After several decades of eating here, it still tastes the same
Ma Mon Luk for me is a nostalgic experience. Whenever I can I try to stopover to buy their asado siopao to bring home to my family. The restaurant could use a touch of paint and could probably use some updating (because it also smells old) but the food is amazing!
My dad would always bring us here when we were little so I can say I grew up eating their special mami and siopao. This is easily my favorite siopao of all time. It's really meaty and tasty. The sweet sauce compliments the saltiness of the meat inside. I also like the simple flavor of the chicken mami noodles. Its hearty and filling at the same time.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Because I live nearby, my family has been visiting this Institution until this day. My late father and mother had a favorite spot where I still sit whenever I dine in this eatery (I am 56 years old already): facing the large old standing photograph of the founder. The flavor of the mami is still similar today, best with their traditional asado or special siopao and mysterious porky (oyster and pork soup combined?) sauce. Another mami eatery, Ma--k-, now having more branches than Ma Mon Luk, offers a much lighter mami soup flavor...hence I think this eatery is truly the undisputed Mami King. Even balikbayans and a lot of oldtimers love this place. It is good they have expanded their menu to include their now in-demand beef mami, as well as crispy chicken, pancit canton, sweet-sour pork, etc... Although still not airconditioned, I come back for that flavor that cannot be copied, or imitated, by any one of the noodle soup houses even if you go to China, HongKong, United States or even anywhere in the Philippines! However, do not expect any Michelin-star fantasies when you dine in this eatery, but the Chinese food here is simple but historically authentic, that is why I give it a 4 and come back for more!
Isa pang nostalgia review. Lagi kaming dinadalhan ng tito ko ng Special Mami at Asado Siopao. Nung bata pa ako ang sinasabi yung sabaw e amoy (aba malay ko ba e bata pa ko nun) tsaka yung "alamat" ng Asado Siopao. For sure alam nyo na yun pero para sakin masarap sya kung ano man sya. Buti na lang at hindi ako kumakain ng dine in dito kaya d ko naranasan yung mga sinasabi ng mga reviewers natin. Minsan nga subukan ko yung iba pa nilang pagkain. :)
Fortunately, there’s spacious parking area but only limited.
Waiting time for orders takes too long. And nothing special about their mami/siopao.
Siopao is already cold when served.
Food is incredibly delicious. if you are looking for a place to travel back in time, this is the place to be. It's like frozen in mid 80's or 90's. Mami and siopao is a must.
We always loved dining here. Even with its old and gloomy restaurant in QC. Their crew has been serving for several years now. Their mami and siopao are the best. Except their Quiapo branch. We had mami with a fly swimming in it.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Since we passed by near Banawe we decided to take a sip and taste the said original Mami of Ma Mon Luk.
Starting with the Place:
You know it's old just by looking at its entrance. The Big space, can serve many customers in. Looking and sitting around gives me this cozy feeling where I remember an old traditional provincial houses. The furnitures are pretty historic as well, my heart is filled with joy when I saw the old sewing machine and old giant iron as displays.
Service:
Since there were plenty of customers out there, and few servers they have, you really have to wave wave wave and catch their attention if you want to be serve fast. Note that the place is not air conditoned and only have giant ceiling fans. 😅 Take out order is easily processed since they have line for it separately.
Going straight to the Food now :
We have ordered The Special Mami and their Siopao special - asado with salted egg. The taste of the mami is quite refreshing in a way that it is not really like the spicy, oily, garlicky, ma toyo maming gala which they call it or like pares mami or beef mami.You know the authentic chinese taste that they have in soup. Some may not appreciate the taste at first even I as well doesn't like it since it is too bland , but after more sip or two and putting fish sauce eventually I loved it and appreciate the taste more. The linamnam taste was in there. The meat was tasty. 👌 Siopao on the other hand, was not the tinipid na siopao like. If we are talking about the stuffed meat inside it, Men! you got the right place. Sauce is unlimited don't you worry about it. 😂
Price :
The special Mami is worth 110 for small and 120 for large it's just 10 peso difference so might as well ordered the large one. Siopao on the other hand is 70 pesos, well that is for the one with salted egg. Orayt, not bad for the siopao though but for the Mami price it's kind of expensive compared to other mami.
