Quack & munch! - President Grand Palace, Binondo - WTF Food Review

The President Grand Palace Restaurant in Binondo
The living legacy of President Grand Palace Restaurant in Binondo
We recently visited the famous Ongpin Street in Binondo, Manila. Popularly known as "the authentic Chinese enclave of Manila" that showcases all things Chinese and traditional. I and my then fiance went there to canvass for our wedding rings. As recommended by Drei, we visited Ty Po Huat - the store where he purchased his. While looking at their selection of rings, I can't keep but think of food, duck in particular. Since we were in Ongpin, I've asked the owner of the jewelry store if she can recommend any good place to grab some roasted duck (since it was already lunch and we are really hungry), she then told us to try President Grand Palace.

The famous Ongpin street
The famous Ongpin street
Since it's our first time in Binondo and I was totally unfamiliar with the place, I took the liberty of utilizing Waze. After 30 minutes of walking and getting lost, lo and behold, we were finally getting ourselves some duck!

The place was nearly fully packed when we arrived (considering it was lunchtime). As what Binondo is known to be, the resto’s a mini melting pot of races which includes Filipinos and other nationalities, including of course Chinese. We got seated immediately and called the attention of the waiter and asked whether they serve roasted duck. In their menu, I saw no roasted duck.
The President Grand Palace Menu preview
The President Grand Palace Menu preview
The waiter asked their chef and told us that they serve roasted duck which flipped my disappointment to excitement. Priced at PHP480 for 1/4 kilo, it ain’t that bad. We added Brisket Beef w/ Rice (PHP160) under the impression that the duck will be good for one person only. And yeah, there house lemonade for PHP100. After waiting for approximately 10 minutes, our order was served.
President Grand Palace dining setup
President Grand Palace dining setup
I started quickly and grabbed some roasted ducks. I was amazed at the sauce! It goes really well with the duck and the consistency is on point! The meat is so tasty without too much effort. I ended up asking for more sauce as I quickly finished off the first one. I think it's a combination of soy sauce/oyster sauce, puréed ginger, and some spices. Though I do not consider it as the best and tastiest roasted duck I've ever tasted, the sauce really plays well with it.
President Grand Palace - Roasted Duck (PHP480)
Roasted Duck (PHP480)
We got shocked to see the Beef Brisket (PHP160) as we really thought it's good for only 1 person. We noticed that the beef brisket has a generous amount of meat and leeks in it. I think this dish is good for 2-3 person max. The sauce is similarly well but a little bit gingery in my preference, but hey! It really works! The lemonade is really good and you can taste that it’s made from the genuine stuff. They also provided a generous amount of sugar syrup along.
President Grand Palace - Beef Brisket (PHP160)
Beef Brisket (PHP160)
Overall, it's a great experience. The serving is generous and we ended up taking some home since I wanted my brother to have a taste of it.
  • Place 
    • The main dining area is large, clean and is well air-conditioned. Plenty of tables so there will be no problem during rush hours. 
    • There is also a spacious lobby where customers can wait. 
    • No parking area because...it's Binondo. 
    • The restroom can be improved 
  • Service 
    • The girl servers and attendants are pretty (lol) and courteous. Haven't encountered male staff but I can spot some of them. They look neat and presentable and will greet you with a smile. 
    • Free sauce for days! They even gave us another round of new sauce upon telling that I'll have some of the food brought home. 
    • They have this tendency to mix things up though (esp the orders). They mistakenly gave us food that was supposed to be for another table. 
  • Price 
    • Two thumbs up! At first, you will be intimidated by the menu because the prices are "somewhat" pricey, but then you will be shocked at the serving size. Definitely worth it.
Location: 746-750 Ongpin Street, Binondo, Manila, Philippines
Operating Hours: 10:00AM to 11:00PM
Contact Number: +632 2445886 / +632 2434988
Let's rate them, shall we?
Food: 4.5/5

Ambiance: 2.5/5
Service: 3/5
Value for money: 4/5
OVERALL: 3.5/5

What does Zomato say?
President Grand Palace Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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