I’ve only recently started to appreciate the Bicolano staple laing, or more commonly known in the region as pinangat. It is a dish of shredded taro leaves cooked with meat or seafood in coconut milk and usually flavored with lemongrass, garlic, onions, ginger and shrimp paste. And, reflecting the Bicolanos’ penchant for all things spicy, it is, of course, spiced up with labuyo chilis.

When I recently met up with an old friend, we snacked on Loraine’s Coffee and Pastry Shop’s signature dish: the Pinangat Pasta (Php180). Penne pasta is tossed in a sauce made of a mixture of laing and Adobong Bicol.

The latter dish is also known as adobo sa asin because the pork pieces, garlic and bay leaves are braised in vinegar and salted water, instead of the soy sauce and garlic marinade used in the pork adobo recipes I grew up with.

I like the pasta’s garlicky and slightly spicy flavors: it has just enough heat to make it stand out from the usual pasta served in run-off-the-mill cafe’s without turning off those who are not too fond of spicy food.

I would prefer the pork pieces to be in flakes, toasted a bit in more garlic to have a bit of crunch.

By the way, this pasta dish has a rice meal version, with the pinangat and Adobong Bicol served in the plate beside a cup of steamed white rice with toasted garlic bits. I’m looking forward to trying it out on my next visit.

Loraine’s Coffee and Pastry Shop is located at Ground Floor, Choice Market Ortigas, 58 Ortigas Ave, Pasig, 1600 Metro Manila. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 917 7157635.

Check out my post on my main blog – Jellybeans in the City – for a more detailed writeup of my experience at this cafe.