CHAOLONG
A Fusion Filipino and Vietnamese
In 1975 after the fall of Saigon, many Vietnamese fled and sought asylum from friendly nations. Our country is one of the nations that took in the refugees. The refugees took courage and fled by boats thru rough waters to escape the war.
A refugee village was set up on the beautiful island of Palawan. After the war, some of the refugees left the Philippines and moved to the United States and Canada. While others want back to Vietnam. There were a few who fell in love with our country and made the Philippines their new home. There were those who married our locals and started their own businesses. Thus Chaolong was born.
The noodle dish is well known in Palawan and has reached other parts of our country. Today I will take you to a unique restaurant found in Cavite, Philippines. Simply known as "Chaolong Palawan's Best".
From the entrance of the restaurant you will be greeted by a Palawan dialect "Dayon Kamo" also our local Tagalog dialect "Tuloy po kayo" which means Please come in.
Also at the entrance, you will see a brief history of Chaolong. You can see one of the boats that they used to reach our shores.
This restaurant has gained popularity in Cavite and is often patronized by soldiers stationed at the Naval Base. Most of these soldiers come from Palawan and are seeking the comforting taste of home.
Here you can place your order directly and then find a comfortable seat.
Chaolong noodles have four variants which are Beef, Chicken, Pork, and the most popular Beef Stew.
The cost:
Chaolong Noodles
- Small - 99 pesos ($1.97 USD)
- Regular - 109 pesos ($2.17 USD)
- Special includes egg - 119 pesos ($2.36)
Banh Mi
- Plain - 39 pesos ($0.77)
- Garlic - 49 pesos ($0.97)
- Cheese - 65 pesos ($1.29)
- Chicken - 65 pesos ($1.29)
- Tuna - 65 pesos ($1.29)
- Asado - 65 pesos ($1.29)
They also sold other local delicacies from Palawan like roasted cashew nuts.
On display are fresh Bahn Mi bread ready to serve.
The restaurant has also complied with local regulations on safety precautions. This kind of setup can be seen in almost all restaurants in the city.
There are not a lot of people yet at this time but during evenings is when the people starts to pour in. Tables are arranged to allow social distancing of the diners.
At night these capiz lights are turned on that give a warm cozy ambiance to the place.
The place is decorated with local handicrafts from Palawan.
The boats hanging represent the boats of the refugees who sought asylum. The owner truly made an effort and try to bring the vibe of Palawan to the city.
More seating area outside surrounded by capiz lanterns and plants.
The hanging lights also used native materials that add to the local island ambiance.
The decoration would not be complete without Vietnamese hats on display.
These are masks that represent the different tribes on the island. Although I do not know which tribes are represented by each mask. These are beautifully handcrafted.
Since the island has an abundance of various species of fish, might as well decorate the walls with hand-crafted fish.
This wood carving of a man and woman holding a jar. I have been told that these are made by local tribes from the island. I would have loved to learn more about the story behind this carving.
More carvings that appear to be a shield. With all the decorations the place almost looks like a small museum that showcases its culture. This adds uniqueness to the restaurant which sets it aside from the other local restaurants.
Things do not stop there. There are also pet birds on display.
You will never get bored while waiting for your order. The place is not that big but they have managed to add elements that made it more interesting.
Not only bird but they also added a few fish tanks to top it off.
The place is small but there are so many things to see. They sell herbs and spices too. If you love plants this place is a treat for you.
They also managed to transform the place into a small garden. All the plants here are for sale and would be hard to resist not buying a pot.
After walking around our order was ready.
Chaolong is an evolved version of Vietnamese Pho noodles that adapted to the local Philippine taste. An orange broth that is a bit sweet and contains thick rice noodles, slices of beef, and onions. Since this is a special version it includes an egg.
On a small bowl, you have basil leaves, bean sprouts, and calamansi the Philippine local lime.
Your noodle meal is not complete unless you order Bahn Mi. We ordered the Garlic variant which is toasted with butter and sprinkled with toasted garlic. Some dip the bread in the savory broth. Seems like a good idea since like like dipping bread in clam chowder, why not do it in Chaolong broth.
Aside from the noodles we also ordered a popular Philippine combo dish called Tapsilog.
Tapa is beef slices marinated and fried. The rice is called sinanag which is fried rice with garlic. To top it off fried egg is served on the side.
Just to break it down
Tapsilog
Tap - Tapa
Si - Sinanag (garlic fried rice)
Log - The fried egg
These combo silog meals are endless with different combinations like Chicksilog, Baconsilog, Hotdogsilog. You get the idea.
Now going back to the noodles. Just add in all the bean sprouts and basil. Squeeze is the calamansi and you are all set. Others love it hot and add chili sauce which they also have.
The price is very cheap for a very good meal. No wonder people keep coming back for more. Out of the chaos of war, kindness and acceptance gave birth to the Chaolong. A special dish gifted by our Vietnamese brothers and sister. Food unites us and makes us stronger despite the challenges of our world.
Thanks for joining me today to all you foodies out there have a wonderful morning, afternoon, or evening.
Hope to see you again soon.
All photos are original and taken with
Lumix GX85 and Olympus 45mm f1.8
