Panciteria

After spending yesterday afternoon attending the wake of my ex-sister-in-law's mother, we drove back to the town center with my eldest sister, our two nieces, and my husband. Before taking them home, we decided to fill our tummies first.

We initially wanted yogurt, but the cafe was already closed. So we checked the local Panciteria (one that specializes in serving pancit (traditional Filipino noodle dishes) alongside classic Filipino-Chinese comfort food. The place opened a few months ago, and we thought we'd check it out.

There were no other customers when we went in (past 7 pm), so we had the place to ourselves. I didn't take a photo of their menu, but they have various versions of Palabok, Batil Patong, Lomi, Pancit Mix, and Beef Mami. How they categorized their servings is quite interesting—Regular, Special, Overload, Mega, Jumbo, etc, depending on the toppings.

The husband opted for their Lomi Overload (top photo and this below).

Thick egg noodles in savory, starchy broth with a variety of toppings—chunks of fried pork belly, crushed rinds (chicharon), toasted garlic bits, sliced hard-boiled egg, and fresh garnish (sliced green onions).

My sister had the regular version of the dish. Same thing, just without the meat chunks.

Meanwhile, my two niblings and I went for the Special version of their Pancit Batil Patong. A traditional noodle dish originating from the North-Eastern part of Luzon (Tuguegarao City).

The stir-fried egg noodles with dark soy and meat sauce were served on stainless steel plates. Toppings included a poached egg, crushed rinds, toasted garlic bits, and sliced onions. Each serving came with a bowl of rich, starchy soup, chili paste sauce, and freshly chopped white onions. And yes, some sliced lemons (not pictured).

My two niblings were hungry; they finished their servings (without touching the extra soup and sauce). The three of us ate just about half of our bowls/plates and took our leftovers home.

Verdict?

My sister said she felt like her tongue was burning. She thought her bowl had some spices. The hubby commented that the ground black pepper was a bit too much; hence, the spicy taste. The soup was cloyingly starchy.

The Batil Patong?

It was just okay, but the dark soy sauce was a little too overwhelming for my taste. As usual, I set aside the sliced carrots, half-cooked cabbages, and the green onions. The extra-thick soup wasn't to my liking as well (starchy, and I could taste the ground pepper). Perhaps I was expecting it to be similar to the very first Batil Patong we had a year ago from another place.

Would there be a next time? Maybe (or not). We'll see😊