“Big Bowl Noodles” is about as straightforward a restaurant name as you can get.
There’s no mystery about what they serve, no witty wordplay to wrap your head around, and certainly no shortage of big bowls involved. The bigger challenge, at least for me, was actually finding the place.
Tucked somewhere along the busy and slightly chaotic stretch of Yuchengco Street in Binondo, Big Bowl Noodles can be surprisingly easy to overlook. With signs, storefronts, wires, pedestrians, and the general visual clutter of Chinatown competing for your attention, it’s the kind of place you could walk past without ever realizing.
But once you do find it, the name starts making a lot more sense—because their portions aren’t exactly shy.
Finding Big Bowl Noodles in Binondo
Big Bowl Noodles isn’t the kind of restaurant you’re likely to spot from halfway down the street. You really have to keep an eye out while navigating Yuchengco Street, where there’s always something else demanding your attention.
That makes discovering it feel a little like finding a hidden level in your Binondo food crawl.
And while the name might initially sound generic, I can guarantee that their food more than makes up for the lack of personality. The portions are generous, particularly when it comes to the noodles and soup, making this the sort of place where you can order one bowl and already have something feast-like in front of you.
I started with the beef wonton soup, which turned out to be exactly the kind of bowl you want when you’re hungry.
The Beef Wonton Soup Comes in a Big Bowl
The beef wonton soup arrives with all the components you’d hope to see: noodles, wontons, beef, chopped up cabbage, and generous pool of broth—all of which make the bowl feel properly loaded.
The beef comes in large, hefty chunks rather than tiny pieces that disappear somewhere between the noodles. They’re substantial enough that you get a proper bite of meat with your soup, making the bowl feel much more filling than your average noodle dish.
Then there are the noodles themselves. They’re long and chewy with strands that are perfect for twirling around your chopsticks—or, more realistically, chasing around the bowl before eventually getting them into your mouth. And, of course, you get wontons. These are plump rather than skimpy, adding another layer of texture and flavor to the already busy bowl.
Altogether, it’s the kind of dish that earns its name without having to try too hard. Big bowl, big chunks of beef, generous noodles, plump wontons, and slurp-worthy broth, so the math checks out.
Don’t Skip the Yang Chow Fried Rice
If you’re ordering for the table, the Yang Chow fried rice is another no-brainer.
The rice comes out golden and generously mixed with familiar fried-rice staples, including egg, ham, chives, and carrots. It has that satisfying combination of fluffy rice and little bits of ingredients scattered throughout, so you practically get something different with every spoonful.
It’s also the sort of dish that works well alongside the noodle soup. The soup is warm and comforting, while the fried rice gives you something more substantial and savory to alternate between.
And while both are good for sharing, I wouldn’t make any promises given how easy it is to keep saying “just one more spoon.”
Make Room for the Fried Wontons
Then there are the fried wontons, which are probably the easiest thing on the table to snack on without too much thinking.
They’re bite-sized and crispy, with a crunchy exterior that proudly crackles as soon as you sink your teeth in—making them particularly fun to eat in between spoonfuls of noodles and rice. And unlike the plump wontons in the soup, these are all about that crisp texture.
They’re also convenient if you’re doing a larger Binondo food crawl because you can grab one, eat it, and move on to whatever comes next without taking up too much space in your stomach.
Is Big Bowl Noodles Worth Looking For?
Big Bowl Noodles may not have the most memorable name, and its location along Yuchengco Street certainly doesn’t make it the easiest place to find.
But that’s what I love about it. Binondo is already full of restaurants and food stalls competing for your attention, so sometimes the places worth trying are the ones you have to actively search for. Once you make it to Big Bowl Noodles, though, the generous and flavorful portions make all that effort worthwhile.
The beef wonton soup is the obvious star, with its large chunks of beef, chewy noodles, plump wontons, and warm broth. The golden Yang Chow fried rice is a dependable table companion, while the crispy fried wontons make for an easy snack.
So yes, you might have to squint at storefronts and sift through the Yuchengco Street clutter to find Big Bowl Noodles. But when your food arrives in a bowl that actually lives up to the restaurant’s straightforward name, the search suddenly seems like a pretty fair trade.
Big Bowl Noodles is located at 517 Yuchengco St, Binondo, Manila.
Frequently Asked Questions
Big Bowl Noodles is located at 517 Yuchengco St, Binondo, Manila. It sits along a busy, visually cluttered stretch of Yuchengco Street in Manila’s Chinatown, where signs, storefronts, and pedestrians compete for attention, so the restaurant is easy to walk past without noticing.
True to its name, the servings at Big Bowl Noodles are plentiful and are more than enough for a small to medium group.
The menu Big Bowl Noodles consists of Filipino-Chinese classics like wontons, comforting noodle soups, fried rice variations, and so much more.
The beef wonton soup comes with noodles, wontons, beef, chopped cabbage, and a generous amount of broth. The article specifically notes the large chunks of beef, chewy noodles, and plump wontons.
The name describes the restaurant’s offering plainly: noodle dishes served in large bowls. Portions are generous, particularly the noodles and soup, so a single bowl of beef wonton soup can already feel like a full meal, which is where the name earns its meaning.
