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In: Casual Dining| Chinese| Filipino| Food Trivia| Snacks
14 Sep 2008It was a rainy afternoon when I got a craving for “Lumpiang Sariwa” and since I had to print a couple of photos in Hidalgo I took advantage of the opportunity, I grabbed my camera bag and made my way to Quiapo to satisfy my hankering. I didn’t come as a surprised that a hand-full of people were there waiting for their turn to make an order. They ran out of lumpia wrappers and we had to wait for 25 minutes before the line got going again.
After 25 minutes of idly waiting, the waiter served my order, two servings of spicy lumpia… Yummy, It was definitely worth the wait. I immediately left the table after gobbling up my meal as a courtesy to the people looking for an empty table.

Definitely better than Goldilocks!
It was a couple of years back when I first learned about this Lumpia house while my uncle shared his version of the glory days of Quiapo back in the 60’s. Globe Lumpia House started with a small kiosk inside the Globe Theater where movie-goers were their primary customers. The restaurant still occupies the same spot at the old Globe Theater entrance even though the theater itself has been long gone. Globe Lumpia House is small and can only accommodate 20 people at a time and the star of the menu is Fresh Lumpia, Empanada, bottled water and soft-drinks.
Lumpia is a local equivalent of the Chinese’s spring rolls but Globe Lumpia serves the fresh and uncooked variety. According to Wikipedia, the Lumpia recipe, both fried and fresh versions, were brought by the Chinese immigrants from the Fujian province of China to Southeast Asia and became popular in the Philippines and in Indonesia.
Back in 1957, when this small Lumpia House opened, a serving of Lumpia would cost you 0.35 centavos but these days it is priced at 16 pesos. A fellow customer raved about how the taste has remained the same despite the time that has gone by, and sadly, that the modern Lumpia contains less chopped / crushed peanuts and fresh lettuce.

Globe Lumpia’s Fresh Ingredients!
What makes this “Lumpiang Sariwa” different?
The ingredients are all fresh and you can even watch them prepare it at the restaurants entrance. Lumpia is served with caramel sauce stuffed with crushed peanuts, ubod (a vegetable harvested from the inner core and growing bud of certain palm trees), garlic and fresh lettuce. Unlike the fresh lumpia in Goldilocks, Globe’s lumpia has a spicy garlic taste that blends best with the not so sweet caramel sauce.

