Pancit, noodles brought to the Philippines by Chinese immigrants, has become a full part of Filipino cooking. Pancit canton is the Filipino take on lo mein and chow mein, named after the type of noodle used, and comes in both instant and stir-fried versions. It is also eaten on birthdays, with long noodles standing for long life. Lucky Me! is an instant noodle brand owned by Monde Nissin, launched in 1989. Kalamansi is the condiment that goes with almost every kind of pancit.
Ingredients
- Instant pancit canton (Lucky Me!, kalamansi flavor)
- Okra
- Bitter gourd
- Red onion
- Red chili
- Kalamansi
How I made it
- Stir-fry the okra, bitter gourd, red onion and chili
- Boil the noodles and loosen them
- Add the noodles to the vegetables and toss with the seasoning from the packet
- Plate with kalamansi and squeeze it over as you eat
This moment in the journey
Instant pancit canton
Some Filipino dishes are influenced by China, and fried noodles called pancit canton are one of them. Pancit is a noodle dish brought by Chinese immigrants, and pancit canton is named after the egg noodles it uses.
Tonight, I would make it the easy way, with instant noodles: Lucky Me! pancit canton in kalamansi flavor, said to be popular with locals too. I stir-fried okra, bitter gourd, red onion and chili, then added the noodles boiled in another pot.
As I tossed them with the seasoning from the packet, a savory smell filled the kitchen. Even as a Japanese person, the scent felt familiar. I plated it with kalamansi on the side.
Watch this scene on YouTube8:19
More notes from this journey
Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
Longsilog
Silog is the name for a family of Filipino breakfasts built on garlic fried rice and a fried egg; the name changes with what comes alongside.
From: Everyday life on Mactan Island
Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
Mactan Island and Lapu-Lapu City
An island of about 65 square kilometers, lying a few kilometers east of Cebu Island.
From: Everyday life on Mactan Island
Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
Banana cue and Lakatan bananas
Banana cue is a Filipino street snack of saba bananas deep-fried in a coat of caramelized brown sugar and served on a bamboo skewer.
From: Everyday life on Mactan Island
Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
Kalamansi
A small citrus native to the Philippines, also called calamondin in English.
From: Everyday life on Mactan Island
Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
Pares and mami
Pares is beef asado braised in sweet soy sauce, served with garlic rice and beef broth; the name literally means "pairs," from the practice of pairing the beef…
From: Everyday life on Mactan Island
Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
Halo-halo and ube
The name comes from doubling the Filipino verb halò, "to mix." Shaved ice is combined with evaporated or coconut milk, sweetened beans, coconut meat and jelly…
From: Everyday life on Mactan Island
More notes from Overseas
Hualien, Taiwan
Breakfast of purple waxy corn and Taiwanese sweet potato
In Taiwan, breeders have developed sweet waxy corn that carries both sweet kernels and sticky waxy kernels on a single cob.
From: Hualien: the sea and delicious everyday life
Hualien, Taiwan
Taiwanese instant zhajiangmian set
Wei Lih zhajiangmian is an instant dry noodle launched in Taiwan in 1973 by Wei Lih Food Industrial.
From: Hualien: the sea and delicious everyday life
Hsinchu, Taiwan
Xian doujiang (savory soy milk soup)
A classic Taiwanese breakfast.
From: An apartment in Hsinchu and the steam of the night market
Hsinchu, Taiwan
Hsinchu rice vermicelli (instant)
Hsinchu rice vermicelli has a history of more than 150 years.
From: An apartment in Hsinchu and the steam of the night market
Somerset Region, Queensland
Bacon and eggs with the owner's fresh eggs
Eggs fresh from the farm owner's hens, fried in an iron pan alongside bacon.
From: Borrowing a small house in the Australian countryside
Somerset Region, Queensland
Barbecued kangaroo steak
Kangaroo from the town butcher, grilled on the barbecue in the yard.
From: Borrowing a small house in the Australian countryside