​How did Pancit Malabon come to be?

For Filipinos, Pancit Malabon is one of the country's most celebrated noodle dishes, known for its distinct flavor, vibrant appearance, and rich history.

As its name suggests, it traces its origins to the City of Malabon and much like most of Filipino dishes, Pancit Malabon does not have a single, definitive recipe.

It's evolved into different variations across households, with each family boasting its own, beloved heirloom version that's passed down through generations.

Despite these variations, Pancit Malabon remains unmistakable with defining ingredients: thick rice noodles coated in a rich yellow-orange sauce made from fish sauce (patis), annatto (achuete), shrimp stock, and sometimes crab fat (aligue). The noodles are generously topped with boiled eggs and an assortment of seafood or pork.

Unlike other pancit dishes that rely on soy sauce for flavor, Pancit Malabon derives its savory taste from seafood broth and fish sauce — a reflection of the city's coastal heritage.

Its colorful presentation and abundant seafood toppings have also been linked to Malabon's history.

According to Chef Melissa Sison-Oreta, workers who commuted via the Malabon Tranvia during the early 1900s were inspired by Spanish paella and recreated its luxurious appearance using locally available ingredients, giving rise to Pancit Malabon.

Among the more popular brands of Pancit Malabon is Mama Belen's Kitchenette (formerly Rosy's Pancit, established 1946), whose version is considered by many to be among the gold standards of the noodle dish.

Once upon a time in Malabon

First acknowledging there isn't one version of Pancit Malabon — "I always say every household, especially in Malabon, has its own version of Pancit Malabon because, after all, we inspire one another," Chef Carlo Agustin, fourth-generation owner of Mama Belen's Kitchenette told GMA News Online —Chef Carlo revealed what sets their family's version of the noodle dish apart: They top it with adobong talaba (adobo-style oysters).

"We put talaba on top of our Pancit Malabon, but we reinvented it into adobo because its cooking technique prolongs the shelf life of food. That's what we do with our oysters," he said.

At Sunday’s "Once Upon a Time in Malabon" food event held at the New World Makati Hotel, Chef Carlo gave a little cooking demo.

Here are the ingredients:

• Rice noodles
• Pancit Malabon Sauce
• Patis
• Calamansi
• Ground pepper
• Fried garlic
• Chicharon
• Pechay Baguio
• Kinchay
• Boiled egg
• Pork Tongue
• Shrimp

Pancit Malabon’s step-by-step cooking method, as told by Chef Carlo:

Step 1: Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the Pancit Malabon sauce. In a pan, combine the sauce with fish sauce and simmer until slightly thickened.

Step 3: Toss the cooked noodles in the sauce until evenly coated.

Step 4: Transfer the noodles to a serving platter and arrange the toppings: pechay Baguio, kinchay, boiled eggs, pork tongue, and shrimp.

Step 5: Finish with fried garlic, ground pepper, and crushed chicharon.

Step 6: Serve hot with calamansi on the side.

Arranged by the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA) Manila and Philippine Heritage Kitchen, together with celebrity chef Reggie Aspiras, "Once upon a Time in Malabon" celebrated the rich culinary traditions of Malabon, with Pancit Malabon taking center stage.

According to Chef Reggie, the event is a passion project aimed at preserving Filipino food traditions so they "do not get lost and forgotten" by future generations.

Beyond Pancit Malabon, the city is also known for other beloved Filipino specialties, including okoy, kakanin, lechon, and crispy pata.

In March 2025, the Philippines earned a Guinness World Record for the longest line of bowls of noodles with 13 noodle shop owners in Malabon collaborating to prepare a continuous line of 6,549 bowls of Pancit Malabon.

The "Once Upon a Time in Malabon" event is the second of the many culinary initiatives of Philippine Heritage Kitchen and CCA Manila aimed at showcasing iconic regional dishes from across the Philippines. They first held a Sisig Festival in May, which featured 15 different interpretations of the iconic Kapampangan dish.

In July, the spotlight will shift to Sagada, where the organizations are set to celebrate the municipality's indigenous vegetables and wild mushrooms. — LA, GMA News