Former Cinema’s entrance now a Lumpia Restaurant
How to get there:
Globe Lumpia House
740 G. Puyat Street (formerly Raon)
Telephone: 733-2918
From the corner of Quezon Blvd and G. Puyat (aka Raon) you can find the lumpia house on the left side of the street.
Warning:Just like other Asian Cities like Bangkok and Bombay, Quiapo is a very crowded place, make sure to secure your important things inside your bag. Lastly, take care of your Bag (LOL)
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26 Responses to Globe Lumpia House – The Home of Original Fresh Lumpia
Globe Lumpia House | Philippine Travel Blog
September 14th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
[...] After 25 minutes of idly waiting, the waiter served my order, two servings of spicy lumpia… Yummy, It was definitely worth the wait. I immediately left the table after gobbling up my meal as a courtesy to the people looking for an empty table. Read More >>> Globe Lumpia House – The Home of Original Fresh Lumpia [...]
suzette
September 16th, 2008 at 4:33 am
hi melo!
wow!!! makes me jump out of my seat and go to quiapo right away and order that lumpia!!! =)
i have been to raon many times but have not seen/noticed globe lumpia. maybe ill go there one of these days… am not really a big fan of fresh lumpia but after reading your article, am actually CRAVING for one!!!
suzette
pinoy.cravings
September 16th, 2008 at 4:37 am
@suzette – Hello Suzette – Thanks for the kind words.. You should really try it.. ako din Im craving for lumpia now!
ariel
November 24th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
masarap mag franchise niyan sa amerika..may franchise kaya
pinoy.cravings
November 25th, 2008 at 2:07 am
@ariel – Im just not sure kung may franchice sila
Sam Martinez
December 1st, 2008 at 12:01 am
I miss the chinese lumpia at Globe Lumpia House. I now live in the United States and I have not found anything like it here. Does somebody have the recipe?
Samantha
pinoy.cravings
December 1st, 2008 at 1:45 am
@Sam Martinez – Ill post one soon:)
ariel
December 8th, 2008 at 1:43 am
oo nga sana somebody can write the recipe, mukhang simple lang
pinoy.cravings
December 11th, 2008 at 8:14 am
@ariel – Ill post it soon:)
marie claire
January 16th, 2009 at 3:34 am
hi… thank you for patronizing and loving our lumpia, we hope you enjoy our product everytime you have time to visit us. We don’t franchise because this is a secret family recipe from my lolo…… Our recipe is simple but a lot of love goes out in each lumpia that is why it seems to be a comfort food. By the way, this is also to inform pinoy.cravings that we will use this article for our file… in behalf of my family, thank you very much.
pinoy.cravings
January 17th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
@marie claire – based on your email address does it mean Globe Lumpia is owned by Tongyang?
Joy
January 31st, 2009 at 1:56 am
I can’t believe this place still exist! My husband took me to this place on our first date (1970s). Number 1 – I was not a veggie eater and Number 2 – I was not impressed with the place. After many many dates, however, I became a convert.
We are planning our vacation to the Phiippines in March and I thought of visiting the places where we used to hang out. I typed Globe fresh lumpia and found this. We will definitely visit this place. I hope the taste is still the same.
Joy
January 31st, 2009 at 1:59 am
@marie claire –
My husband and I had our first date at your restaurant in the 1970s. I can’t wait to visit your restaurant again when we have our vacation ther ein the Philippines in two months. Hope it is still the same taste.
pinoy.cravings
February 13th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
how sweet:)
pinoy.cravings
February 13th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
I hope you can share us your experience / impression on your upcoming visit:)
Ben
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I always make it a point to visit the Globe lumpia hole-in-the-wall eatery on Raon street (close to where the old Globe Theatre for which I assume the name Globe was derived) whenever I visit Manila. Last year, I was able to buy from a store in Project 2 QC that claims to have that recipe. Not bad, except that it cost 24 pesos there where it is only 16 pesos in Quiapo. This time I only went to Raon and I saw on their wall a sign that says “no branches anywhere” or something to that effect. Can the owner enlighten us on this?
I cannot wait for another visit before I can taste that lumpia again so if anybody can even just try to list the ingredients, I would like to try just for my own consumption. Is it ubod or is it singkamas (Jikama here in US) that is the main ingredient?
Odit
March 3rd, 2009 at 7:09 am
@Ben – That lumpia house in Project 2 is Lei’s. I think she a daughter of the original owners of Globe Lumpia. Lei’s has a stall at the side of Eunilane Supermarket at Kalayaan QC. I think their main ingrdient is singkamas (jicama) and not ubod (heart of palm). In Singapore it’s close relative is called poh pia. Globe Theater was across Globe Lumpia.
pinoy.cravings
March 15th, 2009 at 5:11 am
I have tried fresh Lumpia in SG but it taste different.. Globe is better
Odit
March 16th, 2009 at 9:43 am
@pinoy.cravings – I totally agree with you. The Big Little Store in San Juan (near Wilson, on Abad Santos?, I’m not sure)also has a version. Legend has it that Globe Lumpia started as ambulant street vendor, much like taho vendors. Legend also has it that Ma Mon Luk started this way.
pinoy.cravings
March 16th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
@odit – Whats the name of that store in Wilson?
pinoy.cravings
March 16th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
@Odit – whats the name of the store in wilson?
Odit
March 20th, 2009 at 5:19 am
It’s not on Wilson itself. It’s on the street where you turn right if you’re on Wilson. I think there’s an Alex III on the corner.
Odit
March 20th, 2009 at 5:23 am
Little Big Store
Odit
March 20th, 2009 at 5:25 am
It’s a small grocery, Chinese style but they have a dine in section.
Odit
March 21st, 2009 at 10:09 am
Sorry, the name is “Little Store on the Hill”. It’s on J. A. Santos cor Biak na Bato. You turn right to J A Santos if you’re on Wilson coming from Cardinal Santos Hospital. There’s a store named “The Little Big Store” on 3rd Street, New Manila, near the computer center on Gilmore, which has the same arrangement(mini grocery selling mostly Chinese items and a dine in section) and same fonts as “Little Store on the Hill”.
pinoy.cravings
March 23rd, 2009 at 8:55 pm
thanks for the tip:)