METRO MANILA | The Best Pancit Malabon in the City
Sunday, November 03, 2024
What do you eat when you’re in Malabon? Well, pancit Malabon, of course.
The birthplace of pancit Malabon, there are numerous panciterias offering this noodle delicacy in the city. But where can you actually get the best pancit Malabon in Malabon? And what if you don’t live there, are there panciterias offering pancit Malabon that are at par with those in Malabon City? As a kid who actually grew up in Malabon and has tasted innumerable bilaos of pancit Malabon for every occasion—and still wants more—let me share the best pancit Malabon I’ve tried, not only in Malabon itself, but in the whole of Metro Manila as well.
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| A TYPICAL BILAO OF PANCIT MALABON |
To be sure, there are still pancit Malabon restaurants that I’ve yet to try and those I’ve already tried but wasn’t able to note or even take pictures of. So, I will definitely update this article from time to time as I try new pancit places in the city. If you also have suggestions for the best pancit Malabon, just drop a comment and I will try my best to visit it too.
Note that this list is not in any order. My advice is to try each one out, as they almost always have something unique to offer.
| THE BEST PANCIT MALABON IN MALABON & METRO MANILA TABLE OF CONTENTS ~ WHAT’S INSIDE? |
PANCIT MALABON ORIGINS
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| MAMA BELEN’S KITCHENETTE’S TWO VERSION OF PANCIT MALABON, THIN NOODLES AND THICK NOODLES |
Pancit Malabon evolved from pancit labong, a dish that used bamboo shoots instead of noodles. Its current incarnation was said to be called pancit bame during the 1880s before being popularly known as pancit Malabon—due in part to its popularity with showbiz actors who have tried the noodles during location shoots in the city during the early 1900s. The dish was usually peddled on pondohan, or small eateries on a banana leaf—and for bigger groups, bilao. Its noodle is made from 70% rice and 30% flour by factories in Bulacan that used to transport them by river to Malabon.
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| A PHOTOGRAPH OF OLD MALABON |
One of the earliest panciterias that started to call pancit bame as pancit Malabon was from the Caligay clan in Navotas—which used to be part of Malabon—who started selling it on a trade fair booth in Marikina during the 1960s as Pancit ng Taga Malabon—yes, they’re the same ones who still sell pancit Malabon under that brand to this day.
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WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PANCIT PALABOK, PANCIT MALABON, AND LUGLOG
For most people, pancit Malabon, pancit palabok, and pancit luglog (or luglug) are all the same—they all have that same orangey sauce, right? True, but if you delve deeper, they have differences in ingredients, preparation, and way of serving that make them unique from each other.
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| A TYPICAL BILAO OF PANCIT MALABON |
A pancit Malabon has thick rice noodles—usually bought from the neighboring province of Bulacan—lathered and pre-mixed with orangey sauce made from patis or fish sauce, shrimp stock, crab fat, crushed chicharon or kropek, and achuete or annatto seeds. It is then topped with sliced eggs (traditionally, duck eggs), boiled pork bits like lengua and/or liempo (or pork head meat), and chopped cabbages or pechay Baguio. What makes it special though are the seafood added on top—medium-sized shrimps, chopped adobong pusit, and sometimes oysters and mussels.
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| PANCIT PALABOK AT SUSIE’S CUISINE SAN FERNANDO |
A pancit palabok has thin rice noodles, usually bihon—which are sometimes called pino in Malabon, in relation to pancit Malabon. It also has an orangey sauce made from shrimp stock, pork broth, fish sauce, and achuete. The sauce is not pre-mixed with the noodles; rather, it is lathered on top—to be mixed by the one who will eat it. It is usually topped with sliced eggs, ground pork, pork lengua, small shrimps, chopped green onions, and most importantly, ground tinapa flakes, or labok—as what Ninong Ry said it’s called in the markets of Malabon. It is the sauciest of the three.
