To Ho Panciteria Antigua — Restaurant in Manila

We visited To Ho Restaurant in Binondo, one of the oldest Chinese restaurants in Manila, to see what the hype was about. Given its reputation, we expected classic and comforting Chinese flavors.

What We Ordered: • Pancit Canton & Yang Chow Fried Rice • Mala Tau Foo • Sweet and Sour Pork • Fried Kikiam & Choy Suey

Overall Experience:

✔ Taste & Food Quality: The food was quite decent, leaning towards classic Binondo-style Chinese cuisine. The Sweet and Sour Pork had the right balance of tanginess and sweetness, while the Pancit Canton was flavorful, though a bit on the wet side. The Mala Tau Foo brought in a nice kick of spice, and the Fried Kikiam was a nostalgic bite that complemented the meal well.

✔ Ambience & Service: The place gets really crowded during peak hours (lunch and dinner), so we were lucky to have arrived early. The fast service was a plus, as the staff were efficient despite the busy environment.

✔ Price Point: Reasonably priced, considering the serving size and the quality of food but we regretted that we didnt order more. It’s a great place for those craving affordable, no-frills Chinese food in the heart of Binondo.

✔ Room for Improvement: It would be great if they provided chopsticks for those who are used to eating noodles with them—spoon and fork just don’t hit the same for a true pancit experience!

To Ho served a good, straightforward Chinese dining experience that’s clearly liked by locals. While it may not be a game-changer, it’s a solid go-to spot for traditional flavors at an affordable price. Would we return? Yes—but we’d make sure to come early to...

Traditional cooking...a taste of the food appreciated since two centuries ago. It is said that To Ho Antigua was first established by "Po Kong" Bautista in 1888 as Antigua Panciteria. Some stories also say that they were a group of 5 Chinese migrants who put this up and eventually sold it when they moved back to China. The current owners who bought it from the original 5 have had it for 3 generations. I have eaten here since the '90s to 2007. We usually held meetings here with clients in the Binondo area. There used to be a mezzanine floor that was air-conditioned while the ground floor relied on electric fans. Now, I can barely recognize the place because it was renovated and looks a lot more modern than the supposed 1888 start. It actually survived two world wars and a fire that gutted it in 1960. A lot of food writers would say that a lot of famous people from National heroes, Rizal and Bonifacio to tycoons, celebrities and sportsmen like Manny Pacquiao have patronized To Ho.

The Wongs who now own the restaurant have done very little to change the menu. You could probably count on one hand the dishes they added like Leche Flan or the Spicy Squid. All the rest have stood the test of time.

This was part of my Binondo food crawl and we ordered some of the classics; Pork Asado, Camaron Rellenado and Yang Chow Rice.

Their Pancit Canton, Pata de Jamon, Lumpiang Shanghai, Kikiam and Pata Tim are the other favorites people take the trek to T. Pinpin for a taste of...

We ate here last Sunday. I didn’t know they had a promo: if you find a cockroach in your food, then your food is free. We found one in our pancit canton so they removed the pancit from our bill. If you want some free food, then you just need to find the cockroach. Kidding aside, it’s true that we found a cockroach in our food. And sadly, we found it when we only had a couple of spoonfuls left of our pancit canton. Luckily, our stomach is not that sensitive so we did not vomit or had a stomachache. But I am not sure if this will be the case for others. We reported it to the server and they said that it came from the “cabbage” and it is not from their restaurant/kitchen. “It’s not a house ipis, it’s a cabbage ipis.” They apologized and removed the pancit canton from our bill. As we were about to leave, we found a similar cockroach on the floor, crawling in front of us, without a care in the world. I guess that’s the cockroach from the “neighbor”?! The place is not clean and the food is so-so. The service is poor as we needed to ask three different servers for a pitcher of water before it was given to us. Maybe if you’re not their suki who would give them tips, then they would not serve you well.

Anyway, what can you expect from the oldest restaurant located in the oldest Chinatown? Just be prepared, check your food, and don’t get your expectations up. Personally, this will be our first and last visit...