By Ana Valenzuela, InterAksyon.com · Wednesday, December 19, 2012 · 3:04 pm
Note: I am posting this article, as this was used as reference by the BIR http://www.interaksyon.com/business/78261/roasted--bir-uses-interaksyon-com-online-sites-lists-of-top-lechon-places-to-sniff-out-tax-cheats
In La Loma, Quezon City, roasted pigs are lined up by a lechonero for customers to select from. La Loma is said to be the lechon capital of the Philippines. Prices vary depending on sizes, one lechon costs Php4,000 and may rise especially as Christmas Day approaches. Photo by Krisken Jones, Interaksyon.com.
The centerpiece of the dining table every Christmas and New Year, lechon is the hands-down ultimate festive Filipino food. Nothing says holiday celebration louder than this “crispy on the outside, plump and juicy on the inside” roasted feast. Where to get them? As more and more gourmet roasted pigs are being offered by chefs and restaurants all over the metro, here’s our list of some of the country’s popular lechoneros.
1. Three Little Pigs
One of Cagayan de Oro’s finest lechon’s, Three Little Pigs prides itself with organic hogs. “What makes our lechon unique is that our pigs are soybean fed,” says owner Nino Contreras who also runs a piggery with about 200 to 300 pigs in stock.
One of Cagayan de Oro’s finest lechon’s, Three Little Pigs prides itself with organic hogs. “What makes our lechon unique is that our pigs are soybean fed,” says owner Nino Contreras who also runs a piggery with about 200 to 300 pigs in stock.
The lechon is grilled Cebu style. “It is well seasoned where in you don’t have to put anything. Salt is enough, so you don’t have to put lechon sarsa,” says Contreras.
Three Little Pigs accept Manila orders. Just order one day ahead, call (+63) 0917-7066143.
2. Rico’s Lechon
Google Cebu Lechon, and Rico’s lechon simply pops out at the top. For 13 years, this lechon place has been exciting the taste buds of those within Cebu, and even have Manileňos visiting to have a sample.
Google Cebu Lechon, and Rico’s lechon simply pops out at the top. For 13 years, this lechon place has been exciting the taste buds of those within Cebu, and even have Manileňos visiting to have a sample.
Rico’s lechon doesn’t just roast their pigs with bawang and dahon ng sibuyas, the way lechon usually is, they even offer spicy lechon.
For more information visit http://ricos-lechon.com
3. Ping-Ping’s Lechon
Started in the early 1980’s in the lechon capital of the Philippines, La Loma, Ping-Ping’s Lechon can be found right across the North Cemetery on A. Bonifacio Avenue.
Started in the early 1980’s in the lechon capital of the Philippines, La Loma, Ping-Ping’s Lechon can be found right across the North Cemetery on A. Bonifacio Avenue.
Some say Cebu lechon is the best; well, the lechoneros of Ping-ping’s will disagree. “Cebu’s lechon is maalat andwalang sauce, while ours, we use liver sauce. Sa La Loma talaga ang the best na may sarsa,” says William Maca, manager of the Ping-ping’s lechon.
Maca shares, “In the ‘70’s La Loma lechoneros sourced their pigs from as far as Dumaguete, which is also a place where Cebu lechoneros also get theirs,” but now La Loma lechoneros source their pigs in nearby farms such as Bulacan, Quezon, Pangasinan, and Tuguegarao.
For deliveries and more information, (+632) 741-9995 or (+632) 741-6874.
4. Charlie’s Pritchon
Call it the lechon reinvented, instead of the pig being grilled under the usual charcoal, this time have your fill of the crispy skin, deep-fried. Here, a five- to six-kilos suckling pig is deep fried in a frying pan.
Call it the lechon reinvented, instead of the pig being grilled under the usual charcoal, this time have your fill of the crispy skin, deep-fried. Here, a five- to six-kilos suckling pig is deep fried in a frying pan.
The entire deal comes with Charlie’s wraps and special condiments. “We serve it with pita wedges and seven sauces,” says Cecil Barcel of Charlie’s Pritchon. Choices of sauces range from hoisin, white garlic, honey mustard, liver sauce, satay sauce, chilli tagalog and honey lemon.
Order two to three days ahead, call (+632) 921-0405, 921-0415, or 426-5501.
5. CnT Lechon
If you’re visiting Cebu, you have to try CnT Lechon. Winning raves as Cebu’s best lechon, this place is even recommended by the taxi driver you meet in Mactan airport and your resort receptionist.
If you’re visiting Cebu, you have to try CnT Lechon. Winning raves as Cebu’s best lechon, this place is even recommended by the taxi driver you meet in Mactan airport and your resort receptionist.
CnT has been in business for 20 years and has six branches all over Cebu City.
The restaurant’s secretary Gemma Satinitigan only has this to share on what makes their roasted pig so good, “mayspecial timpla na nilalgay at saka dapat at least five hours of roasting sa uling.”
Unlike other roasted pigs that are best savored with liver sauce, the CnT lechon is best eaten with a vinegar and soy sauce dip. CnT however doesn’t deliver outside the Visayan city, so better have someone who would be willing to ship the pig for you.
For information, call (+032) 254-4249
6. Lydia’s Lechon
With 47 years in the business and 26 branches, there is no question that Lydia’s makes one of the best lechons in the country.
With 47 years in the business and 26 branches, there is no question that Lydia’s makes one of the best lechons in the country.
“The difference between our lechon and our competitors is the crispiness of our lechon balat and the juiciness of the meat,” says Criselda Tawacal, production and warehouse manager of Lydia’s Lechon.
