In one of the short cuts to Ongpin St from Soler, near General Luna, I espied this tiny dumpling shop called Dong Bei at the corner of Yuchengco St. and Oriente at the back of the Binondo Church.

This five-table restaurant is typical of very small, family-run eateries in Mainland China. There are hand-made signs plastered on the inside and the outside of the shop, mostly in Chinese. The clientele is also very Chinese, but one can get by if one addresses the Filipino staff who wait on clients and hand-make the dumplings. The husband-and-wife team that owns this place are also quite helpful and accommodating.

My lunch started with chive- and pork-filled fried dumplings that were made to order. I perked up my soy, vinegar, ginger and garlic dip with homemade fried chili sauce. The dumplings were as wonderfully crunchy and fresh as I anticipated. Next came Xiao Long Bao, or soup filled dumplings. Although there was not much soup in the dumplings, one could see the care taken by the staff; they were steamed to order and freshly-made. The home-style noodles (commonly called chachang and made with thick, white wheat strands) were served simply, topped with a very flavorful sauce of fermented bean and ground pork. (ASIDE: I am dreaming of this meal as I write this column; I remember how yummy it was!)

My meat course, which was another highly recommendable menu item, was beef served with Sin jiang flavor. These were tender and moist morsels of beef lightly coated with sesame seeds and stir-fried with cucumber cubes. The beef was delicately marinated and had a light, pleasant sweetness that went well with the cool flavor of the cucumber.

On my second visit, I also ordered the same items, but this time, I added an order of vegetarian steamed dumplings, which had a balanced combination of celery and mixed vegetables. It was very clean-tasting and not at all boring, unlike other establishments that do not really understand vegetarian principles. But the scene-stealer for that evening were the fried pancakes filled with pork; it was so crunchy and chewy!

I recently learned that this place is one of the stops for a Chinatown walking tour, and if one does not mind eating in a Spartan setting, it is a place on my list that I very much recommend. (Check out the love pills they sell in their showcase; drop me a note if you’ve tried them. I’m just curious!)

Near the corner of Soler and Reina Regente, and just a stone’s throw away from MEISIC and 168 Mall, is a dumpling place called Bian Jia Dumpling House that I had always passed but never had the conviction or opportunity to go into, until hunger really got the better of me and some friends one shopping day. I decided that we’d take a break from falling in line and hustling a table, so I said, why not try this place?

This little, 5-table restaurant has two staff members dividing the dough for their "Jiao Zi", or dumplings, right by entrance. From the look of the place, owner, and menu, this place is truly from the Mainland. I was glad to have ordered the inexpensive (actually the cheapest) seaweed soup--a light broth with seaweed and dried Krill shrimp--which gave it a rather sharp taste.

This went well with the steaming hot, lightly crunchy, handmade fried dumplings filled with cabbage and pork. Other filling choices include celery and pork, chives, and a combination of beef and pork. This was dipped in a soy, vinegar and broth mix.

The xiao long bao or steamed soup dumpling is admirable because it has very clean flavors, unlike other xiao long baos that have this faint taste of pork. I love their house chilies, which are dried and preserved in oil; I added them to my vinegar-ginger dip.

Finally, we had a simple dish of homemade flat noodles with a sauce of ground pork and preserved vegetables served on the side that was so simple yet so flavorful.

I look forward to going back and being able to order some of the "Manchurian" items on the menu, and in the process, probably giving the chef-owner a free hand with his cooking. Also, I’ll muster enough guts to ask whether that long appendage displayed inside a huge glass is a bull’s genitals steeped in wines and herbs. (If my thoughts are right, this adventure could extend elsewhere. But again, I digress.)