Lechon
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I'm ashamed to admit, I do not like lechon at all. I never used to eat it. I actually used to find it so offensive, seeing a dead animal -with head and all- spread in all its glory in the middle of the table. Until I tasted the lechon in Antonio's restaurant in Tagaytay six years ago. He served it "German style" -- with apple sauce and herbs. It was so good. And that changed the way I saw lechon. I started to understand why my former colleagues used to jump and dig into the dead animal with bare fingers whenever lechon was sent to the newsroom.
Lechon in Chuvaness' house
I'm still not a big fan of lechon. But I do try to get a piece of skin (after trimming the fat) whenever I see roast pork. I remember the first time my daughter saw lechon. It was in Cecile's (chuvaness) house during her son's birthday party. Sophia was just 4 years old then. She tugged at my arm while I was talking to Cecile. She looked perplexed. "Why are the people eating that animal?" She doesn't eat lechon but she loves bacon.
It's amazing when something you take for granted gets recognized by an expert. Anthony Bourdain was in the Philippines late last year. I don't know anyone who actually saw him. But he apparently was filming an episode of No Reservations. It aired last night. My friend Stanley Cheng sent me a link to Bourdain's blog:
It can now be said that of all the whole roasted pigs I've had all over the world, the slow roasted lechon I had on Cebu was the best.
I've never tasted Cebu lechon. But I'll be back in Cebu in March. I hope its in the menu. I'm curious, what makes Cebu lechon taste different?
Did anyone see No Reservations in the Travel Channel last night?
.
I'm ashamed to admit, I do not like lechon at all. I never used to eat it. I actually used to find it so offensive, seeing a dead animal -with head and all- spread in all its glory in the middle of the table. Until I tasted the lechon in Antonio's restaurant in Tagaytay six years ago. He served it "German style" -- with apple sauce and herbs. It was so good. And that changed the way I saw lechon. I started to understand why my former colleagues used to jump and dig into the dead animal with bare fingers whenever lechon was sent to the newsroom.
Lechon in Chuvaness' house
I'm still not a big fan of lechon. But I do try to get a piece of skin (after trimming the fat) whenever I see roast pork. I remember the first time my daughter saw lechon. It was in Cecile's (chuvaness) house during her son's birthday party. Sophia was just 4 years old then. She tugged at my arm while I was talking to Cecile. She looked perplexed. "Why are the people eating that animal?" She doesn't eat lechon but she loves bacon.
It's amazing when something you take for granted gets recognized by an expert. Anthony Bourdain was in the Philippines late last year. I don't know anyone who actually saw him. But he apparently was filming an episode of No Reservations. It aired last night. My friend Stanley Cheng sent me a link to Bourdain's blog:
It can now be said that of all the whole roasted pigs I've had all over the world, the slow roasted lechon I had on Cebu was the best.
I've never tasted Cebu lechon. But I'll be back in Cebu in March. I hope its in the menu. I'm curious, what makes Cebu lechon taste different?
Did anyone see No Reservations in the Travel Channel last night?
.