aling banang’s – Jellybeans in the City

After almost five months of being cooped up at home, I must say that I have developed a newfound respect for home-cooking.

These are the dishes that many of us grew up with and have loved over the years, the viands that we may not always list as put absolute faves but nevertheless welcome when they are presented to us on the dinner table.

The thing is, however, having the same home-cooked dishes again and again can become a drag. Blame it on the limited repertoire of many homemakers when it comes to Filipino food, or simply the lack of time to learn to cook new dishes despite being stuck at home or to replenish the pantry with the needed ingredients.

Whichever the reason, I found myself having to look for viand for my family’s lunch one weekday.

I already know that Aling Banang’s makes a tasty Pancit Canton for groups, but the challenge was how to scale that for a simple family meal.

Fortunately, Aling Banang’s also offers solo servings of its dishes such as:

Pancit Canton (Php60). Pinoy-style stir-fried noodles with shredded veggies topped with Lecon Kawali pieces.

Lechon Kawali (Php60). Pork belly that is boiled, seasoned then deep-fried in a wok until the meat is tender and juicy and the skin is crispy and golden brown.

With five orders of Lechon Kawali and two orders of Pancit Canton, I was able to satisfy the lunch appetites of the entire fam for just Php420!

What’s your meal hack?

Get your own lutong bahay eats without having to sweat it out in the kitchen. If you’re in the Pasig area, order your meal from Aling Banang’s by calling +63 2 73582953, +63 921 3364640 or +63 955 6922033.

You may also course your orders through these food delivery apps.

Download the Grab App and get a discount on your first food order when you use my code: GRABJELLYBEANS.

Use this link to download the FoodPanda app and get Php100 off your first order

Download the LalaFood App and get a free delivery coupon when you use my code: BEINGJMR53.

Check out my reviews of other Filipino restaurants:

Pancit – aka noodles – are so firmly ingrained in Filipino cuisine that they qualify as Pinoy food.

Introduced by Chinese settlers, pancit – derived from Hokkien term pian i sit which translates to “convenient food” – has been widely adopted throughout the country, with many provinces boasting of their unique spin on the dish.

Well, one of my favorite pancit variants is the pancit canton, the Pinoy version of the chow mein.

Made with stir-fried meat and vegetables tossed with thick wheat noodles, the pancit canton is a beautiful fusion of colors, flavors and texture, a true symbol of bounty which is why this dish graces most, if not all, Pinoy celebrations.

Well, after tiring of the usual lutong bahay options while stuck at home during the enhanced community quarantine, I was lucky to find that a store near my house offers this dish.

And so twenty minutes after I called the store, I braved the heat of early summer to pick up my order of Pancit Canton (Php400 good for five persons) from Aling Banang’s. Apparently, I’m not alone in my quest as I encountered food delivery riders waiting for their orders as well.

And what a platter of wonder my pancit canton was! Veggies, noodles and sauce plus a generous topping of crunchy bagnet slices mixed in. What’s not to love?

It was more than enough to satisfy my hungry fam. (There was no time to do a pretty plating of the pancit for the ‘gram because we just wolfed it down, really!)

And guess what! An order good for 15 people is just Php750. I guess I know where I’ll order my birthday noodles!

Stuck at home during the ECQ? No need to leave the safety and comfort of your abode to enjoy Aling Banang’s hearty dishes. You can simply have your meal delivered through GrabFood or LalaFood.

Download the Grab App on the App Store or Google Play. Get a discount on your first food order when you use my code: GRABJELLYBEANS.

Download the LalaFood App and get a free delivery coupon when you use my code: BEINGJMR53.

This Aling Banang’s branch is located at 5th Street Corner Countryside Avenue, Santa Lucia, Pasig City, with a limited menu available for pickup. To order, call +63 915 3413183 or +6 399 85946908.

Other branches still open during the enhanced community quarantine are located at: