Salud Panciteria: The Legendary Panciteria in Marikina City That Invented Pancit Pinagulong

Marikina City has many panciterias or food establishments that serve Chinese-Filipino food. I think it has the highest concentration of panciterias among the cities of Metro Manila and probably in the entire country. Legends such as the MICHELIN-rated Lola Helen’s Panciteria (read my review here) and my childhood favorite Luyong Restaurant (read my review here) find its home in the Shoe Capital of the Philippines.

Another legendary panciteria in Marikina City is Salud Panciteria, the inventor of Pancit Pinagulong (more on this later). It was started by Aling Salud (“aling” is a term of endearment given to an older lady; I’m not sure what her first name is), who has a Chinese descent and learned making noodles from her parents.

The family used to sell pancit in the 1960s until Aling Salud opened her own panciteria in 1968. When the Aling Salud passed away in 2011, the business came to a pause until Aling Salud’s daughter-in-law took over, reopening in 2014. It’s still up today and is located inside a house, giving a homey vibe.

So what is Pancit Pinagulong? it is simply Salud Panciteria’s version of Miki Guisado, a pancit (stir-fried noodles) made of miki or fresh, thick eggs noodles. It is called “pinagulong” because of the method it’s cooked, which is pinagulong (rolled) in a kawali (frying pan).

It has soft miki, with a lot of lechon kawali (deep-fried pork belly) on top. The pork belly is crunchy and tasty, and is the star of the dish.

They also serve staple panciteria dishes like Lumpiang Shanghai (deep-fried meat rolls), which is crunchy and juicy. But honestly, I find it small.

Another staple is Chopsuey (stir-fried mixed vegetables). I find it more Filipino-styie than what I usually try in panciterias. It also has lots of chayote.

For me, the dark horse is the Torta con Carne, which is an egg fuyong (Chinese-style omelette) with meat and drenched in a special sweet sauce. It has a fluffy egg and tasty meat, with a thick, sweet sauce that’s surprisingly good, elevating the dish.

Of course, no panciteria meal would be complete without fried rice. The Salud Fried Rice is their version of yang chow fried rice. It’s on the moist side, and has Chinese sausage the adds sweetness.

In my opinion, there are better panciterias than Salud Panciteria (I might change my mind when I try more dishes). But with its history and its legendary Pancit Pinagulong, I think it should be included in your Marikina eatinerary. I recommend it to you!

Salud Panciteria

References:

https://www.marikeno.com/2014/09/saluds-pancitera.html

https://www.saludpanciteria.com/about