What is it with the Visayas islands and lechon?
Seriously.
Why do they have the most freakishly delicious roast pork? You know, the type that’s dripping with herby goodness and doesn’t need sarsa. The one that makes your mouth and tummy scream “Eat mooooore…” while your brain and heart goes “Noooooo!”. The one that makes you down rice and cola, things you normally wouldn’t touch even with a ten-foot pole.
Gaaaah.
I hope you see only two pigs in this photo…
If you noticed (it’s perfectly fine if you didn’t) in the first sentence above, I used Visayas, instead of the province whose lechon is of international fame, Cebu. I’ve had multiple encounters with Cebu lechon before – the one in C. Padilla St. remains my all-time favorite – and Kite and I came across something really close to it in Leyte (and saw heaps of lechon stalls scattered across the city, actually) that I feel merits the generalization.
LeyChon was our second unexpected food discovery in Tacloban, Ocho being the first. The day we found it, we were originally gunning for Café Lucia, but since the more popular resto was closed, we hunted down LeyChon instead. We had passed by the diner a couple of times while in transit on earlier occasions and already got intrigued by its clever play on names so we decided to go for it.
Kite and I were fortunate enough to be the first customers that day and we got all the benefits that came along with that distinction. We saw the place in its untouched glory (bright and cheery with interesting artwork on the walls), had the crew’s undivided attention (always a plus) AND got first dibs on the lechon served that day (read: no shortage of the much anticipated crackling skin). Triple win!
Yellow, sunny and bright, the UST graduate I was with couldn’t be any happier. 
After a rather quick discussion with the waiter, we decided to order half a kilo of lechon, and a plate each of pancit Leyte and rellenong talong. We also got buko pie with pandan ice cream for dessert. The end result?
Heart attack-inducing calorie heaven.
The lechon was everything we wanted it to be. The generous amount of skin served to us was still warm and was very much crisp. The meat was tender, had copious amounts of lovely rendered fat and exploded with that characteristic flavor of lemongrass mingling with a mix of other herbs and spices. Our moans and groans and oohs and aahs of pleasure with matching clenched fists and closed eyes were just too much, it was good that we were the only ones in the resto that time.
Kite and I gobbled what could’ve fed four. It was that goood!
A macro shot to make you more envious. Permission to drool granted.
My heart probably wasn’t as happy as Spongebob and me…
You need this more to cut the fattiness of the pork rather than as a flavor enhancer. Forgot to ask what kind of vinegar this is though…
The other plates on the table fared equally as well. The pancit Leyte, which to me appeared to be just the province’s version of pancit canton, was loaded with a cornucopia of seafood and veggies. The noodles were wonderfully firm accompanied by a sauce that was perfectly seasoned and was rich but not too cloying. The same observations held for their rellenong talong, or tortang talong for us Tagalogs. The dish which if I’m not mistaken was made of three eggplants (!) was brimming with bits of tomatoes and other vegetables, and was fortunately not oily.
As for the dessert, I was a fan. While it will not win any awards for the creaminess of its ice cream component, the classic flavor combination was a homerun. I told Kite “Wow. Why didn’t I think about this?“. The mini-coconut pie was pretty good, with a dollop of buko meat inside and a slightly cheesy and crumbly crust . The only thing I would probably change about it is that it could’ve been served a tad warmer. Other than that, it’s a beauty!
Can anyone confirm if Warays really serve pancit this way?
To offset the bad calories daw. Healthy daw kasi kami. Hahaha!
Major points for the presentation, yes? Didn’t expect this level of attention to detail when it was laid before us.
Tip: request for the pie to be warmed before being served. I feel that will elevate this already beautiful meal-ender to the next level.
We spoke to the staff and asked how long LeyChon has been around and they told us it opened only late last year. I figured that was why I haven’t read or heard anything about it online or from friends who hail from Tacloban. That being said, I hope LeyChon continues to prosper and attract a steady customer base. I would hate to see this diner go to waste, especially since I see that it potentially has the makings of being an iconic Leyte restaurant as much as CnT and/or Zubuchon are in Cebu. If every customer experiences the same quality of food and service Kite and I had, I say LeyChon has a chance. 
I haven’t tried enough lechons from Leyte for me to validate their claim of being “Leyte’s Best Lechon” but I can wholeheartedly say theirs is pretty darn good.
***
LeyChon Diner
384 Richcom Bldg, Real & Kalipayan St.
Tacloban City, Leyte, Philippines, 6500
Telephone: +6353 321 9865
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/LeyChon-Diner/468327333188285
Filed under: Food, Philippines, Places Tagged: Eastern Visayas, Filipino Cuisine, Food, Food finds, lechon, Leyte, Leyte 2012, Philippines, roast pork, Sooo Pinoy, Tacloban, Tacloban 2012
