For Lynette...

This Palabok is actually not made from scratch. I used Palabok mix but improvised and added other ingredients to give the dish a more "home-made" taste and feel. So here you go...

PALABOK

You will need:

1 8-oz. pack Rice Stick Noodle (Bihon)

1 Pack Mama Sita Palabok Mix (or any other brand will do)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. oil

1 tbsp. fish sauce (patis)

1 can smoked oysters (you can also use smoked fish or "tinapa" if you can find one), minced

1/2 lb. medium-size shrimps

1/2 lb. ground pork (optional)

1 handful of shredded squid (optional)

3 hard-boiled eggs for toppings

crispy pork rinds (chicharon), ground

chives

For the noodles:

Bring about 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add a dash of salt and 1 tbsp. of oil. Put the rice stick noodles in the boiling water (just like cooking pasta). Keep stirring until noodles soften. Rice stick noodles cook so fast--do not overcook.

When done, take noodles out of the boiling water and wash with cold water so the heat stops cooking the noodles. Keep cool in a strainer.

For the sauce:

Dissolve Palabok mix in 2 cups of cold water. Stir until free from lumps. Heat 2 tbsp. of oil. Saute minced garlic, shrimps, shredded squid, ground pork and half of minced smoked oysters (keep the other half for garnishing). Drizzle with fish sauce. Pour the Palabok mix dissolved in water. Simmer and stir until sauce thickens.

Serve:

Place the noodles in a platter. Pour sauce over the noodles. Garnish with ground pork rinds (chicharon), the remaining half of the minced smoked oysters, sliced hard-boiled eggs and chives. Serve and enjoy!