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Chinese influence is everywhere in Filipino food. Most Chinese Filipinos trace their roots to Fujian province, and their Hokkien language gave Filipino food many of its names: pancit, lumpia, siopao, siomai, mami, hopia, tikoy and kikiam. Over centuries, these dishes took on Filipino flavors: sweeter sauces, calamansi, and a place at every birthday and fiesta. The best place to taste them is Binondo in Manila, established in 1594 and often called the world’s oldest Chinatown.
Eat your way through the world’s oldest Chinatown with a local guide.
How Chinese food shaped Filipino cuisine
Chinese traders were sailing to the Philippine islands long before the Spanish arrived, exchanging porcelain, silk and iron for local goods. Under Spanish rule, Chinese merchants and artisans settled in Manila, first in the Parián outside Intramuros and then in Binondo, founded in 1594 for Catholic Chinese and their families.
Many of these settlers married Filipinas, creating the Chinese mestizo community that shaped Philippine trade, politics and food. Street vendors and panciterias (noodle shops) spread Chinese dishes to ordinary Filipinos, who adapted them with local ingredients like calamansi, patis and sweeter sauces. Today, many of these dishes are simply thought of as Filipino.
Filipino food words that come from Hokkien
| Filipino word | What it is | Hokkien origin (approx. meaning) |
|---|---|---|
| Pancit | Noodle dishes | “Something conveniently cooked” |
| Lumpia | Spring rolls | A soft wrapper roll |
| Siopao | Steamed buns | “Hot bun” |
| Siomai | Pork dumplings | A steamed open dumpling |
| Mami | Noodle soup | Meat and noodles |
| Hopia | Flaky filled pastry | “Good pastry” |
| Tikoy | Sticky rice cake | “Sweet cake” |
| Kikiam | Five-spice rolls | A rolled meat roll |
| Taho | Silken tofu snack | Tofu (tau-hu) |
Even the family words ate (older sister) and kuya (older brother) come from Hokkien.
Chinese-Filipino dishes you should try
- Pancit The umbrella name for Filipino noodles: pancit canton (egg noodles), bihon (rice noodles), Malabon (thick noodles with seafood sauce) and Pampanga’s luglug. Served at every birthday for long life. See our Pampanga delicacies guide.
Pancit canton and pancit bihon. Illustrative image. - Lumpia Lumpiang Shanghai are thin fried rolls of ground pork; lumpiang sariwa are fresh rolls with vegetables and a sweet peanut sauce.
Lumpiang Shanghai. Illustrative image. - Siopao Fluffy steamed buns filled with sweet asado pork or a meatball-and-egg bola-bola filling.
- Siomai Pork or shrimp dumplings, eaten with soy sauce, calamansi and chili garlic. Sold everywhere from mall stalls to train stations.
Siomai with calamansi and chili garlic. Illustrative image. - Mami Comforting egg-noodle soup with chicken, beef or wonton, perfect on rainy days.
- Lomi Thick egg noodles in a rich, starchy broth, especially famous in Batangas.
- Chop suey Stir-fried mixed vegetables with meat or seafood and quail eggs, a staple of Filipino family meals.
- Pata tim Pork leg braised slowly in soy sauce, sugar and star anise until meltingly tender.
- Humba The Visayan braised pork belly, sweet and savory, related to Chinese red-braised pork.
- Kiampong Savory Chinese-style rice cooked with pork, chestnuts and mushrooms.
- Machang Sticky rice with pork wrapped in bamboo leaves, a Binondo favorite.
- Taho Warm silken tofu with brown sugar syrup and sago pearls, sold by morning street vendors.
- Hopia Flaky pastries filled with mung bean, ube or pork fat paste, a classic pasalubong.
- Tikoy A sticky sweet rice cake eaten at Chinese New Year, often sliced, dipped in egg and fried.
Chinese-Filipino food in Cebu
Cebu has one of the country’s oldest Chinese communities, and its food shows it. Ngohiong, a deep-fried roll seasoned with five-spice powder and served with a sweet-spicy sauce, is a Cebuano street-food favorite. Cebu is also known for humba, siomai stalls and Chinese-Filipino bakeries. See our guides to famous Cebu delicacies and famous restaurants in Cebu.
Where to eat: Binondo, Manila’s Chinatown
Binondo, founded in 1594, is often called the oldest Chinatown in the world. Its narrow streets, especially Ongpin Street, are packed with dumpling houses, noodle shops, hopia bakeries and Chinese drugstores. Long-running favorites include Eng Bee Tin for hopia and tikoy, Dong Bei Dumplings for handmade dumplings, and classic mami houses.
- Go hungry and share: order small plates at several stops.
- Go early on weekdays to avoid lines at popular dumpling shops.
- Bring cash, since many small eateries don’t take cards. See money in the Philippines.
- Visit Binondo Church, the Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, at the heart of the district.
Chinese New Year foods in the Philippines
Chinese New Year is celebrated nationwide, and Binondo hosts parades and dragon dances. Popular foods for luck include tikoy (sticky rice cake, for sticking together and rising fortunes), pancit (long noodles for long life), round fruits for prosperity, and hopia as gifts. Chinese New Year 2027 falls on February 6. See our Cebu festivals calendar.
Taste it with a guide
Food tours take you to the family-run shops tourists would never find alone. Klook bookings often include free cancellation.
Chinese-Filipino food: FAQ
What Filipino foods come from China?
Many everyday Filipino foods have Chinese roots, including pancit, lumpia, siopao, siomai, mami, lomi, chop suey, pata tim, hopia, tikoy, kikiam and taho. Most were introduced by Hokkien-speaking traders and settlers from Fujian.
Where does the word pancit come from?
Pancit comes from a Hokkien phrase usually translated as “something conveniently cooked,” reflecting its roots as quick noodle dishes sold by Chinese vendors.
What is the oldest Chinatown in the world?
Binondo in Manila, established in 1594, is often described as the oldest Chinatown in the world. It’s famous for Ongpin Street’s dumpling houses, noodle shops and hopia bakeries.
What is the difference between siopao and siomai?
Siopao is a fluffy steamed bun filled with sweet asado pork or bola-bola meatball. Siomai is a small open-topped dumpling of pork or shrimp, usually eaten with soy sauce, calamansi and chili garlic.
What is ngohiong?
Ngohiong is a Cebuano street food: a deep-fried roll seasoned with five-spice powder, served with a sweet and spicy sauce. It reflects Cebu’s long-established Chinese community.
Why do Filipinos eat pancit on birthdays?
Long noodles symbolize long life in Chinese tradition, and Filipinos adopted the custom, so pancit is served at almost every birthday celebration.
What do Filipinos eat during Chinese New Year?
Tikoy, a sticky rice cake, is the most popular, along with pancit for long life, round fruits for prosperity, and hopia as gifts. Binondo in Manila holds the biggest celebrations.
Where can I take a food tour of Binondo?
Guided food tours of Binondo, such as the Big Binondo Food Wok, take you through Ongpin Street and nearby alleys to taste dumplings, noodles, hopia and other Chinese-Filipino favorites.
Hungry? Book a Binondo food crawl or plan your Manila food trip.
Cebu-born travel writer raised between Cebu and Dumaguete, now based in Zamboanga del Sur, Mindanao. Gio writes Best Philippines Travel Guide to help first-time visitors travel the islands with confidence.