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| NORMA’S PANCIT LUG-LOG IN NAVOTAS |
A pancit lug-log is a mix of the two. It is similar to pancit palabok in that it uses the same sauce that’s not pre-mixed with the noodles and has the same toppings. The difference is that it uses pancit Malabon’s thick rice noodles.
Note, however, that for most pancit palabok and pancit luglog bilao take-outs, the sauce is already pre-mixed with the noodles for convenience.
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| OVERLOADED PANCIT PALABOK AT MANILA’S QUINTA MARKET |
To summarize, and for easier comparison, here are the differences between a pancit Malabon, palabok, and luglog.
Pancit Malabon:
- uses thick rice noodles
- uses crab fat in its sauce
- pre-mixes its sauce and noodles
- has cabbage or pechay Baguio
- has lots of seafood toppings
Pancit Palabok:
- uses thin noodles
- doesn’t mix the sauce with its noodles
- has chopped green onions
- has tinapa flakes
- has ground pork toppings
Pancit Lug-log:
- pancit palabok with thick rice noodles
Of course, you can definitely see different noodle houses mixing and matching those three—and that is usually the case rather than the exception—but that basically sums up their differences.
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THE BEST PANCIT MALABON IN MALABON
NANAY’S PANCIT MALABON
One of the most famous pancit Malabon eateries in Malabon, Nanay’s Pancit Malabon actually holds the title for the Best Pancit Malabon in Malabon, well, according to Jessica Soho’s KMJS, at least. The restaurant is housed in an actual house converted into a restaurant, where they have been serving the quintessential Malabon noodles since 1984.
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| NANAY’S PANCIT MALABON DINING AREA |
Dine-in pancit Malabon ala carte prices are set at ₱50.00, ₱90.00, and ₱180.00. I personally haven’t tried dining at Nanay’s very homey restaurant yet, though.
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| NANAY’S BILAO TAKE OUT |
What we usually have at Nanay’s are their bilao take-outs, usually for an occasion at home. Theirs are priced from ₱300.00 (3-5 persons) to ₱2,100.00 (40 persons). We tried their ₱800.00 (15 persons) bilao, and we thought that it was actually more affordable than other panciterias—it is ₱200.00 less than the usual price for a 15-person pancit Malabon bilao. Upon consuming, I think that this is more apt for twelve rather than fifteen persons though.
Nanay’s Pancit Malabon has the usual sliced eggs, shrimp, chopped pechay Baguio, and bits of boiled pork head. On first bite, the tinapa or labok, is immediately apparent. It has a very flavorful seafood taste with just the right amount of moistness—a well-balanced overall taste with no umay factor.
For people who want their pancit Malabon traditional and very balanced, Nanay’s Pancit Malabon is the one for you.
MFLORES PANCIT MALABON
MFLores, or MilFlores Restaurant, is another popular pancit Malabon resto in Malabon. Their version of pancit Malabon uses thin noodles, or what people in Malabon call pino—similar to those used in palabok. They also have thick rice noodles, if you prefer a more traditional dish, but their claim to fame is their bihon noodles—which they claim to be the first one to use on a pancit Malabon. Like Nanay’s, it has been featured in numerous vlogs and TV shows, like Pop Talk.
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| MFLORES’ DINING AREA IN MALABON ~ PHOTO FROM THEIR FB PAGE |
MFlores has dine-in servings of pancit Malabon, Single Order for ₱95.00, and Sharing (good for two) for ₱190.00. I haven’t personally tried eating in their restaurant yet.
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| MFLORES PANCIT MALABON BILAO TAKE OUT |
MFlores Pancit Malabon’s bilao take-out is limited to three sizes only: ₱450.00 (small 4-5 persons), ₱650.00 (medium 8-10 persons), and ₱1,300.00 (large 18-20 persons). We have tried MFlores’ pancit Malabon a couple of times, usually getting their large pancit Malabon with the thin noodles. Serving size is more than enough for 15 persons, and we usually even have extras left for breakfast the next day.
