A Passion for Pancit

The passion of Filipinos for pancit runs deep, and with this heartfelt love for the delicacy, Isla Panciteria Siargao satisfies cravings that take you back home.

Words Betty Uy Regala
Photo courtesy of Rocio Diaz Arcela
September 10, 2025

Isla Panciteria Siargao, located along Tourism Road, Barangay Catangnan in General Luna, Surigao del Norte, has earned a perfect average rating of 5.0 stars on Google Reviews from 185 domestic and foreign tourists since it opened on April 2, 2025. Additionally, diners have provided direct feedback to the owners.

“A customer from Batangas whose family moved to Siargao because of work told us that he was excited that a panciteria opened on the island. Our Pancit Chami reminded them of home. I didn’t expect that I would be moved by their reaction,” Lucien Hoffpauir, one half of the owners’ duo, said. Hoffpauir was born and raised in Lucena, Quezon. 

Nathan Barrios and Lucien Hoffpauir, Photo by Rocio Diaz Arcela

Pancit Chami, featuring house-made Miki noodles, is a popular dish in Quezon and Batangas. Described on the menu as “thick, homemade egg noodles stir-fried in a rich, savory, and slightly spicy sauce,” this pancit is offered with three topping options: Lechon (₱280), Shrimp (₱280), and Tofu (₱270).

It was Nathan Barrios, the panciteria’s co-owner and Hoffpauir’s life partner, who predicted that Pancit Chami would be a hit during the research and development (R&D) phase. It is the pancit dish of choice in Isla Panciteria Siargao.

The call back to home isn’t limited to Filipino customers. A Canadian originally from Taiwan read the Google reviews, visited the restaurant, and ordered Pancit Sotanghon, which reminded him of his mom’s cooking. 

Pancit Sotanghon, the pancit joint’s take on glass noodles with aromatic spices, also comes in three varieties: with Lechon (PhP260); with Shrimp (PhP260); and with Tofu (PhP250).

Pancit Chami, Photo by Rocio Diaz Arcela

“I guess when you make something really well, even an everyday comfort food that is pancit, you could bring customers home with the dishes. Foreigners were pleasantly surprised that our pancit tasted good and at par with other Asian noodle dishes like Pad Thai and Lo Mein,” Barrios said. 

Isla Panciteria Siargao’s five pancit dishes have distinct flavor profiles aside from using five different types of noodles. Pancit Chami, for one, leans on the spicy and savory taste range, while Pancit Sotanghon is on the gingery and garlicky spectrum.

Pancit Canton showcases the herby and umami flavors with a hint of citrus. The panciteria also has Pancit Sotanghon and Pancit Bihon. Pancit Sotanghon has aromatic glass noodles with garlic, ginger, and the Filipino fish sauce–Patis. The Pancit Bihon consists of herbaceous rice noodles with Chinese sausage and veggies. 

The pancit varieties also come in big round trays (bilao) for gatherings with four sizes of small, medium, large, and extra large that start from PhP750 to PhP2,800 price points. 

Photo by Rocio Diaz Arcela

“Each region of the Philippines has its own pancit dish. We are proud of this heritage because it tells the story of our culture and our people,” Hoffpauir explained. “We want Filipino travelers who are familiar with pancit to experience the pancit we created in our own unique way. We also want to introduce Filipino cuisine to foreigners through our pancit,” he added.   

Barrios explained that the perception of pancit as a second dish stems from colonialism. “If we get together for a celebration, our top-of-mind for the main course is usually spaghetti and not pancit. Filipino food in general is delicious. At Isla, we are giving it the proper attention and value it deserves with our pancit and silog dishes,” he said.  

For its All-Day Breakfast meals, the panciteria likewise serves Tapsilog, Tocilog, Cornsilog, Sausilog, and Spamsilog. Similar to the Miki bihon, which is made from scratch in the restaurant, Isla Panciteria Siargao also makes its own tapa and tocino.

The birthing process 

One late afternoon in early 2024, while stretched on one of the white powdery beaches of Port Barton in Palawan, Hoffpauir and Barrios completed the business plan of Isla Panciteria. 

The final push came when the company that Hoffpauir worked at as an IT professional announced that a reorganization would take place in July. Barrios, on the other hand, was already running his own fundraiser at that time after working close to a decade at a fundraising company. 

“The idea sparked an interest in me. I’m happy and fulfilled with what we’re doing right now. We are here, pursuing our dream,” Barrios shared. “I have a go-getter personality, especially when I see that there is an opportunity. I saw the potential of the restaurant, especially when Lucy was doing the R&D on the different types of pancit that we will be offering. But it was also a leap of faith,” he added.   

As for Hoffpauir, the first thing he did was to validate the concept. Aside from beta testing their pancit offerings, they also visited different panciterias in Quezon and Manila. Some restaurants even provided access to their kitchens for them to observe firsthand how they run. 

Back in Manila, Hoffpauir first prepared all the ingredients and cooked the pancit on the spot for their friends. “I wanted to make sure that the pancit is traditional, very Filipino. I also wanted the pancit to have my own spin to make it even more special,” he said.  

The duo chose Siargao as the site of Isla Panciteria because they both love the island, which has an exciting food scene. Their active lifestyles are also well-suited to the place: they both like to party, and they are both into CrossFit. The island is known to have a “curse” on visitors–they either do not want to leave the isle or they immediately come back after leaving. 

“Siargao was my top-of-mind for the business. It’s an active island. You can do many things here. You can go surfing, do CrossFit, pottery, yoga,” Hoffpauir said. He added, “We also realized that we won’t be able to travel for the first few years of the business, so we might as well choose a place where every day feels like a vacation and at the same time maintain our active lifestyles.” 

Barrios recalled that after Hoffpauir parted ways with his company in July last year, they went to Siargao for a full month to search for a property to build the 38-seater restaurant, which has a current staff of five, including the two owners. They also recently built a staff house. 

As the creative, Hoffpauir primarily handles the menu selections and the kitchen. Barrios, on the other hand, takes care of the finances and other operational concerns. 

Working in and of itself can already be difficult. Working with a romantic partner presents other challenges as they are together 24/7 with no breather in between. They are still working on having their work separate from their personal lives, if that scenario is even possible.

“Every disagreement is an opportunity to learn the business. This is our first business together, and we are here to learn. We take what we can from the experience,” Hoffpauir said. “In working with a partner, you have to take into consideration your partner’s feelings, which is sometimes another layer of work instead of just focusing on the work itself,” Barrios shared. 

While navigating their five-month-old business venture in Siargao to date, Hoffpauir and Barrios would like to expand Isla Panciteria to the other islands in the country once they have established the brand and developed a customer base. 

For more information on the restaurant, visit its FB and IG accounts: islapanciteria.siargao.