This pastil in Gensan staved off my hunger! I was already at the jeepney terminal in Gensan, after a flight from Manila and was already enroute for my trip to Maitum municipality in the province of Sarangani.
Pangs of hunger made my stomach growl as I didn’t have much option to move, bags in tow and the nearest hole in the wall eatery, read: carinderia is still a few minutes walk away. But looking around, in one section of the derelict jeepney terminal, more of a makeshift shack, were a series of small tables and chairs and some cooked food.
I moved closer and noticed a pile of something wrapped in wilted young banana leaves. Curious, I asked. Pastil. The muslim owner told me. Not exposed to Muslim food, I got more curious as to what it is, opened one and saw that it was newly cooked rice with strips of stewed chicken on top.
Without hesitance, I ordered one plus a drink.
The taste was just good. Well cooked, well seasoned. Not too salty. The stewed chicken paired well with the rice. It was just delicious, a simple yet filling food and cheap, at just P10. This pastil in Gensan is similar to pater which I tried in Cebu and Iligan.
This one’s a great pantawid gutom! We almost always eat back when we were on a meager student budget. LOL. I still visit the Pastil carenderia near Ateneo de Davao sometimes.
wow, may pastil carinderia pa! 🙂