Get to know Malabon through its food

When we think of food and Malabon City, one of the first things we think of is its iconic Pancit Malabon, characterized by thick, chewy rice noodles; orange sauce flavored with shrimp, fish sauce, and crab roe paste; topped with a heavy sprinkling of egg and seafood—an ode to the abundance of the two rivers that run through it.

- By YVETTE TAN

But residents know that there is more to Malabon's food culture than its flavorful pancit.

Chef, entrepreneur, and Malabon native Isi Guillen Laureano has been taking guests around the city she grew up in, mostly through her partnership with The Traveling Spoon, an international food tourism platform that offers tourists localized food adventures.

Her idea for a Malabon Food Tour started because she wanted to continue an initiative that the Malabon local government began before the pandemic, but didn't revive after the world opened up again.

Culinary tour of a chef's childhood

"I initiated it alongside my aunt, Tita Betsy [Serna David of Betsy's Cake Center],” she said. “[It is a] Malabon heritage and food tour in a tricycle. It isn't only about food, but also about our churches and old houses, and even the small museum near where I grew up at Hulong Duhat."

The revival started as a fundraising initiative for Laureano's high school alumni homecoming in 2023 and has since turned into its own full-fledged food tour.