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1
Sear the Pork and Chicken
6 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 200°C (400°F)
Heat the oil in a large wok or wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork strips in a single layer and sear for 3 minutes without moving them, then add the chicken strips and stir-fry for 3 minutes more. Season with half the soy sauce and the black pepper. The meat should be browned at the edges and cooked through — the chicken must reach 74°C (165°F) and the pork 63°C (145°F) at the centre. Lift the meat out and set it aside.
Do not crowd the pan: meat that steams instead of searing stays pale and tough.
Done when: Pork browned at the edges, chicken opaque all the way through at 74°C (165°F).
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2
Cook the Shrimp and Aromatics
4 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 200°C (400°F)
In the same wok, add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes until they curl and turn pink, then lift them out with the meat. Add the onion and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the carrots and green beans and cook for 1 minute more — they should stay crisp.
Shrimp overcook in seconds. Pull them out the moment they turn pink and opaque.
Done when: Shrimp pink, curled and opaque; garlic fragrant, not browned.
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3
Build the Sauce and Wilt the Cabbage
3 Mins
Simmer, about 95°C (203°F)
Pour in the chicken broth, the remaining soy sauce, the calamansi juice and the sugar, and bring to a simmer. Stir in the shredded cabbage and cook for 2 minutes until it just wilts — it should still have a little bite. Taste the broth: it should be savoury with a bright citrus lift from the calamansi.
Taste before the noodles go in — this is your last easy chance to adjust salt and sourness.
Done when: Broth simmering and well seasoned; cabbage wilted but still crisp.
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4
Add the Bihon and Toss
5 Mins
Simmer, about 95°C (203°F)
Add the drained bihon rice vermicelli to the wok and toss with tongs so every strand meets the broth. Cook for 4–5 minutes, tossing constantly, until the thin translucent noodles have absorbed almost all the liquid and turned soft and glossy. If the pan looks dry before the noodles are tender, splash in 2–3 tablespoons of hot water. Return the pork, chicken and shrimp to the wok and toss for 1 minute to heat through.
Use tongs, not a spoon — lifting and turning the strands keeps them from clumping into a solid cake.
Done when: Noodles soft, translucent and glossy with almost no liquid left in the pan; meat heated through.
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5
Rest, Garnish and Serve
2 Mins
Serve hot, about 70°C (158°F)
Take the wok off the heat and let the pancit rest for 2 minutes so the last of the sauce settles into the noodles. Pile it onto a large platter or into bowls, scatter the green onions over the top, and serve with the whole calamansi cut in half so each person can squeeze more over their own portion. Do not cut the noodles short — long strands are the birthday tradition.
Serve straight away: bihon dries out and stiffens as it sits, and a splash of calamansi at the table wakes it back up.
Done when: Noodles glossy and steaming, green onions bright, calamansi halves ready on the side.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve hot on a big platter with calamansi halves on the side, and let everyone squeeze their own. Eat it while the noodles are still glossy — pancit bihon is at its best in the first 15 minutes off the wok.
Philippines
1h 5m
