A 16th-century warrior who turned away explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the Battle of Mactan served as the idea for Lapu Lapu, a Philippine-inspired breakfast window in a quiet area of Kentlands Market Square. Actually, there wasn’t much of a fight. While Magellan’s troops were dispatched to Cebu province and served food laced with a trace amount of poison, he returned home in a box.
Lapu Lapu would later turn into a national hero in the archipelago that is now known as the Philippines. Lapu Lapu, the first chief to oppose European empire, is portrayed as young and strong, armed only with a sword and shield, and is regarded as a fierce emblem of Philippine independence.
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That is the story. It seems that the truth is more nuanced: Lapu Lapu might have been an elderly warrior backed by a relentless army. Magellan’s men may have been used by the Cebuan emperor to drive out a tenacious chieftain who was known to plunder trade ships navigating the waterways near and surrounding the islands. In conclusion, the Battle of Mactan may have been as much a domestic battle as it was a brave protest against colonialism.
Javier and Jennifer Fernandez share ownership.
But if history has taught us anything, it is that we frequently rewrite history to suit our own ends, whether they be honourable or not. The husband and wife business founders of Lapu Lapu, Javier and Jennifer Fernandez, have latched onto this ancient warrior’s tale to, more or less, make a statement about breakfast:
In the early morning hours, they want to strengthen you so you can face the challenges that lie ahead, no matter how great or small. Of course, they’re also urging non-Filipinos to take a moment to learn about the Philippines, perhaps in between mouthfuls of one of their excellent sandwiches. He is a native of the Visayas, an island chain where Lapu Lapu formerly engaged in combat.
Personally, after consuming all of the sandwiches at Lapu Lapu, I believe the proprietors are engaged in a more significant—though possibly more quiet—battle against the mediocrity of American breakfast menus.
So much of what we eat in the morning, like an English muffin with a pale egg and two floppy slices of bacon inside of which is warmed in a ventless oven with the press of a button — is food that mocks the very idea of a hot breakfast. It’s as if have we have sacrificed an entire meal to the gods of convenience, just so we can get to work faster.
According to Javier Fernandez, the paksiw sandwich has “our version of pulled pork.”
The shop in a Gaithersburg retail centre is so small that Javier likens it to a food truck. It only sells a small number of sandwiches, each of which is served on a pandesal bun, a soft, enriched bun that is commonly eaten for breakfast in the Philippines. (The buns, incidentally, are made by Javier’s sister Stella Fernandez, who took over Gwenie’s Pastries from their mother.) At Lapu Lapu, half of the menu options are expertly prepared versions of American breakfast sandwiches. The second half of the menu consists of dishes inspired by Philippine culinary customs.
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Perhaps you’re familiar with Javier and Jennifer Fernandez’s names. Additionally, they are the pair that run Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly in Rockville, Maryland. Cebuchon is a type of Philippine porchetta with mahogany, soy sauce-brushed skin that crackles beneath the teeth like brittle. Javier is a chef with professional training who has worked under some of the best French chefs in the industry, including the late Michel Richard and Patrick Orange, the former chef at Georgetown’s prestigious La Chaumière. Javier is skilled at generating earnings the day after service ends.
Owner Javier Fernandez, in the middle, is surrounded by patrons on the terrace.
Essentially, that is how he developed the paksiw breakfast sandwich. Using the remaining lechon from Kuya Ja’s, Javier and his team dice up the pork belly, skin and all; then braise the mess of meat in cane vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and that Philippine secret weapon known as Mang Tomas.
“Our version of pulled pork,” according to Javier, is the outcome. I refer to it as the ideal way to start any day or, if you’re a night owl like myself, a good lunch choice.
Every sandwich contains eggs, with the exception of Javier’s B.A.L.T., a towering stack of Technicolor components that will test your capacity to close your jaws around them. This twist on the cured-pork classic features a creamy avocado addition. I’m sure you’ll find a way. A couple of the Philippine sandwiches, such as the housemade chorizo and the bistek, are enhanced with fried eggs with yolks that are still jiggly. The latter consists of a heap of thinly sliced rib-eye that has been simmered in soy sauce, beef bouillon, lemon juice, and lettuce with garlic-adobo mayo.
It’s a clever cheesesteak substitute for the Filipino culture, without the anxiety about whether you ordered it correctly.
Javier’s scrambled eggs are a loose and opulent example of his French training; the distinction between curd, butter, and cheese is all but lost in the dish. The traditional American breakfast sandwiches are adorned with scrambled clouds, lifting them above the ordinary drain stoppers supplied at your neighbourhood coffee shop with a rubbery ball of egg product. You can swap a Beyond Meat patty for the sausage in Lapu Lapu’s egg-and-cheese and sausage-egg-and-cheese combinations, but those combinations will destroy breakfast sandwiches everywhere else.
the sandwich with Spam.
A pair of sandos with a Philippine flair are filled with the identical soft scrambled eggs.
The sandwich made with Spam, a U.S. Army leftover that has already earned a spot at the breakfast table in the Philippines with spamsilog, is the one that delights me the most. In a move that distinguishes chefs from cooks, Javier takes the canned beef and serves it with the decadent eggs and substantial slice of smoked Gouda.
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You can request tater tot coins topped with either pecorino Romano cheese or Cajun seasoning to go with any sandwich. These potato poppers are regular fare, and they are never as crisp and delicious as I would want. I would reserve my calories for a post-sando helping of ube soft serve, the ice cream with the regal colour and the power to mesmerise.
Having some ube soft serve, 6 year old Dominic Lee.
I would be negligent if I failed to mention the lack of indoor seating at Lapu Lapu, which will become a problem once the temperature drops to the point where only polar bears and residents of Chicago feel comfortable dining outside. Furthermore, there are just a few tables on the patio, which makes them in high demand right now because the air’s current coolness makes eating one of Lapu Lapu’s warm sandwiches feel comforting for the body, mind, and spirit.
Gaithersburg, Maryland’s Lapu Lapu can be reached at 240-477-7764 or online at lapulapubreakfast.com.
Hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
N/A, the closest metro.
All items on the menu are priced between $2 and $14.
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