East Asians and Southeast Asians with Chinese heritage celebrate Lunar New Year – better known in the Philippines as Chinese New Year – in late January or February each year. As with many other celebrations, it largely involves food.
For Filipinos who wish to partake in this celebration or Chinoys who want to try something other than their go-to restaurant, here’s a list of highly recommended Chinese restaurants in Metro Manila you can visit not only on CNY but all year round.
Image credit: Samuel Rosales via Google Maps
Uno Seafood Wharf Palace is a well-known Chinese restaurant right within Chinatown in Binondo, Manila.
As its name suggests, they’re best for seafood dishes. Inside, you’ll see tanks of fish and other crustaceans which ensures the freshness of their ingredients.
Steamed crabs with garlic sauce
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You’ll especially love this Chinese seafood restaurant if you love shrimp, as they cook these in a variety of ways – steamed, sauteed, fried, and baked. The restaurant also serves seafood noodles for long life.
Address: 270 Escolta Street, Binondo, Manila, Metro Manila
Opening hours: Mon-Thu 11 am-2.30pm, 5pm-10pm | Fri-Sun 11 am-3pm, 5pm-10pm
Contact: (02) 232 1054 | Facebook
Image credit: @buttercat.22 via Instagram
President Grand Palace has served Cantonese dishes in Binondo Chinatown for over 40 years. The Chinese restaurant serves roast suckling pig that’s just enough for a big family, perfect for your Chinese New Year celebration with the fam.
If you’re dining with fewer than five people, they have smaller roast protein options such as roast Hainanese chicken, Peking duck, and lechon Macau, which is crispy, boneless pork belly with Chinese flavors.
Hainanese chicken, Peking duck, and lechon Macau
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You can also have their dishes for takeaway or order these on GrabFood if you wish to avoid the crowd.
Address: 746-750 Ongpin Street, Binondo, Manila, Metro Manila
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am-10pm | Sat-Sun 9am-10pm
Contact: 0916 391 3505 | Facebook
Gloria Maris Alabang
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If long life is your main wish for the lunar new year, the Chinese restaurant Gloria Maris has an expansive menu of noodles – from stir-fried noodles, fried noodles, to noodle soups.
Their beef hofan is especially a must-try. It has flat rice noodles that are not common in Filipino noodle dishes, thinly sliced beef, and bean sprouts.
Beef hofan
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This chain of Chinese restaurants has branches around the metro besides their Greenhills, Gateway, and Eastwood locations, including one in Alabang.
Contact: website
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A Singaporean restaurant, Tao Yuan Restaurant‘s recipes combine Chinese and Southeast Asian flavors. It serves chilli crab, one of the popular dishes from Singapore.
At the same time, you can also try Sichuan Chinese flavors such as the numbing mala hotpot and time-tested Cantonese recipes such as steamed lapu-lapu (grouper) and char siu (barbecued pork) at the restaurant.
Poon choi
Image credit: @taoyuanrestaurantmanila via Instagram
For Chinese New Year, the Chinese festival meal poon choi which has abalone, scallops, king prawns, and lechon Macau will be on promo from 28th January to 3rd February.
Tao Yuan’s offerings are also available for takeout and delivery for those who wish to enjoy them at home.
Address: FNB 2, 2nd Floor, Newport Mall, Resorts World Manila, Newport Boulevard, Pasay City, Metro Manila
Opening hours: 11am-11pm, Daily
Contact: (02) 8659 3321 | Facebook
Tim Ho Wan Glorietta 3
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Tim Ho Wan is a Michelin one-star restaurant from Hong Kong and one of the cheapest ones you can find in the world.
Some of the food you should try from this highly acclaimed restaurant are their hakaw (shrimp dumplings), barbecue pork buns, and tofu with pork floss. For Chinese New Year, you can also order radish cake for good fortune.
Hakaw and barbecue pork bun
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Tim Ho Wan is also chain and it boasts several branches of renowned Chinese restaurants in Metro Manila so you can conveniently find a branch near you. You can also order takeout or have their food delivered via foodpanda or GrabFood.
For a list of branches, click here.
Image adapted from: Man Ho via Google Maps
Man Ho in Marriott Hotel has special menu items for Chinese New Year. These include traditional Chinese celebration food such as Lo Hei.
Their dish named Lo Hei is yu sheng, a raw fish salad with each ingredient representative of new year’s wishes, such as happiness, good health, and wealth. Before being eaten, this dish is tossed with chopsticks as high as possible, a festivity called lo hei that this dish is named after, while each person on the table says their wishes.
