Hack Nono's truffle cheese wontons: crispy dumplings packed with 3 kinds of cheese, finished with truffle honey and crushed nuts.
Who doesn’t love a crispy, cheesy snack? This recipe captures our favorite Truffle Cheese Wontons from Nono's: star-shaped pinsec frito filled with creamy cheese and topped with truffle honey.
This hack lets you make Nono’s-style wontons for parties, potlucks, or just to satisfy your own cravings. Make more than you think—you’d be surprised how fast these wontons disappear if you’re not looking.
Where’s the best restaurant where you can fulfill your chismosa fantasy? Your titas and their amigas will probably point you to Nono’s.
With bright, homey interiors and a cozy vibe, Nono’s is a family-style restaurant serving Western and Filipino comfort food fit for all-day brunch. Homestyle Fried Chicken and Waffles are their specialty; their Chocolate Oblivion cake is a nice way to end your meal. But what we really look forward to in Nono’s are their signature Truffle Cheese Wontons.
To replicate Nono’s stretchy, flavorful cheese filling, we used a combination of three different cheeses:
Drop by Santi’s and you’ll spot two kinds of truffle oil: black and white. Here's how they differ:
White truffle oil is infused with the Italian Alba truffle. Since this variety is rarer than others, it’s also more expensive. But the price is worth the light, almost garlicky taste that pairs well with fries, pasta, or soups.
Black truffle oil has a stronger, more pronounced flavor. It’s often used in salad dressing and risottos to highlight the more robust flavor of the truffle.
White truffle oil wins for these wontons. Black truffle oil works too, if you already have it—no need to splurge on a new one—just use sparingly.
Now that you have some fancy truffle oil, note that its flavor fades away when heated, and is exclusively used as a finishing oil. It’s why we mixed ours with the honey drizzle, not the filling!
Make wontons: In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, white cheddar, and mozzarella until well incorporated.
Working one piece at a time, lay a wonton wrapper on your palm. Spoon about ½ tsp of cheese mixture onto the center of the wrapper.
Using your finger, moisten two opposite points of the wonton with water. Bring them together, forming a triangle. Moisten the remaining points of the wonton and fold to the center. Press along the edges to seal. Repeat with the rest of your wontons.
Transfer wontons on a plate or baking tray. Place them in the freezer to set, about 10–15 minutes.
Fry: Add enough oil for deep frying in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Heat oil until it registers 350°F or 180°C in an instant-read thermometer. Working in batches, fry wontons until crispy and golden brown all over, about a minute. Careful not to let cheese mixture ooze out of the wontons while frying. Transfer wontons to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
Assemble and serve: In a small bowl, combine honey and 1 tsp truffle oil until well incorporated. Taste and adjust with another 1 tsp of truffle oil if you want a stronger aroma.
Place wontons on a plate. Drizzle with as much truffle honey as you like. Garnish with walnuts and serve immediately.