One of my favorite Chinese tradition is having birthday misua on birthdays. This is what I look forward to eat during birthdays. There are so many ways that families prepare birthday misua and there is no one method that is the be all and end all. Every family has their misua tradition. But the basic idea of the birthday misua is to have your loved ones eat misua (noodles) to celebrate your birthday and to wish you a longer life!
I have tried the simpliest of misua – the misua in chicken soup with egg. There’s the misua guisado with meatballs. There’s the misua with squid balls and kikiam. There’s the misua with innards. There’s misua that is vegetarian. There are so many many misuas out there to the honest. And this lockdown, I’ve discovered four more.
My list below is based on when I discovered them. I have to include where I usually order and what made me look for others to try. To be honest – they are all very good and it will just simply boil down to preference and location. I am sharing with you my Birthday Misua discoveries.
CLASSIC CHEF – P1,500.00 good for 15
Classic Chef has been my go to for birthday misuas. They’re an established caterer if you didn’t know. I think I have been ordering from them since 2010! Yes, it’s been 10 years! All birthday occasions in my family – I always get from them. Plus, they use brown misua. I don’t know why – but I’m partial to brown misua. Hahaha!! My only peeve before was that I needed to bring my chafing dishes to them beforehand because they charge a hefty fee for aluminum pans. But it was okay since Classic Chef is just nearby, also because I get to separate the misua easily. During the lockdown, they were able to absorb the aluminum pan fee. But during Panget’s birthday – well, I got very disappointed because I sent all my chafing dishes (because I need to give to different households) YET they did not use all of them. Instead, they filled up just one container full to the brim. Which made me think, did they lessen their servings? Well, I may I have to say – yes. I have been ordering for 10 years and I know the difference. I was very very upset because, I would have paid more had they told me that they were maintaining the price, but the quantity will be less. Plus, their signature (whole) pink quail eggs was nowhere to be seen. I was just told over the phone that they didn’t do that anymore, and that I had to specify that it was for a birthday. I got really angry and told them – BIRTHDAY MISUA = BIRTHDAY. Their customer service was just left at that – they just gave me a nervous laugh and that was it. Imagine, 10 years or being loyal and all they could give me was a nervous laugh and nothing more. I was very disappointed and hurt, but what was I to do right?
MIA’S KITCHEN – P400 good for 5, P800 good for 10, P1,600 good for 20
Instagram – Mia’s Kitchen
+639178034515
Auntie Mia is the mom of the people behind House of Bao and Slammin. I just recently saw their post that they were selling their mom’s homecooked birthday misua. As I’ve said, I really love birthday misua – but there are times that I crave for birthday misua and there’s none in the market that is selling small batches of it. It just so happened that I ordered her misua on a random day, but I wasn’t in a hurry – in fact I told Auntie Mia to sabay nalang when she has orders. By stroke of luck, it was ready on Panget’s birthday. Mind you, I only ordered a misua pack that was good for 4-5 people. And I was honestly thinking – baka it’s a small serving lang. I didn’t want to have a high expectation. And when it arrived, I was surprised that – it was indeed for 4 to 5 people. It was really by stroke of luck that Auntie Mia’s misua arrived at my doorstep that day. Her’s is the closest to what my mom and guama used to make and so it brought back so many happy memories of misua eating.
LAOJIA HOMETOWN GOURMET – P800 good for 8, P1,500 good for 16
Instagram – Lao Jia Hometown Gourmet
+639178070708
Funny story. Tep is a schoolmate, I bought my fridge to go from her when I had Kailee and I have used that with all three kids. I didn’t know she makes misua and lumpia. What came as a surprise too was that she is the cousin of Kaye! What a tiny tiny world diba? It was on Shobe’s birthday that I ordered her misua and it was big hit with the kids. The misua noodles were very flavorful and tasty, the kids got seconds and even a third serving. Usually my kids will just eat mandatory serving but with Tep’s they ate more! Connor told me he wanted this misua for his birthday (and his birthday is next month pa!) So I ordered early. Hahaha!!
LOBAKGO – P1,600 good for 6
Instagram – LokbakgoPH
+639778267878
I got to know Tricia via text and IG. She’s the chef behind my FAVORITE radish cake. She’s a chef trained in Hong Kong, so you can say that her tastes and palate is quite extraordinary. She released a birthday misua and I knew I had to order it to try. My verdict was that her version is also very good. It’s comparable to the birthday misua that they serve in local Chinese restaurants. She was able to capture the flavor without much effort. So if you like the restaurant style of birthday misua – this is your bet!
FULLNESS OF JOY COMFORT FOOD – P800 good for 4-6, P1,500 good for 8-10
Instagram – Fullness of Joy Comfort Food
+639175608316
Sophie and I go way back. I consider her my first online friend turned real friends. It was only recently that I got to try their food and indeed, it was a real comfort having their dishes. They sent me their birthday misua and it has – meatballs! Hahaha.. Panget’s family also serves birthday misua with meatballs what a coincidence right? I used to think that it was only Panget’s family’s ‘version’ to have the meatballs, but I guess I was wrong! Hahaha. Their birthday misua version is very good too. The toppings had a perfect balance with the misua noodles and of course, Panget’s favorite – wansoy was present. It was so nice to taste a different version of misua and so we enjoyed this too very much.
I won’t go on to say which is the best – because all of them are very good and the BEST in their own ways. We cannot compare them side by side because they’re similar and not the same entirely. Each have their own unique flavors and takes on the birthday misua. It will just boil down to preference really.
I’m glad that there are now available options on the birthday misua. It used to be a huge problem for me on where to order birthday misua. I feel nga to be honest, that these home cooks are so giving – to share with us their food made with love using recipes that were passed on to them or developed by them. It’s like sharing a part of your home to strangers to enjoy. Food will always bring people together, diba?