Their toppings include regular chopped cabbage (not pechay Baguio), sliced hard-boiled eggs, shrimp, and boiled pork liempo (or head? not sure). At first glance, their noodles looked a bit dry, but once we sampled it, it doesn’t feel lacking in flavor at all. The pancit Malabon taste is definitely there, with a bonus addition of a strong calamansi flavor. That’s right, MFlores prides themselves on having their calamansi already mixed with their pancit.
MFlores Pancit Malabon is good for people who love thin noodles and those who like their pancit Malabon with calamansi.
DOLORES PANCIT MALABON
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| DOLORES PANCIT MALABON CONCEPCION BRANCH ~ PHOTO FROM THEIR FB PAGE |
Not to be confused with Marikina’s Dolora’s Hauz of Pancit Malabon (which has several branches all over Metro Manila) or even Malabon’s Dolor’s Kakanin (which also serves pancit Malabon), Dolores Pancit Malabon is one of the OG panciterias in Malabon City. It has two branches in the city—one near Malabon Bayan for take-outs and another in Concepcion where you can dine in.
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| DOLORES PANCIT MALABON’S LOADED BILAO TAKE OUT |
Their take-out bilao offerings is one of the most bang-for-the-buck pancit Malabon in Metro Manila. It ranges from ₱400.00 (3-4 persons) to ₱2,000.00 (40-45 persons). We tried their ₱1,000.00 (15-16 persons) bilao thinking it probably wouldn’t really be enough for 16 persons, but were wonderfully surprised at how heavy it was when it arrived. It was definitely more than enough for 15-16 people, as advertised!
It has a very creamy seafood taste, isn’t dry, and is topped by chopped hard-boiled eggs, pechay Baguio, shrimp, adobong pusit, and—surprise surprise—fried pork liempo! It has a very generous serving of noodles, which is why the bilao is so plump and heavy—really sulit.
Dolores Pancit Malabon is an umami bomb—extremely flavorful without being nakakaumay—really, really good. It also includes a bunch of calamansi on the side, and it does taste better with a dash of calamansi.
I just don’t like how their shrimp still has its shell on, as it disrupts the eating experience, and how the fried pork liempo wasn’t crispy—which isn’t really their fault, as this is mostly due to it being enclosed for delivery.
And lastly, for the leftovers, it’s still very good even after a couple of days of freezing on the fridge!
Dolores Pancit Malabon is good for people who love their pancit Malabon with a very pronounced flavor and with a good variety of seafood toppings. It’s also the most sulit pancit Malabon in terms of weight per price—perfect for those who want to get their money’s worth. This is actually our family’s favorite pancit Malabon.
MAMA BELEN’S KITCHENETTE
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| BELEN’S KITCHENETE’S COZY INTERIORS |
Originally called Rosy’s Pancit Malabon, Mama Belen’s Kitchenette is one of Malabon’s go-to restos for pancit Malabon. The Pachecos started from humble beginnings, selling meals for the nearby Marcelo Rubber Shoes workers during the 1940s. It has since grown into a small restaurant, now managed by their grandson—rebranding it as Belen’s Kitchenette while still preserving the heritage dish their grandmother established.
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| MAMA BELEN’S DINE-IN PANCIT MALABON FOR TWO |
Located near the Malabon side of the Navotas River, Mama Belen’s small restaurant exudes a small town charm. They offer ala carte styro box orders for dine-in customers: ₱130.00 for a single order and ₱200.00 for two persons. These are actually served on plates, not on styrofoam boxes, when dining in.
We decided on their two-person servings since it seems more sulit—one with thin, or pino noodles, and the other with the traditional Bulacan thick noodles—the sauce mix is exactly the same for the two. Their toppings include chopped hard-boiled chicken eggs, shrimp pieces, chunks of pork lengua, chopped pechay Baguio, and garlic bits. Oysters can be added for an additional fee of ₱150.00.