Wrapping up the review as it was too long, sorry. If you want something warm especially on rainy or cold days you might want to try this out. I forgot they have fried chicken, beef mami , siomai, lumpia. Dont expect too much , just welcome the unusual and good taste , enjoy the moment, the old people who talk about their memories, (yes majority of the customers are lolo and lolas or seniors). After all , everyone taste buds are different.
VERDICT:
Will I visit it again?
Not always , occasionally. *Dont get me wrong, i loved the food, but it's something you want to reserve on certain days that you want it. ✌️*
Their special jumbo siopao and chicken or beef noodle soup are my favorite eversince I could recall. They still taste as good as the first time I have tried them. I have good memories especially at their Araneta Center branch which is close to our F. Manalo, Cubao home.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
One friend of mine brought me to this place last week for a simple yet good dinner. I've been craving to eat some dim sum of the Chinese Cuisine for days and I was glad that my friend I and landed at that place.
The place is simple, not even an air-conditioned restaurant, but it is what makes the experience authentic. I remembered the days my family and I would often go to Binondo and eat dim sum at the tea houses there. Places would often be spacious, have a lot of tables, and what makes this even seem more real are the newspapers posted on their walls that have articles about Ma Mon Luk!
Because it was a little late already, around 9 PM, we arrived and we were told that the only available for dine-in are, Mami, Siomai, and Siopao.
My friend and I ordered all three for ourselves. When I saw that the Siomai costs 50.00 and there are only two pieces per serving, I was a little bit disappointed. Siomai is one of my top favorite dim sums and I didn't think two pieces would be enough for me. But boy, I was wrong. When I sliced it up to pieces and ate them one by one, I found out I had a hard time eating it all because the siomai was "siksik," it's truly packed with meat and it is not even hollow. Then, I realized, it looked like I ordered four pieces because of how yummy and thick the meat is.
What I appreciate the most with the mami is it lives to its health standards. It might not be as much as tasty and flavorful like the ones you can easily buy in the market, but it surely does not have any umami or MSG. The fact that they used cilantro instead of additives for flavoring is a plus for me.
And my favorite among everything I ordered, the SIOPAO. It delivered well and it truly satisfied me. The thick bread, the thick meat asado inside and it's taste. I devoured everything under 10 minutes which would often take me around 30 minutes before I can finish one whole siopao. :)
I'd come back to this place whenever I want a fix of my Chinese craving! :)
Ma Mon Luk siopao is the best for me. Unfortunately, thats it. I dont like their mami, or their siomai, the siomai was all meat with no fat which made it dry. The mami was bland and they dont have chili garlic which is a staple in almost all chinese restaurants. But lets go back to the siopao. Its amazing. Very tasty and super sulit for the price. I would eat it everyday if i lived near. :)
For an establishment that's been around since your 75-year-old dad's college days in the 50's, Ma Mon Luk's not too shabby. It's where you go when you're craving a bowl of piping hot mami and a large serving of siopao. Don't mind the shabby-looking interior, it's part if its charm. Service is really fast.
Rating it accordingly. (from 1-5)
Accessibility: 5
Value for Money: 5
Cleanliness: 3
Staff: 3
Food: 3
I would say that it's a great place for "out-of-the-blue" Chinese food cravings. It's very accessible for those who commute and those who decides to drive by with their own vehicle.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Rainy season is already here which means its the perfect moment for a bowl of anything that has soup! So if you feel like going authentic Chinese, you may want to consider Ma Mon Luk. As the restaurant has this vibe and taste is legit and was proven by ordering the following:
Siopao Special - The meat and stuffings has a bigger ratio than the bun itself. Pretty good deal they have there
The Original Mami - Hand pulled noodles with beef chunks and everything nice. You can ask for refills on their soup
Beef Mami - Same with their original but has more beef
Pancit Canton - The noodles are tasty enough and was supplemented by its toppings
Siomai - This dim sum has a special place in my heart so I looked forward to it and was not disappointed as theirs is tasty and so tender plus the size is big that it didn't only filled my tummy but my heart as well
The service was not bad but it wasn't remarkable since they have a big space and has to accommodate alot of people. Upon the presentation of your order they will make sure that everything you need is provided to you. If you know how Chinese business works, you wouldn't expect more about their ambiance.
