Pancit luglog in Jakarta

Our second daughter Mina, who is now based with husband Graham in Jakarta, Indonesia, sent us delightful news about the participation of the Philippines in the recently concluded ASEAN Traditional Culinary Festival, which focused on the cuisines of various countries in the region – Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Brunei and the Philippines, plus of course the host country. There were also participations from Canada, Australia and the United States.

She reports: “There was a wide array of delectable traditional dishes, both savory and sweet, which delighted the food enthusiasts who came to the festival. An endless galore of sumptuous food such as laksa, kimchi, satays, rendang, meat pies, curries, Vietnamese rolls, seafood and papaya salad, nasi padang, maple syrup tarts, chocolate chip cookies and yes,  the Philippines’ pancit luglog and suman sa lihiya were laid out on different counters.

“The fest gave residents unique and most delicious samplings of the various blends of spices and flavors. Strange, but the Filipino dishes in the festival were prepared by an Indonesian lady who calls herself Rino, whose passion is Pinoy food. She did very well.

“Aside from the food, the event had a mini bazaar, where the visitors were happy to find traditional products offered by the exhibitors. To make the event much more enjoyable, there was a raffle draw. For  those who came and participated, it was a truly enjoyable social day out.”

This report made us crave, much more, for our own pancit Malabon. For the last few weeks, we were looking for outlets serving this. They used to have booths in a supermarket here in the Alabang area and on Daang Hari within the seafood market. Both are gone.There was also a native restaurant in the compound near the Cultural Center, Rosie’s if we remember its name correctly, but we do not know if this is still there.

Our frustration ended when we found Pancit ng Taga Malabon in BF Parañaque, behind the Puregold Mall. Its phone number is 807-0345. Orders for their bilaos (native trays) are priced at P510 for 10 people and P750 for 15.

It should be noted that pancit luglog and pancit Malabon are two different dishes. A lot of diners think they are one and the same. Most restaurants serve the former. Luglog is made of fine white rice noodles (bihon) with topping of red sauce, meat or shrimps, tinapa and strips of boiled eggs.

The latter is done with bigger white rice noodles, without the sauce topping. Its seasoning is infused in the noodles, which become orange-y in color because of the flavoring elements. It is normally served with strips of pechay, shrimps, boiled pork and boiled eggs on top. Patis and calamansi juice are placed on the side, should the diner desire a stronger flavor.

One of our brothers recently commented that every time we would look for a restaurant serving Filipino food, we would seem to miss this particular cuisine.

Pancit Malabon is what we miss most. But in its absence we always gladly settle for pancit luglog, which was what happened on one lunch-out recently. We stopped by the Molito Mall in Alabang and hopped into Nathaniel’s. This restaurant has gained popularity among travelers to the North through their restaurant on the highway. That was because they produce the best buco pandan salad.

Since they established this branch in Alabang, it has gained an increasing clientele not only because of their salad, but because they carry a wide selection of native (mostly Pampanga) delicacies, as well as siopao and siomai.

However, take note that the kutsinta they sell does not keep until the next day, as they get spoiled easily. The pack we bought, meant for some guests, only landed in the waste bin.

Nevertheless, if one wants a quick, simple, truly Filipino meal, Nathaniel’s is a good stop. We enjoyed the luglog there, which we paired with dinuguan, another favorite which we can not cook in our house, since we shudder at the sight of fresh blood. We shared the dishes and they cost us less than P200.

Their roast beef, P180, is done like a pie, baked, served very hot. The beef with its gravy is topped with mashed potatoes. If one asks for more gravy, it will be given.

We send our apologies to Biñan townsfolk for the mistake made unintentionally. The patron saint of Biñan is not San Pedro, but San Isidro Labrador, who is also the patron of farmers. His feast day is May 15.           

Have good meal, a good Filipino meal, today.

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