Mom looking lovingly at her Prawn Mee in Singapore |
I tried to brainstorm on a suitable menu for mom. It then
occurred to me why not spoil mom and give her what she loved best, Pancit.
Chinese traders have been in the Philippines many centuries ago, even before
the Spanish colonizers arrived. One of their lasting influence is Pancit, or
noodles. Filipinos eat noodles on special occasions. On birthdays, Filipinos
believe it will ensure long life. Noodles have become a staple for lunch,
dinner, or even an afternoon snack.
For my mother, any day was a good occasion for Pancit. Oh
how she loved noodles. Her father was an avid golfer. After a long day at the
greens, he would return home bringing noodles for his eldest daughter who loved
noodles. So I figured, we will
have a Pancit Buffet. My parents tend to be set in their ways, dining in their
favorite restaurants only. In the past months, I’ve tasted and heard about
three good Pancit dishes.
Crab Pancit, an appetizer in Wooden Spoon (sorry, photo taken on a mobile phone) |
The first one is the Crab Pancit from Sandy Daza’s new
restaurant, Wooden Spoon, along Katipunan. The Bihon (rice noodles) are deep
fried, until they puff up into a big massive pile of white crispy noodles. He
then tops it with a crab egg sauce. Eaten hot, it is a delightful sensation of
crunch and the comforting goodness of crab and egg. It is not typically Chinese or Filipino. It is simply
Sandy’s innovation or something my own clever kitchen goddess of a mom can whip
up.
Ado's Pancit Bihon, thanks Tita Nonny for taking care of getting this pancit (Photo taken on a mobile phone) |
The second one is Ado’s. I recall eating Ado’s last year in
my friend Abby’s birthday. As you can’t really predict when guests arrive for
your party, this dish works really work well for that. Ado’s bilao (basket
platter) of noodles remain moist even when cold. The platter is heavy with so
many ingredients tossed into these noodles: cabbage, chicharon (pork rinds),
gizzards, and camaron rebusado (shrimp deep-fried in a batter).
Luyong Pancit Canton (photo taken on a mobile phone) |
The last one is another recommendation from my friend,
Abby. She once mentioned the
noodles from Luyong, along Esteban Abada, also in Quezon City. So the day
before Mother’s Day I placed my order for three servings of Pancit Canton,
stir-fried egg noodles topped with vegetables and shrimps. To make it extra
special, I asked for Lechon, the Filipino's favorite roast pork.
While surely it was a feast of carb-overload, mom was
thrilled. First, she did not have to prepare this Sunday meal for our clan.
Second, it was a spread of her favorite dish. “You mean I get to have a Pancit
Buffet?,” she asked me giddy like a little kid. I steamed a large fish, as
Chinese restaurants would. I stirred in soy, ginger, green onions and some
sesame oil. Then, I fried some Lumpiang Ubod. Isabel kindly helped me set up
the meal. She added the classic Max Fried Chicken, which goes perfectly with
the noodle dishes.
Mom’s verdict: Oh how she loved the Crab Pancit. Kudos,
Sandy! Thanks for accommodating my take-away request, while you were busy
tending to a fully booked restaurant. I did not personally know Sandy Daza. I do
admit when I was younger I watched and even taped the weekly cooking show with Sandy, his mom
and sister on VHS. I also styled and wrote a Christmas story for Good
Housekeeping Philippines, eons ago with the cooking icons in Manila. Sandy was one of
them, along with Heny
Sison, Sylvia Reynoso-Gala and Dorothy Ferreria. I recall cooking and styling
Arroz ala Cubana for Sandy in his home.
I just explained to Sandy my Pancit party for my mom the day before. On
the day, itself he warmly greeted me and suggested I add some milk when I
warmed up the sauce. He warned me it won’t be the same as eating it in the restaurant.
I agreed.
Mom was happy. She was right. Restaurants were packed to the brim last Sunday. I knew that for a fact when I picked up my order, all seats were taken in Sandy's resto.
Often our moms thoughtfully feed us our favorites. If my mom
knew I liked Avocados or soy milk or mocha cake, she got it for me all the
time. This was our one chance to indulge mom her love for noodles. To all the
moms, a belated Mother’s Day. I hope it was delicious!
Maida's Touch- Delicious Moments that Spark a Journey Within
for more delicious moments join me on Facebook/themaidastouch and twitter@themaidastouch
Thanks for journeying with me!,
Maida
Hello Maida ... will gladly take photos for you anytime. Will attend a "special" session on photography on Wed. Excited. ;-) Cancelled my trip to Baguio for this. Alos Your Mom had said that the weather may not be right for driving up to Baguio alone. Take care less you fall again.
ReplyDelete