There is no defined cooking time for the roasting. Instead, it is cooked depending on the size. Tawacal elaborates, “if it’s small-sized, we only cook it on charcoal fire for one and a half hours.” Truly, the quality is maintained with the years of service and the number of people coming back to have a taste of roasted pig and liver sauce.
Lydia’s Lechon accepts deliveries in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. For inquiries, call (+632) 939-1221, 851-2988, or 939-4664. Check out http://www.lydias-lechon.com
Sabroso's Lechon features the fragrance and flavor of lemongrass and herbs stuffed in the pig while roasting.
7. Sabroso Lechon
Sabroso’s Lechon prides itself with the succulent meat that they are able to produce. “Sabroso Lechon is best consumed without sauce so that you can savor the freshness and flavorful meat, especially the belly and rib part,” says owner Charlie Sabroso.
Sabroso’s Lechon prides itself with the succulent meat that they are able to produce. “Sabroso Lechon is best consumed without sauce so that you can savor the freshness and flavorful meat, especially the belly and rib part,” says owner Charlie Sabroso.
He reveals how the flavor is done, “We only roast selected free-range native pigs with lemongrass and stitch the belly stuffed with seasonal herbs from Western Visayan region.” Besides that, quality is ensured as each hog has passed National Meat Inspection Service to ensure quality.
The way that the pig is cooked also makes the skin crispy, “it lasts and stays hot or warm even when delivered, this is due to closed belly,” says Sabroso guaranteeing only the best lechon for the Yuletide season.
For deliveries and information, call (+632) 515-8259, 7250711, 5158253, (+63) 0922-8416220 or 0922-7921007
8. Jun & Jun’s Lechon
Innovating the lechon, Jun & Jun’s doesn’t only give us the usual experience of roasted meat and skin.
Innovating the lechon, Jun & Jun’s doesn’t only give us the usual experience of roasted meat and skin.
True that it is the best Cebu lechon here in Manila, it even offers spicy lechon. But, there is more to it than that. In fact, it even is more of a sit down restaurant that offers creative ways of serving lechon: lechon burger, nachos de lechon, Caesar’s Salad (with lechon crumbles instead of bacon), and a crowd favorite, Sinigang na Lechon.
What makes their product special is the way they do their roasting, “Cebu lechon is perfect in terms of taste, but in terms of skin, Balayan (Batangas) is still the best,” states Jun Quilicot, a former military colonel and owner of Jun & Jun’s Lechon.
“We do the Balayan way of doing lechon, as far as skin is concerned but we retained the Cebu way in terms of taste.”
Apart from that their lechon stands out because of, Quilicot shares, “the choice of raw materials, the way the pig is butchered the pig, the basting, our special seven spices—all these are trade secrets.”
They also have a special way of roasting pigs that Quilicot says is different from the others, which make the skin and meat more succulent, “there is a particular timing when it comes to roasting. Dapat na by that time perfectly closed na yung skin, and also perfectly closed na the belly of the pig,” he says. “There is a portion when we do it on slow fire, but it has to be very, very strong fire.”
For deliveries and inquiries on franchising, call (+632) 915-9540 (Fort), (+632) 706-2602 (Tiendesitas), (+632) 400-3749 (Tiendesitas), or (+63) 0918-9125798.
At Mila's Lechon, pigs are roasted on charcoal in spitfire.
9. Mila’s Lechon
One of the pioneers of La Loma’s lechon, Mila’s Lechon’s number of orders and the quality they maintain says it all. The rows of pigs being grilled all at the same time and the number of hogs they have in stock—over a hundred—translates to the demand from clients across the metro, and even those from the provinces.
One of the pioneers of La Loma’s lechon, Mila’s Lechon’s number of orders and the quality they maintain says it all. The rows of pigs being grilled all at the same time and the number of hogs they have in stock—over a hundred—translates to the demand from clients across the metro, and even those from the provinces.
They offer four types of lechon ranging from the plain regular lechon, Cebu lechon, Lechon Visayas, and Lechon Paella. “Usually, it’s the plain regular that’s ordered kasi masarap na masarap na ‘yon eh,” says its 80-year-old owner, Antonina Cesario.
“Ang lechon namin talaga is native,” says Cesario. “When you say native. the meat is lean. Iyun yung malasa, yun yung malinam compared with others na puti, na and you need all kinds of sauces para lumasa. Also, with native hogs, the skin stays crispy even up to 16 hours it is still very crispy.”
For deliveries, call (+632) 781-4406, 353-4026, 781-4117, or 741-5403 Check out their website: http://www.milas-lechon.com
10. Elars Lechon
Elars takes pride in having served Philippine presidents in their Malacañang residence during banquets, from the administration of Cory Aquino to President Noynoy Aquino.
Elars takes pride in having served Philippine presidents in their Malacañang residence during banquets, from the administration of Cory Aquino to President Noynoy Aquino.
“May spices kami na nilalagay. I do not know if that makes it different from the others, basta yung sa amin the meat really is special,” says Dolores Santos, treasurer of Elar’s lechon. “The meat is soft, the skin is crunchy, may kaunting taba pero hindi yung talagang taba.”
Elar’s has its own piggery in Montalban, Rizal and Santos’ father, Engineer Jose Lontoc, pioneered the electrical roasting of the pig. Santos shares, “the way we cook the pig is engineered especially in its timing. It is in the rotation of the machine that makes it well cooked.”
For orders, call (+632) 731-7551, 731-7552, 732-4116, 743-3657.
