It had been at least 25 years ago when my karate exams were held in this capital city where I first dined and remembered the rather old-style panciteria cuisine San Wa Nam was serving.

Still in the heart of town but now in front of a new and modern market, I was amazed to stride in on a weekday to have to climb up to the third floor because the first two were full and business seems to have not changed in this aged place that was filled with groups having the menu items still unchanged for decades.

Being with Batangas City friend and resident foodie Christian Mercado who took me, Chef Gino, and Chef Toto Erfe around some eating places, I decided to go on a nostalgic lunch and order the favorites.

We started with an order of lumpiang Shanghai, small spring rolls with a rather cured garlicky stuffing fueled by chives with an old fashioned homemade sweet sour sauce and not a bottled one ( quite rare nowadays). Christian ordered a halo prito, a favorite among those who frequent this place. Tasty slices of spiced and braised offal are lightly battered and fried and served with a vinegar-based soy dip or the same homemade sweet sour sauce. Next came a lechon Macao with crisp bubbly skin redolent of a rub of wood spices and ginger and served with a tart soy based, vinegary sauce. As contrast, we also had the old fashioned ampalaya con carne. The base of the sauce made from a very rich, mixed stock or superior stock is immediately detectable in the sauce base of this dish from the aromas and from its complexity and tastiness. The Batangueños find importance in the caldo or soup base used for cooking and is probably one of the secrets to the longevity of this restaurant. The tasty broth base is also very obvious and detectable in our chami guisado or thick pancit that has a good balance and bronzing from their soy sauce base, a rather old fashioned base of pak choy, liver, pork, and shrimp typical of old style pancit.

The fried rice seems to have been transported through a time machine, having rather dark grains also from soy sauce but quite tasty and nostalgic as there are probably very few establishments who still do this style of antebellum morisqueta tostada or panciteria fried rice. This, of course, paired off very well with a fragrant fried chicken that had subtle aromas of wood spices, ginger, and leeks and a light sweetness on the meat.

I’m glad that after all these years, this place is still a great favorite among the residents and has maintained its style and recipes. Many young kids who seem to be used to the Hongkong or even Fastfoody style of Chinese cooking could take interest especially in their postings of rediscovering historical and antiquated Chinese cooking such as this.

You can email me at chefgenegonzalez@yahoo.com.