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After having tried the real deal in Cebu (please please eat Rico's Lechon if you ever visit the city!), everything else I try doesn't seem to come anywhere close in terms of seasoning, tenderness, and juiciness.
Having said that, this was a pretty decent rendition and possibly a bit more generous compared to Iskina Cebu, but not something I'd travel all the way to Kovan for. Maybe the underwhelming flavour was due to the fact that ours was carved from a new pork belly roll, and perhaps the seasoning didn't quite penetrate as well towards the edges. The highlight of this meal however, was the complimentary soup.
While waiting for our food, we saw a bunch of other customers coming back and scooping more meat than soup from the warmer. 😱😱 At first we were worried there would be none left for us (hahaha), but when they finished and it was finally our turn to ladle ours into the bowl, we were pleasantly surprised to see sooo much pork chunks left and shamelessly piled it on too! 😅 What's more, there were TWO types of soup: 'lechon paksiw' — a soupier version of a vinegar based stew with garlic, black pepper and bay leaves, and 'sinigang' — a tangy tamarind-based soup, and both had uber tender pork slices.
Pro/cheapskate tip: If it sounds like it's too much pork for you, I would suggest that you get one set to share between two diners (add extra rice, if you must), as well as the two meaty 'soups' so you don't feel too full/sinful! A side of greens from one of the other stalls is highly recommended too.
While this doesn't look too photogenic, the flavour of this huge pile of pork belly is more than enough to make up for how it looks. The pork is stuffed with lemon grass and other herbs and roasted slowly so the flavours are really infused into the meat. Super tasty, especially when paired with their dipping sauces. However this is a little on the pricey side. Priced at $20 for half a kilo.