Special Ma Mon Luk mami paired with their Special Asado Siopao. Perfect. Love their siopao most, not so sweet, you can actually see the shreds of meat in each bite.
This place is always plain and simple. No renovation, nothing fancy, but good food. Their Mami has this nice mixture of chicken, pork, and beef. I love their noodles. Their huge siopao is also great. The taste is not as sweet as the usual siopao.
They've perfected their serving systems for sure having the dishes ready in almost an instant. I got to try their classic mami but particularly enjoyed the special siopao. It was very meaty and flavorful.
This is one of the favorite restaurant's of my grandmother. We used to eat in Quiapo and unfortunately Quiapo branch is closed :( The only Ma Mon Luk in manila is this branch in Quezon city. I was just amazed that after 34 years the place is still the same and the price as well .my grandmother told me that Ma Mon Luk is the one that introduces noodles here in Manila. This restaurant is authentic Chinese dish , I so love sweet and soir pork. When I went back to eat at this restaurant I miss my grandmother I wish she is still alive .... Oh well I just hope that this branch won't close because this restaurant is an ICON .... Eating here again reminds me a lot of my childhood memories .... This restaurant is always full even if they don't have aircon and the service is slow it's the food that counts customers are willing to wait and willing to clean the table just to be able to eat here. I'm so happy that I was able to eat here again ......
Old school Siopao & Mami. Still has the old world charm. Grew up with this being a regular treat as a kid. Hope they never change a thing
Ma Mon Luk has definitely left a legacy. They are known for their delicious mami and siopao. They’ve been in the business for several decades now and from what I know, Ma Mon Luk has been handed down to several generations from Mr. Ma Mon Luk himself. But how is it today? Are the foods still delicious? What about the condition of the place itself?
I had to go to a wake last Sunday so I decided to drop by an old childhood favorite where my dad and mom would take us for an inexpensive meal. MaMon Luk brings back memories of my childhood.
The restaurant is still in the same place along Quezon Avenue only cleaner but with the same chaotic ambience that I like. Not air conditioned, fans cooling you down and chaos all around, that's exactly the ambience I remember! The restaurant has only 10 menu items and the popular ones are the mami, special asado siopao, siomai.
It is comfort food. It is food that brings back memories of a by gone era brought back to life. I see
Lots of families here. I see couples on dates and single senior citizens eating what they know to be comfort food.
It's not culinary excellence but it is plain old comfort food.
2nd Generation suki of this branch. Our parents used to date in their quiapo branch after attending mass. This was the time before Jollibee. The place truly brings you back in time. Memories of a simpler and less complicated life. I wish the owners of the place would retain the original look and feel for the succeding generation. Gateway to the past.
Classic childhood comfort food. Brings you back in time during the bygone era. An institution that had withstood the test of time and still is standing strong and with quality that has not change since then. The classic Mami, siopao, and siomai that makes you go warm and fuzzy and brings you back in time during your childhood. Truly a cultural gem.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
This is a place that is so nostalgic that I had to really be aware of my judgement and not be bias. My uncle recently visited from San Diego and everytime he's here he never fails to visit Ma Mon Luk cause it reminds him of his father who frequents the place. We had the same. Mami and bola bola siopao. If you you don't know how to dine here, you might not enjoy it. What you do is put some siopao sauce in the mami soup. Add some salt and pepper if you wish and eat the soup with the siopao making each siopao bite moist with the mami. The is now being renovated and I hope they don't change too much cause the old resto feel brings a lot for the experience. Some of the servers are also old school so you can't really complain about their service. It's a quick chow kinda thing.you go in, order, eat, and leave. The prive is also fair. My only problem is that whenever I pass by their E. Rod branch I wanna have a snack or something but most of the time their parking is packed. Do try them if you have'nt. Or eat the mami-siopao combo if you have not done it the right way during your past visits.
Their mami will always be a classic. They allow you to adjust the seasoning to suit your own taste. Even my lolo has a special place in his heart for their amazing siopaos.
