MANILA, Philippines – If there’s something I never knew I needed until I found it (no, it’s not love), it would be a box of fried lumpia, delivered fresh and crunchy, right to my doorstep.

Let’s give cheese and cold cuts a break – a grazing board of different kinds of lumpia could be any ~mananita’s~ next best thing, and thankfully, local business Lumpiarito Station is here to serve exactly that. 

Service, delivery, packaging: Lump-yaaass

It’s not every day you see a huge box of lumpia paired with dips beyond just vinegar and sweet chili – so as soon as I saw a photo of Lumparitio’s specialty on Facebook, my interest was instantly piqued; appetite included (Cardi B’s would be, too).

Lumpiarito’s ordering process was smooth from start to finish – their Facebook customer service was approachable, FAQs were clear, and most importantly, their team books the delivery for you. A text update is also sent when your order is on its way.

FYI: their rolls are made-to-order, so expect a waiting time of 2-3 hours before delivery. Their main kitchen is at Panay Avenue, Quezon City (near GMA), so the nearer you are, the fresher.

Since I also lived in Quezon City, my 7-flavor assorted mix arrived still warm to the touch when it arrived. But the real question was: would the crunch hold?

According to Lumpiarito’s owner Sherwin Lim, this question was the root of years of recipe development since 2016, finding ways to keep the lumpia still crunchy upon delivery.

“Since it’s fried, you know how hard it is – lumpia gets soggy really fast. It took us some time to develop that,” he told Rappler. Although the rolls may not be 100% sog-free, my first bite was still unmistakably crunchy.

Props to their presentation and packaging, too – each lumpia flavor is neatly packed in their own little section with its own dips and cute sticker labels. Even the complimentary sides of pickled veggies and cucumber slices are stored tightly. 

The box is served with wooden sticks, making it easy for everyone to poke around and dig in. I think it goes without saying – it’s a fun, new, and interactive way to enjoy the traditional lumpia.

Love at first lumpia

It all began when Sherwin’s partner chef came out with a fish roll – a special lumpia made from seasonal saltwater fish. “I said ang sarap – it’s my first time to try this,” Sherwin said. 

“I thought, why not make a lumpia business with different flavors? Wala pang gumagawa yan,” he added, and Lumpiarito’s first 3 flavors were born – fish, shanghai pork, and ubod.

After a series of bazaars, they opened their first branch in Greenhills – a decision that helped them innovate. Since many of the tennants in the area practice Islam, the pork roll had to be taken out and the menu, expanded. To date, they have 4 meat options and 4 vegetarian ones.

In my 42-piece sampler box, 7 flavors were present – toge, ubod, shanghai, chicken adobo, cheesy been dynamite, turon, and kamote – each one at 2.5 inches and browned just right (and a bit oily, too, but not excessively).

First: toge! I might be biased because I love a good toge roll, but Lumpiarito’s 6-veggie toge lumpia may be one of my favorites – best eaten toge-ther (heh) with vinegar. If you prefer it with sweet chili sauce, go ahead, but the roll on its own is actually pretty tasty already.

Thirty pieces of toge lumpia cost P570, while 60 pieces cost P1,140.

Ubod sa sarap, Lumpiarito’s ubod lumpia is the fried version of the fresh, great with the sweet ubod sauce given (which tastes like what you’d dip fishballs in), or with vinegar. It’s not loaded with extra veggies like a fresh lumpia, but the crunchiness of the bamboo shoots inside is satisfying enough. 

It costs P600 for 30 pieces, and P1,200 for 60.

Lumpiarito’s signature pork shanghai roll tastes just like your average shanghai roll – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Its meaty flavor is still comforting, especially dipped in their sweet chili sauce.

It’s P690 for 30 pieces, and P1,380 for 60.

The chicken adobo crunch lumpia is an interesting addition; stuffed with shredded chicken and mushrooms. On its own, it’s okay – but dipped into their authentic adobo sauce? Way better. I couldn’t help myself – I even poured the garlicky-tart adobo oil on my rice!

It costs P720 for 30 pieces, and P1,440 for 60.

And in comes a Filipino merienda fave – the cheesy beef dynamite roll – a whole jalapeno pepper stuffed with melted cheese and spicy ground beef. Its spice level (which isn’t so overpowering) is nicely tempered by the sweet-tangy garlic mayo aioli it comes with. 

It costs P870 for 30 pieces, and P1,740 for 60 – and is one of my top Lumpiarito picks.

Ready for dessert? Lumpiarito offers two sweet treats – their huge sweet kamote squares, served with a creamy condensada dip (which is a delight on its own), and their premium turon (plus points for the langka bits!) with a homemade caramel syrup. Though the sweet potato inside can get a tad starchy and dry, the condensada dip helps.

BTW: Lumpiarito Station also has a duck roll variant, served with patotim style sauce.

The price? Kind of just right

Lumpiarito’s specialty fried rolls come in two box sizes: in 30s, which is good for 5-7 people, and in 60s, good for 12-14 people. The box of 30s starts at P650, while the 60s starts at P1,300.

These are just base prices – it really depends on the mix of flavors you choose, and the quantity, if you choose to add to your box. 

For example, their off-the-menu 5-Flavor Assorted Mix (box of 60s) is at P1,300 with 12 pieces per flavor, while their 8-Flavor Premium Mix (box of 60s) is at P1,480.00.

Don’t worry, Lumpiarito sends helpful fact sheets through Facebook if you ask!

If you’re a bit iffy with the price range, Sherwin understands: they try to keep their lumpia still “panlasang Pinoy,” without using ingredients that are too expensive – but for quality’s sake, not too cheap either.

“If you notice, our prices aren’t that cheap. The reason for that is we don’t scrimp on ingredients. What you’re getting inside is a solid filling – no preservatives, no extenders,” he said.

“Even if the roll is just 2.5 inches, it’s really packed. If you eat 4 or 5, busog ka na for sure,” he added.

And that I can attest to, making a box of Lumpiarito’s rolls a bang-for-your-buck splurge, whatever the family occasion at home may be.

The fun, fresh spin on the famed lumpia is enough to get anyone excited – and although it’s not exactly groundbreaking or gourmet, it’s definitely still a creative and delicious experience worth trying out, and a great local business to get behind and support – all for the love of lumpia. – Rappler.com

You can place your orders on Lumpiarito Station’s Facebook or Instagram pages. You can also call them at 02-7506-5008.