Potluck parties come aplenty during the holiday season. Because we know you always want to impress, here are five dependable reliable dishes everybody will sure to love.
 

1. Pepita’s Tagalog Lechon

+63917 8660662. Facebook. Pickups only. PHP8,500
Pepita’s stuffed lechon has always been the darling of the buffet table, with her truffle rice stuffed lechon the easy favorite. A week ago, Lechon Diva Dedet de la Fuente released two new variants, including the Tagalog Lechon. Inside the roasted pig are all the good things: Marbled potatoes, garlic bulbs, siling sinigang, calamansi and tanglad. Yum.

2. À Table’s Baked Salmon

+63917 8621800. Pickups only. PHP12,500
A few months ago, Dulce Magat Gibb finally opened her private kitchen/gourmet takeaway service. It’s called À Table and one of its highlights is the Baked Salmon. It’s an enormous whole salmon baked in a salt crust that’s as impressive to look at as it is to eat! There are four sauces that accompany the salmon: Shallot-Verjust Cream, Egg Yogurt Tartare, Chimichurri, and Calamansi-Brown Butter. Photo: Margaux Salcedo/Instagram

3. Stevie’s Hainanese Chicken Rice

+63 2 8968940 or +63906 5084155. Pickups only. Starts PHP1,100
The second best thing about Stevie’s? You only need one day lead time — unless you’re bringing the Hainanese Chicken Set to the Christmas or Noche Buena table, then Stevie’s follow the earlier the better rule. The best thing about Stevie’s? The Hainanese Chicken Rice Set, duh. An order comes with one whole chopped chicken, five cups of rice and dipping sauces. It’s good for a party of 6-8 so we’re thinking two orders should do you just fine. Stevie just started offering olive rice, in case you feel like having a little bit more flavor. Photo: Chickenmanmanila/Instagram

4. Nawwty Kitchen’s Crab Fat Paella

+63918 9369854. Facebook. Pickups only. PHP5,890
It’s Nawwty Kitchen’s signature dish and it’s one that should impress your mother in-law. Requiring at least two days lead time, Nawwty Kitchen’s Crab Fat Paella comes generously served with crabs — ready for eating, if we may add — chicharon, and saffron rice covered in, you guessed it. Crab fat. It can serve 16-18 hungry fellas but Nawwty Kitchen can also bring it down to 8-10 in case it’s for a super private party you’re going to. Photo: Nawwty Kitchen/Facebook

5. H Home Food Finds’ Fried Asado Floss Paos

+63 2 2159057. Facebook. PHP600/dozen
H Home is version 2.0 of Henry Cheung’s H Home in Better Living in Paranaque — of Good Earth fame. They’ve closed shop and instead, focused on Chinese takeaways and deliveries. H Home has elevated the lowly siopao into gourmet little bites perfect for your merienda-cena gatherings. The Fried Asado Floss Pao come highly recommended but the Duck Pao? More so. Photo: H Home/Facebook