The Original Salido Restaurant

This is an interesting place in chinatown. They are known for their coffee that tastes absolutely amazing! The place is a typical place where old or middle aged people typically hangout on a normal day. Food is very affordable and staff is very friendly. If you ever become a regular customer at this place you get your own mug to use in the restaurant, and it makes you feel at home!

By the time we arrived here, we were already too full to enjoy a full meal. However, we heard that the place is famous for its coffee. I had an iced latte while my friends enjoyed a classic hot brew. While the coffee was good, it was nothing to write home about. I looked at the menu and it seems like they serve all the usual Chinese classics. I'm sure that the food is good but I must say, the place needs a total renovation. Old school charm is one thing but this place is just old and simply over the hill. It feels to me like the kind of place my grandfather would have a coffee spiked with brandy with his fellow WW2 veterans talking about the glory of yesteryears. Nevertheless, if I'm in the area, I would probably still want to come back to have a full meal here.

I have to admit, its your typical chinese restaurants with the same dishes as its competitors have. But that would be their edge, Sa Lido had outcooked all other chinese restaurants with their dishes, comparing even just their chicken, salt and pepper spareribs (my personal favorite) or even their asado which is their greatest creation yet is simply delicious, and for a person who loves chinese food, i would eat here 3x a day if i could. Definitely a go to, and also prepare yourself, their food is like pringles, once you pop you cant stop.

Not a lot of people know that Sa Lido serves great dimsum. Our favorites include the siomai and Japanese siomai. It just takes a while for them to serve the dimsum orders since they only steam when someone asks for it. 

Expect a lot of Chinese uncles hanging and drinking coffee here. It can get pretty loud sometimes but I don't think there's one Chinese restaurant that's free from table chatter noise. It's all part of the charm.

A good trip to Binondo's Chinatown is not complete without experiencing authentic Chinese food at one of their many Chinese restaurants. So when me and the boyfriend found ourselves again at the heart of a self-made Manila Tour, I searched for a restaurant that we have not tried yet but at the same time, affordable. And we found ourselves at the foot of the stairs leading to Sa Lido along Ongpin Street. 

The place was relatively big compared to most. We were seated right away because it was 2pm already and the lunch rush was over. We ordered after 5 minutes of choosing and we were given the house tea that tasted good, in my favor, because it was not very strong so the bitter taste was not there. 

Here are what we ordered:

1. Jellyfish and Century Eggs - our appetizer. So good! The sauce was sweet and spicy and as usual, I enjoyed the chewy texture of the jellyfish. Complimented perfectly with the century eggs that provided the salty part of this dish.
2. Yang Chow Fried Rice - I always tell friends that I can do without rice, meaning plain rice, but I cannot resist a good helping of fried rice. How much more a Yang Chow fried rice? It was good for me, of course. 
3. Beef Hofan noodles - Good for sharing. There were a lot of beef there, no scrimping on the ingredients. And the crunch of the bean sprouts added extra texture while chewing. Tasted good because it was not salty, just right. As I always enjoy my hofan/
4. Salt and Pepper Spareribs - This was okay for me. It was battered so It kind of covered the simple salt and pepper taste of the meat for me. Love the vinegar sauce though. 

What I really like about Chinese foods is their serving size so if one is really hungry, going to a Chinese food resto is a must. And it fits your budget alright! And so many choices so you must also do research online to see what their bestsellers are. 

Overall, we enjoyed our first time here and that jellyfish is something I'm looking forward to ordering again on my next visit, and their famous Asado too!