Honestly, how much more can be said of our iconic national celebration dish, the lechon? Reader “Rico” just sent me a heads up and I was again pleasantly stunned to see Anthony Bourdain has yet again referred to the lechon he had in Cebu roughly a year ago. The article in the Food & Wine Magazine blog, is written by their restaurant editor, Kate Krader, and includes excerpts of Anthony Bourdain’s interview by the New York Times food critic Frank Bruni at the NYC Wine and Food Festival held last weekend in New York City. And I quote:
On the hierarchy of pork he’s eaten around the world: “Puerto Rico’s lechon is great. In Bali, the lechon is even better. And in the Philippines, the lechon is slightly better than that. It’s the best of the best.â€
And we all know which lechon(s) he munched on in Cebu. Talk about “kilig to the bones” (thrilled to bits)… Heeheehee. :) I will be smiling all day long. Thanks Mr. Bourdain. And thanks Rico for sending the link. :)
Now if only I could find a lechonan in Manhattan and my crew were given visas… Right now, you can savor the same lechon for just $3.75 a pound at the Banilad Town Center in Cebu on Sundays, I think we could probably get away with a significantly higher price point in New York City, no? :)
49 Responses
cooool! the lechon was obviously unforgettable for mr. bourdain.
I remember reading an article a while back on one of the largest butcher operations in the country, and the owner said that locally sourced pigs are far more superior in taste than imported ones, and (at that time at least) imported pork is not as fast moving to them.
That is sooo cool. MM, you have to hang a banner over the crew’s stall with “Best Pig Ever.”
Yey!!! I found it amusing last night when Anthony Bourdain started mapping out a plan with Augusto on how to attack the lechon… best ever talaga… you can tell the experience of eating the lechon has remained with him after all these months.
Parang gusto ko na pumunta ng Cebu… LOL!
MM, now if you could clone your crew and send them over to Manila…….
mabuhay ang Noypi! Bogchi! once again..Thank you MM for making us Noypi’s Proud.
I like that …Pol Pot in a muu muu!
bring it to the Big Apple !! (or to us visayans here in italy!!) you will definitely do well…..we always have to send out to jersey city for a reasonable facsimile of inasal…dili pareha sa ato….kudos !!
You’re welcome! And thank you so much for showing the world how and what a lechon should really be like. Congratulations!
i can’t wait to taste your lechon MM.. the only thing is that im from dumaguete! i wonder if ever we have an event we can ask crew to come over? MM’s lechon in Dumaguete!
Im near munching this lechon in cebu anyway-so- ill just refrain at the moment till i experience the true lechon shown here in the near future….
“The Best Pig Ever” 2009 Award …….. still goes to MarketManila !!!! CONGRATS !!!!
proud of you MM
MM I really, really, REALLY wish you’d do another eyeball in Metro Manila that will have your obviously yummy lechon as the centerpiece! My partner and I will definitely go just to sample it.
Was also “kilig to the bones” as I watched last night’s episode of No Reservations :) Kudos Marketman! :)
Congratulations for getting Bourdain smitten with our lechon! … And, MM, if you and/or your crew ever do do business in NY, then you have to set-up shop in L.A. as well! I’d be so sad if you didn’t. And I promise to buy a kilo at least once a week! And forget my tapas and tea parties! I’d order a whole lechon for every occasion we have!
everytime i see lechon, the next to my mind is Anthony Bourdain! Congrats again MM and family and crew….
Dear MM…I love crispy lechon skin..but I don’t find the lechon skin on the photos appetizing…I’m sure masarap pero it’s just me and my over-imaginative mind..hehehe. Sorry po.
arrived home Wednesday night just in time to see the Discovery banner to signify the end of “that” NR episode! bummer! will have to check for the schedule of the replay….
will be in cebu in two sundays…looking forward. what time does your stall start selling, MM?
Now these lechons have to come with Philippine flaglets!
I’m no longer updated. Was out for quite some time. I just felt that i need to congratulate you for a job well done! Your lechon became famous and even made it to TIME magazine i really hope for you to put up a Lechon-an here in manila..by the way I really like everything you’ve served to Bourdain and his crew. Good thing they approached the right person!
