At first sight, President Tea House was quite intimidating. They were not even part of Cheap Binondo Food Trip articles that can be found on the internet - - but I assure you that the price and serving ratio was all worth it. We had 2 servings of fresh shrimp hakaw and scallop dumplings, asado siopao, stir-fried beef hofan and steamed fish with garlic which we were all able to finish in no time. The dimsum were at it's finest -- comapring to the other dimsum shops we've tried. Hofan was something that we ordered just because it looks appetizing on the next table (haha!), but it never disappointed us. The beef toppings were huge and generous. The fish dish was their bestseller under Seafood category, in which we ought to try. It was delish but looks oily. Nevertheless, perfect as well. We were billed around 1100php for 4, which is not so bad. The servers were friendly and consistently serving us with a smile. Plus points for having wifi access! Time and date of visit: 2 Sept 2017, 12:30pm

Did you know that President used to be a theatre back in the day? Well, if you paid enough attention, you would have figured it out. But the grandeur didn't end when the theater closed down, it was continued by the cuisine that only President can offer. Yes, they do offer the typical Chinese food but they are quite known for a few things that they do best. The Sweet and Sour Pork, that almost no Chinese order nowadays (because we're kinda tired of it), we still order in President, extra crispy. Their version is particularly brighter, more tart but light at the same time; the difference from other restaurants may be subtle but in the end, the slight change matters big time. Also do try their fish fillet in corn sauce, a dish where the fish is coated in custard powder, deep fried, and then smothered in what I would say is a "extra thickened extra eggy crab and corn soup, without the crab". And finally, their taosi eel is to, die, for! Order it boneless, it makes the experience easier to love, not that there wasn't enough in the bone-in to love. Have it with plain rice!

This is another highly recommended dining place in Sta. Cruz Manila. What sets this restaurant apart is the ambiance of the restaurant. None of the gloomy and a bit foreboding vibe that one usually sees in Chinese restaurants. It's comfortable, bright and kind of homey. The staff are nice and attend to your needs with a smile. It can't be helped that there are times when they have so many customers that the wait time stretches longer than usual. They have an extensive selection of dishes that you can choose from. For first timers, I'd recommend their Seafood Pancit Canton. It's different from the usual pork garnished pancit but this is different in a good way. Or go for their steamed spare ribs. Dimsum lovers will have a blast with their famous dimsums. I'm partial to Hakao but you can also try their jumbo siomais if you want to quickly satisfy your hunger. I cannot say enough about their delicious dishes and their servings are quite big for the price that they charge. Pay this Manila institution a visit and find out for yourself what all the buzz is about.