not your cellphone. With a new lesson learned (and that's to never wear your backpack at your back. hehe!), we proceeded to our destination, armed with the desire to savor good Chinese food (dimsum on my mind!). As we turned left to a small street perpendicular to Rizal Avenue, I looked for an old restaurant that reminds me so much of my childhood (but of course, Rowan, I was once a child too!) . Sadly, Happy Burger was no longer there - that Happy Burger where my Ate Tess brought me for yes, a hamburger, but which also sold really good siopao. 

Anyways, we marched on to Ongpin St. with me trying to mentally recite the names of restaurants that I have included in my list of those I would visit in Binondo after reading blogs after blogs about culinary tours of the famous Manila Chinatown. Unfortunately, I could not clearly remember any name nor address of those restaurants. I chided myself for not bringing my notebook but quickly forgave when I reasoned, I had no idea a chance to go to Binondo would present itself today. As we had no clear destination, we walked and walked and walked in search for a nice place to eat that would not be so expensive as I didn't have much money left after paying for AJ's eyeglasses. Our aching feet, after so many minutes, brought us to a little street after turning right from Ongpin (Benavidez?). We were already starving and so without further thinking and checking, we went  inside this quaint restaurant called Tasty Wok. 

The place was almost empty except for a group of four customers, and I wondered if we made the right choice. After browsing through the menu, we ordered for a small bowl of Wanton Noodles (P100, good enough for 2-3 persons), Siomai (P55, 4 pcs), and  Siopao (P55, two pieces). The waiter, after relaying our orders to the cook, promptly came back to serve us a pot of hot tea. AJ immediately poured into the two small cups. We each took a sip and were pleasantly surprised. Even hot, unflavored tea, we realized, could be refreshing! It was wise, I thought, not to order drinks anymore because nothing could beat the refreshment the hot tea offered. AJ, in no time, finished her tea and immediately poured some more into her cup. It was then that I wondered: Was the tea complimentary? I told AJ: "Slow down, girl, what if that pot of tea cost a thousand? We ought not to finish the entire pot, so we wounld't have to pay much." But then the tea was so good that I also poured some more into my cup. Hehe! After a little while, our orders came one after the other. I first sampled the Wanton Noodles. Mmmm..the soup was good! It might come as bland to some people who have a high tolerance for salt, but for me, it was almost perfect - clear, thin and light. No MSG nor other artificial flavorings, I thought, and that was good. AJ liked it too. But when she bit into the siopao, she gave it her highest approval and wished that siopao in her school canteen was just as good. I liked it too. The bun was soft and hot and the bola-bola filling was big and delicious. What made it even better was that it had salted egg and chorizo, which are absent in other bola-bola siopaos that I usually buy. The siomai was good as well, and the only thing that I disliked about it was that the wrappers had a yellow color. I don't like artificial colorings, that's why, and wished it was turmeric that gave the siomai its yellow tint. Anyway, AJ and I were full before we could finish all our food so when we couldn't take in any more of the noodles (we finished the siopao and siomai), we asked to have our leftover packed for taking out. 

I then asked for our bill and was a little nervous as I wondered how much the tea was, because it was not in the menu and therefore excluded from my mental calculations. I thought about leaving AJ there to look for an ATM machine so I could get money in case I came short. I was finally handed a piece of paper and was relieved to see how much I ought to pay: P210! Wow, only 200 bucks for everything that we had, which was a lot. Not only that. The tea - the hot but refreshing and delicious tea - was complimentary! It was then that I thought, how come this restaurant seemed not to be popular when it served good food at such a low price and with a complimentary pot of tea to boot! The restaurant, to me, was an unexpected gem because no food blogger has ever mentioned about it, and is thus, virtually unknown to those who do not often pass by the area. What we had In Tasty Wok was indeed a memorable meal and AJ expressed her wish to be back.