Chinese New Year — The Year of the Dragon

To honor the Filipinos’ strong affinity with the Chinese culture and celebrate the Year of the Water Dragon in 2012, come to the Aristocrat to rediscover the ORIGINAL Pancit Canton and ORIGINAL Lumpia Shanghai. After 75 years, The Aristocrat continues to be not just the “home of the best chicken barbecue in town”, but also the country’s most beloved, if not the most popular restaurant.

Original Pancit Canton – The “Pancit Canton” has become a traditional Filipino dish served at family celebrations, specially birthdays, further popularized by the belief that eating long noodle strands leads to a long and healthy life. But what few people know is that the dish was created and so named by mainland Chinese chefs who fled the 1949 Communist revolution, settled in Manila and worked with Lola Asiang at The Aristocrat. It was a recipe jointly concocted by Fan Luk (aka Big Boy) and Lola Asiang, a prime example of “early fusion” between Filipino and Chinese culinary expertise. To honor the source of the idea, Lola Asiang and Big Boy christened the dish after “canton” or today’s Guangzhou, so do not be surprised if you cannot find the “pancit canton” in Southern China.

Most commercialized versions of “Pancit Canton” derive its flavor from the garnishing, giving way to the popular saying that “nasa sahog ang lasa”. But what makes the Aristocrat’s pancit canton particularly delicious is its specially-formulated noodles that are 100% homemade, rather than purchasing from commercial noodle vendors. The flavorful noodles are made even more delicious when topped with garnishing that comes from a specially-formulated blend of fresh, all-natural ingredients including pork, shrimp, chicken meat, liver and gizzard and assorted fresh vegetables.

Original Lumpia Shanghai – The “Lumpia Shanghai”, or fried spring rolls with ground pork and shrimp, has also become a part of the Filipino family fare, and just like the “Pancit Canton”, few people know it was originally created by the tandem of Fan Luk and Lola Asiang. The Aristocrat “Lumpia Shanghai” is made with the finest quality ingredients and a secret seasoning that tastes even more delightful with another original — the sweet and sour sauce crafted by the tandem. This time, it was named after Shanghai, then renowned as the Paris of the Orient, to honor the origin of the idea, but just like the “pancit canton”, do not be surprised if you cannot find “lumpia shanghai” in that booming financial capital of modern China, because the real origin lies in the Aristocrat.