Tim Ho Wan at the Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall

Tim Ho Wan, a famous chain of dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong, today opens it first branch in the Philippines located at SM Megamall's premier dining destination, the Mega Fashion Hall. It opened its first branch in 2009 in Hong Kong and within its first year of operations, is has been vested with the distinction as the world's cheapest Michelin-star restaurant. At present, Tim Ho Wan has branches in Hong Kong, Singapore, and now the Philippines.

Feng Shui for 2013 Year of the Water Snake

MANILA - The Chinese New Year is fast approaching and the street of Ongpin in Binondo, Manila is again packed with Filipinos and Filipino-Chinese in search of lucky charms and home decors. The Chinese tradition of feng shui has become an integral part of most Filipinos' lives, especially in the area of architecture and business. Whenever we talk about feng shui, the first thing that would come to our mind is luck in terms of prosperity and money. This usually comes in form of lucky charms or enhancers used to attract wealth and even good health. This is true, but luck is only one of the aspects of feng shui.

In a lifestyle that involves a lot of risks, such as travel, another very important aspect of feng shui that should be given attention is protection. Protection is directed against negative energies, bad health or sickness, and ill intentions from other people. According to Mr. Johnson Chua, a feng shui expert based in Binondo, Manila, protection is even more important than enhancers. In fact, certain enhancers may be less effective or even useless without the correct protection.

with Mr. Johnson Chua, Feng Shui expert based  in Binondo, Manila

We visited Mr. Chua's store in Binondo, Manila to seek advice for 2013, the year of the water snake. We asked him directly if it would be safe for us to travel this year. Ed and I were born in the year of the horse and sheep, respectively. The good news is, according to Mr. Chua, it is generally safe for both of us to travel this year. Yey! But here's the bad news, we should both take extra care of our health. According to Mr. Chua, individuals born in the year of the sheep should focus on their physical well-being while those born in the year of the horse should avoid stress to maintain mental well-being.

Nonetheless, we requested a protection that we can wear or carry around since we travel a lot. Mr. Chua recommended the dragon's eye. He opened a box full of amulets and we were asked to pick the amulet that appeals to us, the one the appears staring at us (see image on top).

I selected a brownish-green amulet to which Mr. Chua attached a lapis lazuli bead. According to him, blue is my lucky color and it serves as an enhancer to attract good health. Ed chose a black amulet. Mr. Chua then attached a hematite bead to it, also to enhance good health. He then blessed the amulets in a Tibetan singing bowl and asked us to pick our amulets from the bowl. We were instructed not to let anyone touch our amulets.

2013 Feng Shui for Travelers

According to Mr. Chua, travel safety may differ from person to person, but in general, it is safe to travel in the year of the water snake, except for the four conflicting animal signs:

Rat, Ox, Rabbit, Dragon, Horse, Goat, Rooster, Dog those born under these animal signs will encounter little problem while traveling; it is generally safe to travel but personal safety precautions is always advised

Tiger, Snake, Monkey, Pig these four animal signs are in conflict (chong tai sue) with the water snake; those under these animal signs should be extra careful during travel; avoid confrontations or arguments

Like what most feng shui experts say, we should not depend solely on feng shui, it is only meant to guide and help us. Combined with the right protection and luck, prosperity may be achieved through hard work, good health through proper diet and exercise, and safety through personal precautions.

With this, we wish you all a prosperous, healthy and safe 2013, the year of the water snake.

For personal feng shui consultations, you may visit Mr. Chua's store in Binondo, Manila. See below:

Mr. Johnson Chua / Sunrise General Merchandise
803 Salazar St.corner Ongpin St. (same street as President Tea House, accross President Grand Palace)
Binondo, Manila
Telephone: 241-3963
Mobile: 0917-8533369
Email: jxnline@yahoo.com
Website: www.thedragonphoenix.com
Store Hours: Monday-Sunday 9:00am-6:30pm

Dipolog City: Siomai and Siopao at Classic Dimsum

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - We wanted to visit the Provincial Capitol of Zamboanga del Norte, but unfortunately, the building was being renovated. Across the capitol, we were surprised to see a Chinese restaurant, Classic Dimsum.

It was 4:00pm and it was just the right time for an afternoon merienda. We ordered Steamed Siomai (four pieces at Php 30.00) and Bola Siopao (Php22.00). Though there was really nothing extraordinary about them, they were good enough to satisfy your craving for authentic Chinese dimsum.



They also serve noodles, congee, rice toppings, hot pots, and other Chinese classic dishes. According to the staff, their best sellers are their seafood dishes, especially the crab dishes. The restaurant is owned by a Chinese businessman based in Dipolog.

When we were about to finish our dimsum, two "politician-looking" men escorted by four armed soldiers entered the restaurant. They seem to be frequent customers of Classic Dimsum as they already know what to order even without looking at the menu. Their order also included steamed siomai.

This is a joint post between Pinas Muna and Chinoy Edition.


Classic Dimsum
General Luna Street
in front of the Provincial Capitol
Dipolog City
Phone: (065) 212-2176
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/classic.dimsum
Store Hours: 8:30am-8:00pm

Iloilo City: Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arch

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo - Iloilo is one of the many cities in the Philippines with the highest population of Filipino-Chinese and their presence is most evident in downtown Iloilo, particularly along J.M. Basa Street and Iznart Street.

Iznart Street, also referred to as Calle Real, features Spanish and American era buildings making it Iloilo's counterpart of Manila's Escolta. At present time, it is dominated by business owned by Chinese-Ilonggos, most of which are general merchandise and construction supplies and hardware stores.

In the beginning of 2012, the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arch was erected at the corner of Iznart Street facing Plazoleta Gay, serving as a new landmark of Iloilo's local China town.

During our visit, we made a walking tour of Iznart, Aldeguer and J.M. Basa Streets. It was like walking around the streets of Santa Cruz, Manila, only the streets are wider and there are less people.

Unlike Ongpin in Manila, we only spotted one Chinese restaurant in the area. It was along J.M. Basa Street which we will try on our next visit to Iloilo. We hope that more Chinese-Ilonggos would establish Chinese restaurants in Calle Real. They will not only appeal to the food-loving Ilonggos but will surely draw more tourists to the area in search of new culinary adventures.

This visit to Iloilo's China Town adds to our appreciation of the rich history, culture and heritage of the city. With this we say 我們愛伊洛伊洛 (We love Iloilo City).

This post is part of the new Chinoy series, and is a joint post between Pinas Muna and Chinoy Edition.