By Jacqueline L. Agatep

HEIRLOOM recipes inspire such proprietary emotions. Take pancit, for example. Everybody seems to have an opinion of the best pancit in town. It’s habhab for the Tagalog of Quezon, La Paz batchoy for Ilonggos, luglog for Pampangueños, and musiko for Ilocanos.
        Pancit, a stir-fried noodle dish with chopped vegetables, slices of meat, and seasoned with broth, soy sauce or patis or fish sauce, was introduced in the Islands by the Chinese in the 1900s. Today, it has become a staple dish in every Pinoy occasion
or come merienda time that it might as well be the country's unofficial dish. 
       The term pancit comes from the Hokkien word pian i sit which means ‘something conveniently cooked fast’ and was hawked on the streets by ambulant panciteros. Simple, no-fuss, made on-site and served with toppings that the hot climate 'giveth,' it contains a bounty of ingredients such as squid, pork, meat, and seasonal vegetables. It was a big hit among the growing working class. Thus, the panciteria was born.
       Panciteria or noodle restaurant is a Spanish derivation of a Chinese eatery. It became a ubiquitous sight in Binondo prewar: carinderia-style stalls served Chinese fare with Spanish-inspired names, to appeal to the middle and upper-class mestizos,
such as arroz caldo (rice and chicken gruel), morisqueta tostada (fried rice), pinsik frito (deep-fried wantons stuffed with ground pork), lumpia (egg roll), and of course, pancit which,for the Chinese, symbolizes long life.    
       Even our National Hero, Jose Rizal, who never failed to mention his culinary exploits here and abroad, is said to have considered pancit canton as his comfort food and fave siesta food. It even garnered a special mention in his novel, El Filibusterismo,
via Panciteria Macanista de Buen Gusto. The pancit has since been adopted
in the local cuisine, with Chinese and Indios intermarrying and culinary methods and techniques exchanged, spawning several versions of the veritable Pinoy comfort food.
       Centuries later, the Chinese moved from Binondo to less cramped areas
like San Juan in Ortigas and New Manila districts. Binondo has since been proliferated by traditional and modern Chinese businesses. Some panciterias of the famous Ongpin strip, however, still exist today — either in Binondo or some parts of Metro Manila — such as Panciteria Antigua, now New Toho Food Center, which historians say was where Rizal used to dine for its pancit canton and lumpiang shanghai,  Panciteria Moderna across the old Ambos Mundos, Panciteria Ramon Lee, Ma Mon Luk, Max's Restaurant, Savory, and Aristocrat, among others.
       Anyone who grew up eating comida China, such as the siopao and mami combo, can't help longing for the same taste it had way back in the day — reason patrons keep coming back.
       It's the same thing with eating in panciterias. And Panciteria Lido is one of the few establishments bringing comida China (Chinese cuisine) back— in a big way. For starters, Panciteria Lido has exchanged its drab canteen looks for a more modern setup: sleeker furniture, taupe wood and shiny, red '50s retro chairs, and a menu board of original
and new dishes.
       Formerly named Lido Restaurant, it started out as a small eatery on T. Alonzo, Sta. Cruz, by Cantonese chef Lido in 1936. Lido took in an apprentice named Asiok who shared the restaurant's secret recipes, including its best-selling pugon-roasted asado and its siphon coffee. Asiok then passed on his knowledge to his 17-year-old dishwasher, Abe, who managed the restaurant. In 1997, Annie Wong-Go, now president of Panciteria Lido, purchased a share of the restaurant which became New Lido Restaurant. In 2000, the restaurant took on the name Panciteria Lido Cocina Tsina.
      "We were already planning to franchise the restaurant and at the time, I was unhappy with our name," recalls Wong-Go. By serendipity, while going over the restaurant's bills, she came upon the Meralco bill, and Lido was listed as Lido Panciteria, and at that instant,
instincts took over, the name stuck, and if having Chinese blood had anything to do with it, she knew panciteria should be affixed to the restaurant's name. Wong-Go immediately tasked the marketing team to change Lido's logo and menu — a laminated sheet of ellowish bond paper — to bear the name Panciteria Lido Cocina Tsina. And the restaurant's concept came full circle when Spanish terms were included in its purely Cantonese menu.
      "I carefully chose everything. Retro red chairs were the trend in restaurants back then but coupled with modern elements, the restaurant merges old and new. It resonates the past yet at the same time it's in-the-moment. The name and the Spanish-inspired dishes complete the theme which make for a satisfying dining experience," says Wong-Go.
      For Wong-Go, consistency is the key to this business and the reason some panciterias are still around. People's memories are hardwired to their experiences. It's the same way with food. Food elicits memories of growing up and pancit, whether it's luglog, bihon, or palabok, being a staple in Filipino gatherings and special occasions, brings comfort to any Pinoy who grew up eating it.
       Professor and columnist Ambeth Ocampo wrote, “The soul of a country is best reached through the belly and the palate.” If there is a dish that would announce the national identity of a Pinoy living abroad, then a bilao of pancit at the party table screams 'proudly Pinoy.'
 

LIDO RICE (le-to pung)
 

INGREDIENTS
Cooking oil
Garlic, minced
Shrimp pieces
Squid, chopped
Chinese chorizo, sliced
Pugon-Roasted Asado, sliced
Vegetables in season, chopped
Lido’s House Seasoning Mix
1 cup water
Egg, sunny side-up
White-grain rice, steamed

PROCEDURE
         In a wok, heat oil, sauté garlic. Add seafood, chorizo, asado slices, and vegetables. Add Lido’s house seasoning mix. Add water to thicken. Add the egg, mixing it well with the rice. Stir for a minute. Serve hot.

 

Pugon-Roasted Asado Pan de Sal
 

INGREDIENTS
1 pc large pan de sal
2 - 3 slices Pugon-Roasted Asado
Special Lido Asado sauce

PROCEDURE
       Slice pan de sal and sandwich between the bread asado slices. Serve with special Lido asado sauce and hot siphon-brewed coffee.