Getting Lucky at Lucky 21 (Empanadita and Fresh Lumpia)

Posted by Jozzua on Feb 20, 2006 in Random Blabber | 4 comments

My friend and I went on a food trip. He recommended some places in Manila, (Philippines) where one could get really great food. Our first visit was Lucky 21. It was a small store just along K-3 road in Quezon City. To get there one could go along EDSA, make a turn at Kamuning Road going to Judge Jimenez St. and look for K-3 Street.

We ordered fresh lumpia ubod and empanadita. Lumpia is considered the Filipino version of a spring roll. It is a more like a vegetable-filled crepe than a spring roll. Empanadita is a smaller version of the Empanada which is a small savory pie with fillings of meat, seafood, or vegetables. The fillings can be seasoned in many ways. These two food items are favorites among Filipinos.

We had the items for take out. Later we tasted it and here’s what I can say about it:

• The lumpia was very good. It was similar to the fresh lumpia style that can be ordered from Max’s Chicken (A restaurant here in the Philippines). This actually made me wonder – did Max’s Chicken order their lumpia here? The sauce used gave this food more character. It was thick, sweet and spicy. The spiciness was brought about by a large garlic presence. It somewhat gave an addictive flavor to the lumpia.
• The empanadita was totally different to what I have tasted anywhere before. I didn’t realize how different it was at first. It took me around 2 more pieces of this small pie to discover I really liked it! I noticed that it had a melt-in-your mouth quality. This was unlike empanadas that I was used to. Regular empanadas seemed to always have that tough crust just at the edges of the pie. It’s like pizza; people just eat what’s in the middle and not really bother about the edges. This piece, however, was soft to the tongue- from the middle to the edges.
• I could see that the empanadita was actually wrapped by overlapping thin, flaky-like, soft bread. This is probably contributed to the texture and appealing quality of it. It was really unique.

One wouldn’t think that such delectable treats could be found at K-3, Quezon City. They place looked like an ordinary house with metal grills and a small window for shoppers. It reminded me of the Buko Pie shops scattered along the roads to Laguna. The fresh lumpia was only P18 per piece while the empanadita went for P150 for a 25-piece set. The empanadita came with a nice small basket. It was a nice presentation.

As we bought it, I noticed that the street was actually lined by customers. Some of them appeared well dressed Chinese. It was an odd place to find them and it made me think- the food here seems to be quite popular. People go here even if it’s a bit out of the way.

My friend tells me I could order in advance and just pick it up. You might want to consider having a bite too or give these as gift items. They are located at 21, K-3rd Street, Kamuning, Quezon City. Their telephone numbers are 9229605, 9260142, and 4107987 (Philippine local numbers). The proprietor is Antonio G. Montoya.