Your guide to panciteria heaven
MANILA, Philippines - ECL Panciteria — This hole-in-the-wall has an open kitchen with a wood-fired stove, hardened dirt floor, bamboo latticed unscreened windows, and GI corrugated roofing (translation: could be very hot inside in spite of several electric fans). Its noodles are handmade on the premises, averaging five sacks of flour daily, enough to produce some 250 servings. One can actually watch how the pasta is made manually in several batches during the day, just behind the kitchen, within full view of the diners. After the flour is mixed with the water to form into dough, it is kneaded on a wooden table with a long pole ridden by a man on one end, with the other end pegged in the center on the wall in a pivotal manner. A man rides the pole and gallops from one end of the table to the other just like riding a horse. After every run on the table, it is folded like a thick canvas until the desired thickness is achieved. It is then cut into strips with a cleaver. From here, the fresh pasta is placed in a vat of boiling water with some oil in it and cooked lightly. Its super special order has ground carabeef and pork liver with mixed veggies, dark soy sauce, poached egg, topped with crushed chicharon, served with a cup egg drop soup and chopped onions and kalamansi. One has the option to choose between poached chicken egg or three hard-boiled quail eggs. Owned and operated by Diosdado Macabadbad, who honed his skills as a former cook in a different panciteria. ECL Panciteria is located on the National Hi-way, Carig, Tuguegarao City, Tel: (935) 130-8342.
Batil patung with crisp fried Chinese chorizo at Annafunan Panciteria Annafunan Panciteria — Miki is wider than usual and cooked with only ground carabeef and pork liver, no veggies. One has the option to add Chinese chorizo for P15. It is cut into strips and fried to a crisp. Set in an extended garage, unscreened. From the church in Annafunan East, turn right on Aquino St. It’s the green house on the right side. It has no signage but everybody simply refers to it as Annafunan Panciteria.
E.C.P. Panciteria (aka Panciteria Lamud) — Once you reach barangay Cataggaman Nuevo on the diversion hi-way, turn right on Sage Grill. Ask around where Lamud Panciteria is as it is painfully hiding deep inside a barrio, passing a one-lane gravel alley off the main concrete road. Once you find it, you can park in front of a coral with several cows biding their time, quite literally, as this establishment claims and takes pride in using only beef, consuming one whole cow daily for its pancit sales alone. The dining hall is screened, which sits right next to the owner’s two-story house, with glazed tiles for its exterior walls. It’s a princely house set in an idyllic farm setting replete with crowing cocks and wooden log fence with several cow skulls with horns. Its pancit is cooked with cabbage and carrots, while prices vary on the serving size from P50 to P80. Address: 79 Gunnacao St., Catagamman Nuevo, Tuguegarrao City.
Cutting pasta swiftly with a cleaver AM-PM Panciteria — Considering this is just a five-month-old joint at the time of our visit, it was filled to the rafters at merienda time. Its owner named it after her two daughters, Angeli Mae and Precious Mary. Sell the uncooked miki at P45/kilo, while its priciest noodle dish called todo (meaning “all the way”) at P60. Address: Rizal St., Bagumbayan. Tuguegarao City.
Josie’s Panciteria for Pancit Cabagan — It has pretty clean surrounding with tiled floor, screened windows, electric fans, and a glass encased food display with some six ready cooked dishes. A side order of lechon carajay or crisp pork belly cracklings at P120. Address: 13 National Hi-way, Purok 7, Anao, Cabagan, Isabela. Near Milagros Hospital. Tel: +63-919-250-9140.
Pancit Cabagan differs with its recado of crispy lechon Carajay, igado and hard- boiled quail eggs, and is served wallowing in broth. For sinanta and other heritage Tuguegarao dishes, contact: Balai B+B at 53 Burgos St. Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. Tel: (78) 844-5283, (915) 854-3370. Email: balaibnb@yahoo.com.