Ma mon luk is one of the oldest "mami" house in manila. I've remembered my mom used to bring us in Quiapo, where i think is the original location before they have a branch here in Banawe. I remebered the unique aroma when you enter the place, which makes the Ma Mon Luk distinct with other mami house. I remembered when i was pregnant, i craved for the Siopao special and the Beef Mami but ordered special mami instead. I almost cried that i didn't get what my tongue wants, but instead the servers happily gave me a sample of other broth they have. I love love love the siopao! I can eat 2 siopao in one sitting! Ma mon luk will always hold the lifetime Mami house Awardee to me! Let's savor the taste and comfort only Ma Mon Luk can give! 😋
Slow service, servers are not being attentive to the customers if they are about to order. We kept on raising our hands and calling some servers attention but no one is approaching our table to get our order. Sometimes they take the order of the customer that just came in than the customers that came earlier, but serving the food is fast. We tried their mami and special siopao. Nothing special about the mami and my aunt told me that the taste is so different from mami she used to eat when she was a child. But their special siopao is good! It's big and full of stuffing inside.
Pag pasok pa lang alam mo na :) you can feel the binondo vibe :) mami and siopao combi my all time fave here :) lagyan pa ng siopao sauce ang mami :)
Big siopao, i like their siopao and noodles match with their hot sauce, what we do is to mix the hot sauce in the noodles adn it will turn red! Yummy hot noodles! 😍😍😍
Their famous mami, siomai and siopao is a killer combo. Although I like Masuki more in terms mami. Their mami is tasty but salty compared to the sweetness of Masuki's. I only got their small because I also ordered siopao and siomai. I had bola-bola which is really big and tasy. It has salted egg inside. The siomai has also a big serving.
The place is really old and smelly because of their noodles. The staff was slow in serving we had to clean our own table. It was also hard to find a parking space that we had to double park our cars.
There foods are just typical for the others but take a look and taste guys it's not that kind of expected taste that u want but its originality and legendary process of cooking they have maintained for a long long period of time..
I love the place! The place doesn't need to be fancy. Ang cute nga e, parang bumalik ako sa nakaraan. Friendly yung cashier. I ordered 4 Original Mami (large bowl) for my family (take out) and 1 siopao special. I don't like asado siopao pero this one is super delicious.
Well first off, why is this place rated 2.8 overall... They have the best siopao and beef mami, Chinese style. The siopao is absolutely delicious and doesn't give you that funny taste like those other siopaos out there. This restaurant is the main reason why I started to eat siopao. Even just the soup of the mami is a thumbs up plus it's affordable. Maybe the only concern I have for this place is the ambiance. It's old so even the chair and tables and restroom and the surrounding is kind of old and unclean. I hope they give it a renovation plus aircon. Please! 🙏🏻
Haven't been here after a long time.I missed the distinct mamon luk smell. I'm glad no major renovations have been made, the tables, the tile flooring , the big picture frame, the tables, the glasses , high ceiling fans, it's all part of the siopao-mami experience. I'm loving the siopao , and the siomai soup, I would pay 5x more for this. I was never a fan of the " super affordable siomai siopao " around and everywhere.You are actually eating extenders and seasonings than real quality meat and bread. I did a take out of sweet and sour pork. Loving it too! Still jam packed after all these years. The waiters though are like headless chickens running around. As usual bad service. But you bear it because you are just monstrously awaiting for your food.
The best siopao we've tasted.. the asado is well flavored.. Not too sweet and salty.. the bun is really soft although not very white in color.. 😀 my mom and i had their original ma mon luk mami while my ate had the beef mami.. I didnt get to taste the beef mami since im not into beef however their original ma mon luk mami is just ok.. A little bland for my taste.. i needed to put fishsauce and calamansi to get the taste that i wanted..
I'm not a big fan of siopao. As a matter of fact, I'd be happy just eating the dough or the discarded outer layer.
But when it comes to Ma Mon Luk? I'd kill for a special asado siopao (or two) right about now.
Date w my momma! Large Classic Chicken Mami +extra soup, and their special asadi👌 always yum! Aircon and better smell lang sana. But all the more, perfect!
I never really liked eating here as a kid, but my sudden craving for siopao and mami brought be back and to my surprise it was one of the best I've had.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes