“Parini na sa Lucban na baling rikit ng mga tanawin, yanong sarap ng mga kakanin at durung saya ng kapistahan.” Lucban is not your ordinary town. It’s known as the Summer Capital of Quezon Province; much like Baguio, it’s imbued with famous tradition & arts (Pahiyas), history (Hermano Pule), food (pancit habhab & Lucban longganisa) & faith (Kamay ni Hesus Healing Shrine). We featured last time in our channel our emotional eats in Lucena & Tayabas cities in Quezon Province. The real deal however is in Lucban. And no visit to Lucban is possible without encountering any of its famous delicacies.
First off, you wouldn’t miss this Pahiyas-inspired restaurant that serves homegrown dishes since 1985 just across the town plaza & the municipal hall. This is the original home of Buddy’s that’s now a popular franchise (we also tried before in their branches in Lucena City & in The Link, Ayala Center, Makati City). Then a few steps away is the Old Center, one of the oldest panciterias here established since 1937. If you really want to experience Lucban’s street food, then head to nearby San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Parish popularly known as the Lucban Church or drive to Kamay ni Hesus along Tayabas Road (that’s a kilometer-long food strip). Looking around, it seems every household here in the poblacion is a pasalubong center, too.
One of the 1st foods that you’d wanna eat here of course is the pancit Lucban or pancit habhab. It uses a thick dried flour noodles known as miki Lucban & with ingredients pork belly, pig liver, some vegetables like chayote, carrots, pechay & partnered with soy sauce or vinegar. The pancit is then placed on a banana leaf & by some hand maneuverings without utensil you dump the pancit straight into your mouth - thus, the term “habhab”. Yes, no styro foam or plastic which is good for the environment. But still the best pancit Lucban that we ever tasted was our eldest brother’s version that’s only mixed with chayote. Sorry Buddy’s.
Then there’s Lucban longganisa. Everyone has their favorite longganisa whether it’s Vigan or Pampanga but this Lucban de recado pork sausage will surely ignite your senses with its strong aroma seasoned with oregano & paprika that’s garlicky spiked with vinegar. With lean pork, it’s probably one of the classic sweet longganisas best served with fried egg & fried rice & an atchara to balance its sour taste. You won’t miss this reddish oblong being displayed in marketplace & in most sari-sari stores. Longganisa, an all-day food & king in Filipino breakfast paired with pancit Lucban is just a match made in heaven.
Don’t miss this Lucban meatloaf, too - our all-time favorite hardinera made with diced or ground pork embellished with sliced hard-boiled eggs, pineapples, carrots, bell peppers, peas, tomatoes, sweet pickles, cheese & raisins among others. It is traditionally steamed in an oval-shaped tin mold known as llanera which is also used to make leche flan. One time, wifey prepared this festive, usually holiday only meal at home & the result was sweet & savory that’ll keep you wanting for more (again this dish with all ingredients is expensive).
Another meatloaf that originated in Quezon is the embutido, made with ground pork, stuffed with slices of hard-boiled eggs & sausage or ham & wrapped in an aluminum foil & steamed. It can be served hot or chilled & best dipped with ketchup or sweet & sour sauce. It’s commonly prepared during fiestas & other Holiday occasion though you see embutido in various meat shops & groceries so once in a while we have this meal at home (the one in Monterey is closer to Lucban recipe).
Have you also tried miki bihon? This is another stir-fried noodle dish that’s a staple in every restaurant here that combines egg noodles (Miki) & rice noodles (bihon) that’s packed with an assortment of meats & veggies. If you ask me which one is the best of Quezon’s pancit - well, to each his own but we’d take Lucena’s chami 1st, then Lucban’s habhab & miki bihon last.
If you are into street food, watch out for some peddlers selling this sweet treats on a bilao called pilipit made from kalabasa (squash) & other flavorful heritage of Quezon - cassava cake (budin), sinukmani, espasol, maruya, minukmuk, nilupak, pinagong, puto bao, maha & yema cake. Then there’s our favorite pasalubong - tikoy, broas, apas, puto seko, uraro & shing-a-ling. One time at the height of the pandemic in 2021, we ordered all these thru Shoppe just to satisfy our cravings for Lucban delicacies.
Finally, if you’ve never been to Pahiyas festival of Lucban & planning one, you’ll be amazed by these brightly colored leaf-shaped wafers called kiping which are used as decorations, usually shaped into chandeliers (arangya), giant flowers & other ornaments adoring each household participating in harvest festival honoring San Isidro Labrador. It has no unusual taste but this kiping brings back childhood memories when you playfully grill it & devour every crispiness of it.