Without a doubt, the Pahiyas festival is a grand visual treat for locals and visitors alike. But for me, it is also an unforgettable gustatory experience. Let me enumerate a few examples:
Longganisa – I don’t have to elaborate how much I love Lucban longanisa. I know I will never tire of its garlicky yumminess. Perfect for any meal of the day, this is now in my list of comfort food. 😉 Head to Eker and Ely to sample great longanisa.
Halo halo – the best snacks on a scorching hot day can be found at Salud’s Refreshments; sweet and cold halo halo and mais con hielo are perfect when the temperature climbs. Salud’s has been dishing out their yummy treats for many years now, and locals and visitors alike flock to this place in droves.
Habhab – I had my first taste of pansit habhab many years ago during one company party. Our office ordered food from Buddy’s in Makati and it was love at first bite for me. I thought it was weird that you have to add vinegar to the noodles before eating but I forgot about that as soon as I tasted the famous pancit habhab. Fast forward to 2011: I didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to eat pancit Lucban, habhab style. It was a little difficult at first but I soon got the hang of eating pansit straight from the banana leaf. Look ma, no utensils! The trick is to use the tip of your tongue to “hook” the noodles. Then suck them into your mouth, the way the Japanese do when slurping hot ramen. Street vendors sell habhab for P7 for the small size and P10 for the big one. At nights, Maggi also gave away free pancit habhab (seasoned with Maggi Magic Sarap, of course). We also had the chance to eat at Buddy’s resto in Lucban – I wouldn’t miss it for the world. The cheery interior was decorated with kiping and sunflowers (apparently, owner Salvador “Buddy” Veluz is a fan) Outside, they set up a temporary dining area for the crowds at the festival.
Hardinera – No offense to the longganisa and pancit, but the foodie star of my Lucban experience is definitely the hardinera. Made of pork and vegetables, the hardinera is steamed just like an embutido. Tastes like an embutido, but looks like leche flan because it’s cooked inside a llanera. Except for breakfast, I had this every single meal. Of course there were other dishes, but I always finished multiple servings of this filling treat. I was so happy when Nanay gave us
several llaneras of this to bring back to Manila. Of course, I didn’t share mine with anyone.
Broas – I swear I could eat 3 packs of this in one sitting. All I need is a 1.5 liter bottle of Coke. For some reason, I love dipping my broas into Coke in the same way that most people do with their pandesal and coffee.
Meringue – This sweet ending to any meal is also perfect as a midday snack, when I needed some serious sugar rush. I bought several packs of broas, puto seko and meringue to share at work. But I ended up giving away only the puto seko. 🙂 When in Quezon, be sure to pick up meringue from Ven’s — so good!
Have to run now – all this writing about food is making me so hungry…if only I knew how to whip up pancit habhab from scratch!
♥キャット♥
