One of the oldest, if not the oldest, noodle house in Binondo. Mr. Ma, a resident of Guangzhou and a teacher who immigrated to the Philippines during pre-war period. He came to the country with nothing so he decided to make noodles and put up a stall to sell to hungry locals. It was a hit. He decided to put up a small shop to where Masuki (known as Makong before) stands today, and call his creation "Mami" which derived from Ma, his surname, and Mi, Chinese word for noodles. Interesting story.
Masuki or Makong is an old restaurant that we eat growing up. They only serve three things: Siomai, Siopao, and Mami. It is cheap, affordable, and very delicious, plus it fills you up. The siomai is made of finely ground pork and a very thin wrapper that allows the meat to shine. Squeeze some calamansi on it and dip into the universal (siopao) sauce. Siopao is another best-seller because of the rich filling and they do not crimp on it.
Masuki is famous for its noodles. Chicken is my favorite, and this is how I teach my non-Chinese friends to eat it to be able to enjoy the most delicious bowl of mami noodles:
1. Have a sip or two of the hot soup when it arrives, savouring the real taste of the stock.
2. Pour the provided special sauce to your bowl, mixing it with the soup for a new, sweet-salty taste. More flavorful. Then ask for another bowl of special sauce.
3. Scoop up some noodles, and get a spoonful of the special sauce, that way most of the noodles will be covered in the sauce. Eat till your heart's content. Repeat this process until you finish the noodles.
4. Dunk the toppings to the remaining sauce. It is important to have tea afterwards to cleanse the palate and to make sure everything goes down to the stomach. Happy tummy and a nice experience!
Try it, and if you don't like it, then have it your way. Just sharing how I eat them.
Most of the women I know (my wife, mother, sisters-in-law) do not like Masuki and I still don't know why. Maybe it is made for men. Hehe! read more