There's no need to fly to Cebu when you're craving for Rico's Lechon's iconic original and spicy lechon!
Brought in by Meat Concepts Inc., the same group managing Ogawa Traditional Japanese Restaurant, KPub BBQ, Thai BBQ, Oppa Chicken, Modern China and Tony Roma's, Cebu's famed restuarant Rico's Lechon becomes the first Filipino brand on their list of restaurants. An even greater news is that they will be opening eight more branches – Tiendesitas in Pasig, Top of the Glo in Glorietta, Ayala Malls Cloverleaf and more – within the year.
Besides the restaurant's 180 seating capacity, the highlight is the roasting pit where they will be roasting their pigs every day; the pit can roast 10 pigs at the same time. The lechon roasting in BGC is different from that in Cebu; in Manila, the lechon roasting is indoors and the pit is built with innovative mechanism for its exhaust and adjusting temperatures. The roasting pit will be a major attraction that even passersby can have a glimpse of it.
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Whether you're getting the Regular Lechon (P250/250g; P475/500g; P900/1 kilo) or their famous Spicy Lechon (P290/250g; P500/500g; P950/1 kilo), you're in for a treat and are certain that these are roasted fresh every day. The pigs are prepared for five hours – thirty minutes for its stuffing, four hours of roasting and is given thirty minutes to rest before serving.
The stuffing of the pig makes Rico's Lechon a standout – every bite will give you just a hint of the spices and lemongrass. It's simple and doesn't have an overpowering flavor which other lechon have. And since the meat is flavorful on its own, you don't need the usual lechon liver sauce. Instead, you will only need the restaurant's own blend of Sukang Lami to enhance the flavor. Customers can also bring some home for only P120/bottle.
The restaurant also offer other Filipino favorites like the Seafood Kare-Kare, Crispy Freetchon, Pusit na Pinaputok, Chicken Inasal, Sizzling Tanigue and more. Visiting soon? Start light and order the Gising-Gising (P280) with green beans, ground pork in coconut milk while waiting for the star of your visit. You can also try the Bam-I (P280) or Pancit Bisaya which is a dish that originated in Cebu and has two kinds of noodles – sotanghon and pancit canton.
A meal wouldn't be complete without rice and their Fried Rice Trio (P90/solo; P260/platter) which is a fried rice with a mix of three kinds of dried fish – tinapa, tuyo and danggit – complements the lechon well! You can skip this and order the plain pandan rice instead if you're ordering other dishes like the flavorful Sizzling Lechon Sisig (P320) and Dinuguan (P220) which is great if you like your pork blood stew with just the right amount of acidity and lots of pork offals.
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What's a Filipino meal without dessert? The restuarant offers a few desserts but the Tapioca Pandan (P100) is definitely a must-try. It is a serving of pandan-flavored gelatin in a thick cream and condensed milk mixture. Other than the lechon, this could be my second favorite on their menu!
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Rico's Lechon's first branch is located at The Fort Strip, Katipunan Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. They're open from 10am to 10pm. Visit their website and like their Facebook to stay updated.