Mama Belen’s pancit Malabon was very balanced with a bit of tartness from calamansi. An additional squeeze of calamansi actually made the dish too sour—it’s perfect as it was. On comparing the two noodle types, we were actually surprised that the thin noodles were more flavorful—probably due to the sauce having more noodles to hold on to, compared to the thicker noodles. This is extremely good pancit Malabon without going umami overboard.
It’s also recommended to pair their pancit with camachile bread—which, unfortunately, we forgot to order.
Mama Belen’s Kitchenette offers bilao pancit Malabon from ₱350.00 (2-3 persons) to ₱1,750.00 (25+ persons). We haven’t personally tried their bilao take-out yet.
Mama Belen’s Kitchenette works for people who prefer to have a very balanced pancit Malabon with an option for thin noodles and oysters. It’s also for people who want their pancit sprinkled with a bit of history.
NORMA’S SPECIAL PANCIT LUG-LOG
Alright, this is a bonus Malabon panciteria.
Norma’s Special Pancit Lug-Log isn’t really located in Malabon, but rather in Navotas City—to be fair, it is just a bridge hop away from Malabon Bayan—plus, Navotas really used to be part of Malabon, hence its inclusion on the Malabon list. Their pancit lug-log—a term they use for their pancit Malabon—is simply one of the best.
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| AN ALA CARTE SERVING OF NORMA’S PANCIT LUG-LOG IN NAVOTAS |
Served on a small plate, it is a bit expensive at ₱180.00, but you will forget its price on the first forkful. It is seafoody creamy, very flavorful and rich—to the point that if you don’t have a side dish to pair it with, the flavor can easily get overwhelming.
On closer inspection, I noticed that this was indeed a pancit lug-log, in that the sauce isn’t mixed with the noodles. Its toppings, nevertheless, are that of pancit Malabon—chopped cabbage, sliced hard boiled eggs, crushed chicharon, boiled pork liempo bits, pork lengua, shrimp, and adobong pusit. So, I guess it’s a mash-up of pancit lug-log and pancit Malabon.
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| NORMA’S PANCIT MALABON OR LUGLOG BILAO TAKE OUT |
We have also tried Norma’s bilao takeout numerous times. They have ₱350.00 (2-3 persons) to ₱1,600.00 (17-20 persons).
The last time we ordered, we asked for their ₱1,000.00 bilao (good for 10-12 persons). Serving size was just right, and the taste was somewhat more subdued than when you actually dine in at their restaurant. You can taste all the flavors on first bite, but for some reason, the taste seemed to diminish as you eat on. Perhaps a palate cleanser like their really fluffy puto should accompany your order.
Norma’s Special Pancit Lug-log is for people who love their pancit Malabon rich and super creamy.
THE BEST PANCIT MALABON IN METRO MANILA OR OUTSIDE MALABON
PANCIT NG TAGA MALABON
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| PANCIT NG TAGA MALABON BILAO TAKE-OUT ~ PHOTO FROM THEIR FB PAGE |
One of the oldest sellers of pancit Malabon, Pancit Ng Taga Malabon prides itself on its founding date of 1965. The Caligay Clan, the family that manages it, hails from Bandayo Sinko (now Ferry Station 5) in Navotas City, where they originally started selling it in 1911. Their first branch was a stall from a fair in Marikina in 1965. They have now several branches in Metro Manila.
Their pancit Malabon is topped with chopped pechay Baguio, sliced hard-boiled eggs, pork chicharon pieces, shrimp, and adobong pusit. It is one of the few panciterias that serves their pancit on a banana leaf, like how it was originally done during bygone days.
AMBER
One of the most popular delivery restaurants for office events happenings, Amber has been around since 1988. As the Pambansang Office Party Food, they offer the usual favorites like spaghetti, pichi-pichi, lumpiang Shanghai, pork barbecue, and of course, pancit Malabon.
