Anthony Bourdain: Cebu’s lechon is No. 1

It’s official.

The TV show feature that most Filipino foodies and epicures have been waiting for was finally shown last February 16 in continental USA. This long-awaited Philippines episode of the much revered Anthony Bourdain of Travel Channel’s No Reservation, taped October-November 2008 in the Philippines (Manila, Pampanga and Cebu), which unfortunately is still not aired in Asia, immediately was uploaded in youtube and the chef-cum-traveler’s declaration that in his hierarchy of pork, Cebu’s lechon is on top of the heap was greeted with much pride and pleasure by Filipinos.


lechon stalls are all over Cebu
picture taken by my wife


Before his Philippine visit, Bourdain has earlier declared Bali’s famous babi guling as his number one choice but that is history. Lechon or the Philippine roast pig, long a mainstay in Philippine parties, is considered a matter of pride by Filipinos. By reputation, the Cebu lechon is considered by most as the tastiest and crispiest, with such flavorful meat that condiments or sauce are typically not necessary anymore.

For the Philippine episode of No Reservations, it helped that top Filipino food blogger, marketmanila (he whose blog has more than 15,000 visitors a day!), was approached by Bourdain for the lechon segment.


the Philippine roast pig is always served whole during feasts
picture taken by my wife


Unbeknownst to those outside of the marketmanila readership, this guy has elevated lechon cooking to a different plane. He loved lechon so much he organizes lechon EBs. Most of all, he experiments with lechon cooking as if the dish were something you just whip in a casserole. For starters, he built his own hearth in his place in Cebu! And in a series of joyful studies that he blogged, he toyed with different fillings, researched on the various preparations and tinkered with recipes and cooking styles until after at least 5 cookouts (read his chronicles 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, he came out with what he deemed as the ultimate lechon.


Cebuanos are spoiled when it comes to availability and choices of lechon
picture taken by my wife

While we typically would just buy lechon by the kilo and appreciate the portions we can get – we in Cebu, I admit, are spoiled with our choices – marketmanila would not settle until he understands all that can be learned in the art of lechon. Suffice it is to say that Bourdain could not have picked a better man.

Come to think of it, the stars were aligned in so many ways. While I cannot claim any personal connections to the episode, or even to marketmanila (except for the fact that he is Cebuano), I have to thank my wife for whipping me into submission in following both the guy and Bourdain. You see long before Bourdain decided on taping a Philippines episode, my wife was already a committed fan of his, viewing all the No Reservations episodes posted in youtube, shoving me with must-view links. Coincidentally too, she has always been a dedicated lurker of the marketmanila blog for years way prior to the announcement that he would be Bourdain’s lechon guide. Imagine her giddiness when late last year, she learned that marketmanila showed Bourdain around Cebu.


the lechon is the typical centerpiece in Philippine fiesta preparations


Now, if only I could get my piece of lechon today…

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The No Reservations episodes can be viewed in 5 parts in youtube (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). For the curious, the lechon recipe can be found here.