Lo Hei.
Image credit: @manilamarriott via Instagram
Man Ho also offers a special, colorful tikoy (rice cake) gift set you can enjoy in the restaurant or for takeout or delivery. This delicacy is only available until 1st February.
This Chinese restaurant is the ideal place to go for Chinese New Year if you want an elevated dining experience, located at the Marriott Hotel.
Address: Mariott Hotel, 2 Resort Drive, Pasay, Metro Manila
Opening hours: 10.30am-1opm, Daily
Contact: (02) 7902 9818 | website
Image credit: @solaireresort via Instagram
For a dining experience that will introduce you to Cantonese and Shanghainese flavors, Red Lantern is one of the best Chinese restaurants to visit on Chinese New Year.
Their dim sum buffet doesn’t only open the tastebuds to new flavors, but is also a feast for the eyes with each item beautifully crafted by their chefs.
Dumplings from Red Lantern’s dim sum buffet menu
Image credit: @solaireresort via Instagram
For a complete lunar new year celebration experience, the restaurant will also have Chinese New Year delicacies such as poon choi on their regular menu.
Address: Solaire Resort & Casino, Tambo Entertainment City, 1 Aseana Avenue, Tambo, Parañaque, Metro Manila
Opening hours: 11.30am-10.30am, Daily
Telephone: (02) 8888 8888 | Facebook
Image credit: Gerard G. via Google Maps
For a casual family lunch, visit Chuan Kee in Binondo. As the oldest fast-food restaurant in Chinatown, it has established a reputation for serving simple yet delicious Filipino-Chinese dishes.
Beyond the usual dim sum favorites like siomai, hakaw, and xiao long bao, don’t miss out on their flavorful kikiam that’s packed with meaty flavor. Their beef tendon, which you can enjoy with rice or soup, is also highly recommended.
Kikiam.
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For those seeking a gastronomic adventure, the restaurant offers Soup Number 5, made with cow, bull, or ox genitals.
If you want to skip the line, their offerings are also available for delivery via Grab, Foodpanda, and Pick-a-Roo.
Address: 650 Ongpin Street, Binondo, Manila, Metro Manila
Opening hours: 7am-10pm, Daily
Contact: (02) 8288 8888 | Facebook
Image credit: Kane Errol Choa via Google Maps
For families who love going on food adventures, Banawe in Quezon City is another spot in the metro that boasts plenty of Chinese restaurants offering a variety of dishes from across Asia.
Image credit: Jerome Reña via Google Maps
For authentic Hong Kongese food, visit Tuen Mun Roasts, a charming spot that specializes in roasted delights like barbecued pork, lechon macau, and roast duck. They also offer other classic Chinese fare, but for something unique, try their century egg with jellyfish.
Even if you live a bit too far from Banawe, the restaurant accommodates orders through a phone call for your convenience.
Address: 74B Nicanor Roxas Street, Sto. Domingo, Quezon City, Metro Manila
Opening hours: Mon-Thu 8am-9pm | Fri-Sun 8am-10pm
Contact: (02) 8568 2343 | Facebook
Image credit: SM Mall of Asia Official via Facebook
For an unique hotpot experience, check out the recently opened branch Haidilao at SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.
Image credit: @goodiefoodieph via Instagram
It offers delightful soup bases and a wide variety of ingredients, including meats, veggies, dumplings, and noodles. However, this Chinese hotpot chain is best known for its exceptional customer service that makes for a one-of-a-kind dining experience for your family.
Diners are treated to complimentary snacks, and even free gel manicure, pedicure, and photo printing services. So the adults can enjoy their meal, there’s even a free mini playground for kids.
Address: L/1 Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Seaside Boulevard, Pasay City, Metro Manila
Opening hours: 10am-5am, Daily
Contact: 0977 739 6088 | Facebook
Having a meal with your loved ones at one of these Chinese restaurants is an enjoyable way to spend the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday. Setting aside Chinese traditions, exploring new types of cuisine is an excellent way to strengthen the family’s bond.
Score the best deals on feasts and gift hampers with this list of Chinese New Year promos. To usher in good luck for the new year, check out these Chinese lucky charms and find out what they mean and where to find them.
Cover image adapted from:
This article was originally published on 27 January 2022 by Kim Shelly Tan and last updated by Kim Shelly Tan on 6 February 2024.
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