5 Great Reasons to Dine at Binondo Boys

An exploration of culinary excellence rooted in history and refined for today’s diners

By Spanky Hizon Enriquez |

January 23, 2026

Binondo Boys channels the energy and flavors of Manila’s Chinatown in a compact, fast-paced neighborhood setting.

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The Return of Chef Mikel Zaguirre. It’s been ten years since he opened Locavore, one of the best restaurants that opened a decade ago, and still drawing a consistent crowd to this day. I recall being fascinated by his “Sizzling Sinigang”, a dish complete with all the accouterments: beef short ribs, bright red tomatoes, bright green French Beans, and . . . butter. Butter in the form of “roux”, a throwback and testament to the fine dining establishment where he got his primary training, at only twenty-one years old. It was a Filipino dish with a sly French accent. And best of all? No broth, but exceptional in taste. It became one of the best dishes of the year, and it was one of the specials that redefined Filipino cuisine.

At Binondo Boyz, diners navigate a thoughtfully designed menu that makes it easy to explore Chef Zaguirre’s elevated Filipino-Chinese offerings, all served hot and fresh from two burners and a steamer.

It’s been a very, very busy decade indeed for the chef: opening multiple concepts, consulting for new ones, and best of all, getting married. But one thing seemed to be missing, his masterful placements of simple Filipino cuisine, but made extremely special, inevitably thanks to his touch. He’s been all over the map of Metro Manila, opening in malls mainly, and he himself felt the need to return to his roots.

Hence, his first, a Filipino-Chinese eatery in Quezon City called Binondo Boys. It’s a tiny joint, that’s fairly begging to be expanded, and it will, the chef already revealed the Congressional and San Juan will be the next hot spots, and I’m pumped. One meal isn’t enough to enjoy the almost hundred dishes that are prepared by two burners and one steamer. Food comes hot and fast, and best of all? Delicious.

Here are my five great reasons to dine at Binondo Boys:

A decade after redefining modern Filipino cuisine, Zaguirre brings familiar flavors back into focus through a more intimate dining concept.

The Unmistakable Binondo Vibe

Upon taking your seat, and just breathing in the ambiance, when you smell the aromas and see the delightfully authentic dishes? I won’t blame you if you imagine that outside that red door, you’ll exit out on Carvajal or Benavidez right in Binondo. The cooks and servers in their striped uniforms, busy as bees, providing you with great Fil-Chi food in mere minutes. This is paradise for folks from Q.C. who love the cuisine, but hate the traffic going to Chinatown.

Signature rice toppings at Binondo Boys highlight classic Filipino-Chinese dishes served simply and generously.

The To-Die-For Rice Topping Meals

Ahhhhh. Sweet & Sour Pork and Lemon Chicken. Our favorites from when we were children, led into Chinese restaurants by our grandparents and parents. They’re here, gorgeously plated, atop steaming hot rice. It’s an instant core memory unlocked by the first mouthful. Try the fantastic White Chicken and Tausi Spareribs Rice Toppings too!

Dimsum, including siomai and hakaw, along with noodles and congee, anchor the menu, reflecting the everyday comfort food traditions of Tsinoy cuisine.

The Unmistakable Dimsum & Noodles & Congee

The bowl placed in front of me contained Tendon. In recent years, the previously misidentified pieces of pork called “fat” has gained tremendous advantage in my orders. Beef Brisket Tendon, said the menu, and I knew I had to have it. It arrived, steaming up the whole restaurants, and everything clicked: the noodles and the broth, the vegetables, the succulent beef, and yes, the divine tendon. Accompanied by my Pork & Shrimp Siomai which arrived as if delivered from Eden, I was in heaven.

The Beef Kare-Kare Bowl exemplifies the restaurant’s blend of Filipino flavors and Chinese technique.

The Awesome Beef Kare-Kare Bowl

There is a surprise after your meal; at the end upon receiving your bill, it’ll be accompanied by a Scratch & Win card, and I got the Beef Kare-Kare Bowl, the definition of the restaurant itself: It’s pure Filipino, thanks to the rich peanut sauce, but at the same time, pure Chinese as the sauce is placed generously atop braised flat noodles, greens, and a hard-boiled egg. There’s bagoong on the side too. It’s instantly addicting. Pure Pinoy and Pure Chinese. Tsinoy!

Open 24 hours, Binondo Boys positions itself as an all-day dining destination for Quezon City’s growing food scene.

The Restaurant Is Open 24/7!!!

It doesn’t matter if you’re working 9 to 5, or whether you keep a midnight BPO schedule. Whether you’d like to come after an evening basketball game or perhaps pickleball, or whether you’re arriving to bring your date to someplace unique and out-of-the-way to cap off a romantic night. Binondo Boys is open all day and all night. Peak hours begin at 6pm all the way to 4am. Best time to go, afternoons from 2pm to 4pm. Whether you’re coming in for breakfast or lunch or dinner or midnight snacks, welcome to your own little Binondo in Q.C.!