Pancit Habhab of Lucban

Pancit habhab is a noodle dish from Lucban in Quezon, made with miki - a fresh egg noodle produced locally - stir-fried with pork, liver, chayote, carrot and a broth-based sauce, and served not on a plate but on a rectangle of banana leaf. Habhab describes how it is eaten: the leaf is folded into a chute, held up to the mouth, and the noodles pushed in directly without fork or spoon, which takes a little practice and produces a certain amount of laughter at the expense of first-timers. Vinegar is splashed on before eating. Servings are small and cheap by design, so people eat two or three, and it is standard street and market food in Lucban rather than a restaurant dish. During Pahiyas on 15 May the stalls around the plaza sell nothing else, along with Lucban longganisa, the garlicky local sausage that is the town's other export.

What you actually see

• The banana leaf - the noodles served on a folded square.
• The eating method - pushed straight into the mouth, no cutlery.
• The Lucban miki - the fresh local egg noodle.
• The vinegar - splashed on before eating.

When to go

Year-round from the stalls around Lucban's plaza and market. 15 May during Pahiyas is when the whole town is selling it.

Honest expectations

Eating it properly is messy and takes a couple of attempts. Servings are small - order more than one. Ask for a fork if you would rather, though the stallholder will find it funny.

Nearby

Kamay ni Hesus is minutes away; Tayabas basilica and Mount Banahaw are close.