A Tale of Two Pansit Batil Patong

Tuguegarao's Pancit Batil Patong

This is it pansit!

Two versions of a regional treat but each done differently. Of course, both has the same main ingredient of noodles and sunny-side-up egg. And both is accompanied by a soup stock resembling an egg drop but the taste and the similarity ends there. Pansit Batil Patong is known to originate from Tuguegarao City so it is also called Pansit Tuguegarao. Almost every corner of the main streets in the City has panciteria which serves this plateful of delicacy.

The Tuguegarao version of presenting this dish usually involve first laying the noodle on the plate and topping it off with assorted mix of vegetables such as mongo sprouts, beans, carrots and diced beef and pork meat and liver. A slighly-cooked egg is then put on top of the dish.

Tabuk's Pancit Batil Patong

The Tabuk City version is more potent because it has more meat. The presentation on the plate usually involved laying the sauteed noodle and vegetables such as carrots and cabbage on the plate, then topped with sunny-side-up egg, then covered with a mixture of sauteed ground pork and liver and crunchy bits of pork rinds. This is then served with diced onions on the side.

Which one I like better? The Tuguegarao version is tastes somewhat similar to what I am accustomed to. The only thing different about it is that it has mongo sprouts and an egg on top. Remove these two ingredients and you almost have a pancit guisado - tagalog style. The Tabuk version on the other hand can best be described as pancit canton topped with sisig. Imagine a mixture of crunchy sisig and pancit canton and you will have somewhat of a Tabuk version.

My verdict? The former would be great as a merienda while the latter would make a great pulutan during alcohol-laded merry-making tryst.

How about you? Which do you think is better?