Contrary to popular notion, Amber isn’t only available for take-outs, they do indeed have physical stores where you can actually dine in. Amber offers ala carte servings of pancit Malabon for ₱70.00 a plate.
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| AMBER’S VERY SAUCY PANCIT MALABON |
Again, most people experience Amber’s pancit Malabon through take-outs and deliveries for office parties. They offer ₱370.00 (3-5 persons) to ₱1,000.00 (21-25 persons) bilao take-outs. Note that their bilaos aren’t really bilao per se, but circular cardboards.
We’ve had Amber’s pancit Malabon numerous times and find it to be basic but quite agreeable. Their version is topped with hard-boiled eggs, shrimp, and pechay Baguio. It is one of the sauciest, if not the sauciest pancit Malabon in Metro Manila.
LOLA IDANG’S
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| LOLA IDANG’S EXAMINER BRANCH |
A beloved small restaurant in Quezon City offering Filipino comfort food, Lola Idang’s Original Pancit Malabon serves both ala-carte pancit Malabon and bilao take-outs since 1986. They have since expanded to several branches across Metro Manila.
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| AN ALA CARTE ORDER FOR LOLA IDANG’S PANCIT MALABON |
A single order of pancit Malabon from Lola Idang’s cost ₱150.00. Their toppings include sliced hard-boiled eggs, shrimp, adobong pusit, sliced pork, cabbage, green onions, crushed chicharon, and fried garlic bits. They also serve a porkless pancit Malabon, if you’re cutting down on red meat.
Their bilao is actually one of the most affordable I’ve seen in Metro Manila; they have it from ₱330.00 (2-3 persons) to ₱1,200 (15-20 persons). We haven’t personally tried ordering their pancit Malabon bilao yet.
NINANG’S PANSIT MALABON
Another go-to pancit Malabon place in Quezon City, Ninang’s Pansit Malabon has been around since 1988. Their name came from their godparents, who hail from—where else but Malabon City—that taught them the recipe for their noodle dish.
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| NINANG’S PANSIT MALABON IN MINDANAO AVENUE ~ PHOTO FROM GOOGLE MAPS |
We have yet to try dining in at Ninang’s, but they do have ala carte pancit Malabon at ₱100.00 (good for 1 person).
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| BILAO ORDER OF NINANG’S PANSIT MALABON ~ PHOTO FROM THEIR FB PAGE |
Ninang’s pancit Malabon on bilao ranges from ₱300.00 (4 persons) to ₱1,800.00 (36 persons). Their toppings include sliced eggs, shrimp, ground pork bits, and pechay Baguio.
DOLORA’S HAUZ OF PANCIT MALABON
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| MOMMY DOLORA’S PANCIT MALABON IN CALOOCAN CITY ~ PHOTO FROM GOOGLE MAPS |
Originally hailing from Marikina City on what was once a hole-in-the-wall eatery, Dolora’s Hauz of Pancit Malabon (or Mommy Dolora’s Pancit) currently has the most number of branches across Metro Manila. Serving pancit Malabon since 1990, their reach even extends to the nearby provinces of Rizal and Bulacan.
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| BILAO ORDER FOR DOLORA’S PANCIT MALABON |
Dolora’s Pancit Malabon doesn’t offer dine-in services; they’re specifically for bilao take-outs. In fact, they even have an app for an easier ordering experience. Their bilaos range from ₱300.00 (2-3 persons) to ₱1,600.00 (32-34 persons).
We have previously tried their ₱1,200.00 (15 persons) bilao and were pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Their saucy noodles are topped with the usual sliced eggs, shrimp, pork chicharon pieces, chopped green onions, and fried garlic bits. The only thing I really don’t like about it is how their chicharon becomes mushy due to it being fully covered during delivery. A possible solution is to request to have the chicharon separate from the pancit and top the chicharon pieces yourself.
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