No thanks to the pandemic, holiday traditions had to be redrawn, reconfigured, or retooled. For those who are still uncomfortable with the idea of Christmas parties, preparing food at home for a smaller group is still the best way to go. Because there are no more potlucks, we’d have to prep all the Noche Buena dishes ourselves. If you’re pressed for time, these Noche Buena dishes are the best in the Philippines.
Ham
Michele Yuchengco Dee’s ham is considered by gourmands as the best in Manila. Michele doesn’t do marketing, and has no FB or IG page, and yet it has landed on top of the best ham lists every year. It is seasonal ham—meaning she only makes it during the holidays, and is sought after by those in the know who, as early as September, put in their orders.
Inside the glossy shell coating is sugar, and when you cut through the meat, the sugar cackles, under which is delicately salty ham. On the side comes a sauce of fat drippings. Michele starts curing hams by September and prefers her customers buy the ham on the day it was made. No wonder this gourmand favorite is a hit during Christmas. Michele got the recipe from her friend, the late Chef Ed Quimson, a collaborator. There’s also a ritual to eating this special ham. “The way I do it, I crack the sugar coating, and then set it aside,” she says. “I slice the ham, sprinkle the sugar coating on top, and serve the sauce on the side.” A kilo of ham easily serves up to eight people. To order, message Michele at +63 919 063 3236. Ham costs ₱1,100 per kilo.
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Chicken Galantina
Chef Jam Melchor’s Chicken Galantina tastes luxurious and down home at the same time. He also offers the galantina in loaf form, terrine-style. This year, he levels it up with a whole stuffed chicken, replete with gravy and atchara. You can steam it, sear it, fry it (and serve with pan de sal), or just serve it chilled. In all ways, this galantina is perfect. This Christmas, if you’re going to give it away as a gift, the galantina will come in a bayong. Chef Jam tapped a community of bayong weavers in Laguna to make containers for those ordering through Gastro Grocer. “Why support bayong weaving communities?” explains the chef. “It’s from natural and renewable resources like pandan, buri, sabutan, romblon, and abaca abound in the Philippine countryside and do not entail huge carbon emissions in their harvest, processing, and production.
In addition, bayong weaving is part of our cultural heritage.” 0917 412 2210 IG: @gastrogrocer
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Lechon
I’m very protective about lechon food discoveries—because lechon is my favorite food and it’s so hard to find good lechon in the metro that’s as good as the Visayan lechon (mainly, Tanauan, Leyte) I grew up with, but in the spirit of Christmas, I thought I’d share that the best lechon I’ve tasted in Manila is Abub’s. From skin to ribs, no need for lechon sauce. It’s an old lechon place, apparently, operating since 2002, but I’ve only discovered it three years ago—and I’ve stopped my search for the lechon that best tastes like native lechon. The secret: Its master roasters are flown in from Cebu. 0917 863 ABUB (2282), 0917 836 ABUB (2282)
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Turf and Surf
Paella is a mainstay on many Noche Buena tables, but I recently discovered SlowBurnMNL’s combination platter Turf and Surf that will be a great addition to any holiday table. There’s a full rack of smoking ribs, slabs of seared salmon fillet, easy-to-peel garlic shrimps, on a bed of truffle umami rice, squid ink rice, French beans, and cherry tomatoes. The young chef behind SlowBurnMNL is Chef Chryso Morales, who was a former executive chef in a resort hotel in Boracay and also in Corona, Palawan. He had also worked for Shangri-la at the Fort and Somerset Alabang. At just ₱2,299, good enough for a family of four to five, this is a very impressive offering. 0956 027 0730
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Cookies
What’s Noche Buena without a little something for Santa? My favorite cookies were Sofitel’s, so when the pandemic hit and they were closed, I had to look for the best cookies that could deliver at home. I hit jackpot with a homebaker, who only started selling her cookies in 2020. Mermaid Bakes started selling cream cheese pan de sal and its variants (with garlic or jalapeño), but it soon debuted its bestseller—the super sinful s’mores cream cheese cookies. Mermaid Bakes is a true success story—I credit the 15 pounds of a 20-pound weight gain—and it’s been harder to order now after many have discovered their cookies. My pick: The s’mores cream cheese and the while chocolate almond. FB: Mermaid Bakes
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Roast chicken
Although the century-old Kamuning Bakery is famous for its pugon-baked bread baked the traditional way, proprietor Wilson Lee Flores expanded his offerings and have started selling pugon-roasted roasted chicken this pandemic, which Manila Bulletin Lifestyle columnist Sol Vanzi says has been part of her Noche Buena. She swears that Flores’ pugon-baked chicken (cooked in a brick oven) is flavorful with the juices packed in. Plus, you get pan de sal for free with your order of chicken. 0918 807 7777
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Chinese noodles
Whether you’re in the mood for chamisua, misua, or even sotanghon with crab, or anything “long” to symbolize long life or, if you’re just in the mood for Chinese, Mr. Poon Restaurant in Malate, Manila is as classic Chinese food as classic can be. This is a perfect destination for those who miss their Angkong’s or Amah’s or this mom’s cooking, as the restaurant offers the most traditional in Chinese food, cooked the traditional way—like the braised pig leg (patatim) that I swear tastes exactly like my mom’s (and this is a compliment to the restaurant), chami with chopsuey and shrimp, and salt and pepper spareribs. (8) 525 5555