A Pinoy Thanksgiving feast at SM City North EDSA
MANILA, Philippines - Thank God, it’s Thanksgiving Day! In the US, where this cherished tradition began as far back as the 1800s, families gather around the table on a nippy fourth Thursday of November to share a heartwarming Thanksgiving dinner and to give thanks for the countless blessings from above. Inarguably the star of the Thanksgiving table is the iconic turkey.
In the Philippines, Thanksgiving Day takes on a new flavor. And SM City North EDSA makes the day even more special for Filipino families with its assorted food offerings that delight the heart and the belly. Taking center stage in this truly Pinoy Thanksgiving feast is our very own lechon that adds color — and bite — to the celebration.
Happy Thanksgiving Day! Happy eating!
Lydia’s Lechon: The pig difference
Yes, Lydia’s Lechon has been a staple in many a Pinoy celebration these past 48 years and counting. Through the years, Lydia de Roca has kept her lechon naturally simple but with no short cuts. It’s slowly cooked for two hours over charcoal and flavored only with tanglad, pandan, and murang sibuyas. Go ahead and smother it with the pure pork liver gravy.
Lydia’s Lechon also boasts its specialty boneless lechon stuffed with seafood paella. All rice, lechon lovers!
Lydia’s Lechon is at the FoodCourt City Center, lower ground floor, SM City North EDSA; call 939-1221. Photos by FERNAN NEBRES
Kusina ni Gracia: Pan-tastic food
Gracia’s kitchen is ever brimming with good homecooked food. Like the all-time fave lechon kawali, hot off the frying pan. A 150-gram lechon kawali, fried to a golden brown, is good for two persons at only P150. It comes with rice and a choice of vegetables (pakbet or laing), and of course, the indispensable sarsa ni Mang Tomas.
Kusina ni Gracia is at the FoodCourt City Center, LGF, SM City North Edsa.
La Mesa Grill
If there’s no empty table at La Mesa Grill, it must be because of the crispchon (crispy lechon) and a lot more. This La Mesa signature dish is meticulously boiled in herbs and spices before it’s deep-fried. You eat it like your favorite Peking duck: Wrap the crackling strips of pork skin and meat in pandan crepe, along with cucumber, wansuy, and onion leeks.
La Mesa Grill is at the Skygarden, SM City North EDSA, tel. no. 332-5977.
Kamay Kainan: A hands-down winner
Kamay Kainan’s crispy pata is a must-try meat treat. The skin is really crispy while the meat is super tender. Enjoy it with its sauce of toyo, suka with lots of siling labuyo.
A steal for P399, it comes with three rice servings, three eight-ounce gulaman drinks, and vegetables (pakbet, togue or ukoy). This offer runs until summer next year.
Kamay Kainan is at the FoodCourt City Center, LGF, SM City North EDSA, tel. no. 931-8065.
Baliwag: The house that lechon manok built
Baliwag Lechon Manok Atbp. put lechon manok on the Pinoy food map. Whoever thought you could enjoy roast chicken by slathering it with Baliwag Lechon’s homemade pork liver sarsa?
But it’s not just about manok, Baliwag’s also got lechon paksiw, pork sisig, pork barbecue, bulalo, paksiw na baka, ulo sa miso, pritong tilapia, hito, sinigang na hipon, paksiw na bangus that you can take out if you don’t have the time to cook. Now, that’s a wrap!
Baliwag Lechon Manok Atbp. is at the FoodCourt City Center, LGF, SM City North EDSA, tel. no. 654-9001.
Tres: Going the whole hog
For Thanksgiving Day, Tres gives diners more then three reasons to eat out. For one, there’s the souper-duper sinigang na lechon, crispy lechon skin simmered in Tres’ signature spicy sinigang broth with assorted Filipino veggies. For another, there’s binagoongang lechon kawali that’s fried to a crisp and then mixed with Bicol Express sauce, and served with salty sweet homemade bagoong. Then there’s the sizzling abodo beef belly, which is new on the Tres menu.
“We wanted to keep the traditional taste and home type of cooking, without using MSG but only natural spices to flavor our dishes,” says Julie L. Evangelista of Cuisine and Fine Foods, Inc.
Tres is at Annex 2F, SM City North EDSA with telephone numbers 352-7030 and 352-7032.
Gerry’s Grill: Dressed to grill
Gerry’s Grill’s sizzling hot attractions are its grilled dishes, like inihaw na manok, inihaw na pusit, and pork sisig. But a certified bestseller is its crispy pata. All this good food you can wash down with good beer. Now, you know why Gerry’s Grill is a hot eating/drinking place.
Gerry’s Grill is at the Skygarden, SM City North EDSA, tel. no. 332-3466.
Handaan: Everyday fiesta fare
At Handaan, be prepared for a super loaded meal, for instance, consisting of nilagang baka, sisig, grilled squid, ginataang halo-halo, and big rice at only P125.
“Pinoys naturally crave Pinoy food so we’re giving it to them in extra generous amounts,” says Rene de la Cruz, Handaan operations manager.
For Thanksgiving Day, diners get a free ginataang halo-halo for a minimum spend of P150. Promo is until Dec. 15.
Handaan is at the FoodCourt LGF, tel. no. 631-0054.
Cebu Fiesta
You don’t have to travel to Cebu to enjoy the Queen City’s festive food offerings. Stephen Ham (whose parents are Cebuanos) has brought the best from Cebu’s bustling kitchen to Manila.
Its lechon kawali combo comes with three pieces of crispy lechon kawali with big rice plus one other viand for only P110.
Cebu’s lechon kawali comes with homemade peanut sauce.
Cebu Fiesta is at the FoodCourt City Center, LGF, SM City North EDSA.
Mangan: Pampango fiesta food
Mangan owner Maritel Nievera makes every day festive with the resto’s assorted indulgent homecooked dishes. Fact is, it’s vegetarian/pescetarian/piggytarian haven. Enjoy its super delectable lechon paksiw without guilt. Or the legendary sisig ni Mely spiked with chili and onions, and drizzled with calamansi.
For everyday feasting, Mangan has its Inihaw Pyesta, a feast of grilled goodies or its Pritong Paborito, a selection of fried favorites.
Mangan is at the City Center 2F, tel. no. 332-2320.
KKK: Pinoy food with a revolutionary twist
Today, KKK gives thanks to its loyal patrons by giving a 50-percent discount on its sinigang na lechon for a minimum bill of P1,000 (cash or card).
BFFs Analyn Arce, Louie Gutierrez, John Villanueva, Al Puruganan, and Dr. Raul Henson loved pigging out so they put up their own “meating” place 10 years ago. Today, at KKK (Kainan sa Kalye Kanluran), they’re bravely shouting, “Maki-baka!” for surely its kare-kareng baka wins the food war anytime.
KKK now also serves Spanish lengua to complement its native favorites. All ye food supremos, unite!
KKK is at the Annex GF, SM City North EDSA, tel. no. 332-2325.
President Tea House: Tea-licous food
President Tea House’s lechon Macau is tea-licious enough to please any President. It’s the Chinese version of the Pinoy’s lechon kawali. It’s marinated in a special mixture before it’s dried and pugon-baked. You dip it in hoisin sauce and simply enjoy it with plain steamed rice.
President Tea House is at the Annex 2F, tel. no. 332-9104.