Am new to your blog, MM, and finally saw that it is you who hosted Mr. Bourdain on his show. Like many other Filipinos, I waited and Tivoed that show! And with my friends wondered for a long time who was that who brought such class to the world, Cebu and the Philippines! So I finally learned early this morning that it is YOU!!!!! Thank you for making us very proud!!! And to find inspiration from Magellan’s Chronicler was awesome. The producers certainly chose the best host!!!
Wow! Thanks to you and your crew, the Philippines gets a “BEST” rating in a food category by a non-filipino. I’m part filipino from Pampanga so I know our food is great.
Awesome is all I can say!
I hope you will also set up a lechonan here in LA! I love cebu lechon!
wow! with Mr. Bourdain backing up our lechon, certainly we are slowly being recognize for our food.
Millet…The Sunday Market at Banilad Town Center (BTC) opens at 10a.m. But come early, the first two lechons is normally gone in the first hour. The third lechon comes in around 11a.m but already have pre-owned reservations
millet, I think they start selling by 930am. DeeDee, it’s okay, the puffy skin isn’t for everyone. I suppose I might have difficulty eating chicharon with really smooth skin… heehee :)
This is great I’m heading back to PI for almost gone over
30 years of absence and would be flying to Cebu to taste their lechon
that was mentioned, just to let I know I’m not a big fan of
big blog of fats, but I’ll try it anyway, and will let u know my
verdict.
MM, I can hardly wait til I go home to Cebu and go straight to BTC and buy the Zubuchon lechon. Now my sister, Nenette, for sure will do the same.
Wish we in manila could have a taste of your lechon……dhl…fedex? Congrats MM
MM, our GM and Chef are still raving about the zubuchon, they said they weren’t really huge fans of lechon but after getting a taste of the zubuchon, they said “there is nothing quite like it in the world!” They’re already talking about building a lechon pit for your zubuchon! hahaha Can’t wait to have it here to serve to our guests! Congrats!
Hi MM, I actually propose another Marketmanila Metro Manila based EB ( such alliteration hehe ) with your lechon as the feautured star of the feast.
Any takers ?
=)
joy et al, sorry, no lechonan in Manila, nor lechon crew. That makes a manila EB with our zubuchon unlikely. :(
Millet, what dates will you be in Cebu exactly? I want to go to BTC too for the zubuchon but also order Artisan’s brioche. I hope you’re not going there Oct 31 coz I will be elsewhere that weekend.
MM, is it possible to ship to Manila? Would love to order when I visit Feb. next year. My kids and Manila relatives are dying to taste your famous lechon.
Nina, we don’t ship to Manila at this point, the skin suffers tremendously from the transit time and cold air in the cargo hold. Still working on experiments on the transport end…
i like muu muu^s oh yeah
Another feather in your lechon cap!Congratulations!
Moni, I strongly suggest you come next Sunday (25 Oct). I won’t tell you why, but I assure you it will be well worth it.
Also, we still have to clarify with the BTC admin if the mall will be open on Nov. 1. So we might hold the Market on Oct. 31.
Sorry MM, my fingers are just so itchy and I had to give Moni (and everyone else) the heads up. hehehehe
Finally saw the show! congrats with “The Best Pig Ever”…wishing there was a way for the lechon to reach the Manila shores :D by the way, you looked much younger than I expected, what with the way you describe yourself to be, esp. after your birthday, having a teen, and the check-ups and health “issues”, hehe ;-)
Hands down the best of the best!!! :)
Coming from Mr. Anthony Bourdain, no less, Again, we have something to be proud of. The best lechon in the world! Congratulations to you MM. Mabuhay ka at sana like your blog, marami pang tao ang ma-educate about how good filipinos are and about our culture.
I’m really dying to have a taste of this lechon…haayy layo kasi ng Cebu!! ayoko na tignan yung pictures they just make me hungry!! Sir MM, do you know where we can get the ingredients here in manila? ive been looking pero cant seem to find especially thyme! or am i just not looking around good enough?
9. shasha, Philippines says:
i can’t wait to taste your lechon MM.. the only thing is that im from dumaguete! i wonder if ever we have an event we can ask crew to come over? MM’s lechon in Dumaguete!
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Shasha, where is this MM’s lechon in Dumaguete? I’m embarking on a a lechon pig-out in Dumaguete. Any other good lechon places worth trying out here? Thanks!
i just love the non oily crunchy skin of lechon, i wounder how they do that, it makes me think that they probably drip dry the lechon..
Iligan City Philippines lechon is the best of the best!