Don Lechon

Don Lechon
511 Guillemard Road
#01-52 Grandlink Square

https://www.facebook.com/DonLechonSingapore/

Chopped Lechon With Gravy (SGD $20 per 500g, $38 per 1kg)

Excellent Filipino Spit-Roasted Suckling Pig

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 6
Ambience & Setting: 5
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 4
Value for Money: 10
Spent about SGD $11 per person.

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Founded in March 2016 by Mr. Krisanto Bibal, who goes by 'Kris', Don Lechon is a speciality Filipino eatery specialising in the iconic spit-roasted suckling pig, known as Lechon. A hidden find, Don Lechon has gained popularity through word-of-mouth in the Filipino community in Singapore for their excellent lechon. Their business name was inspired by the classic gangster mafia film, 'The Godfather', drawing on the title accorded to the mob boss of crime families. Note that they only open during dinner hours.

Ambience at Don Lechon is passable, being casual functional. Designed for function, think of this like a big canteen; brightly and harshly lit, with metal and wood furnishings in colours of orange, grey, and brown, arranged across the parquet floor. I understand the place is intentionally spacious and open, as you can hold events here. During our visit, there was a group celebrating a party. The outdoor seating next to the canal is rather idyllic, especially in the evenings. They also have an area for throwing darts, complete with faux greenery.

Service at Don Lechon is a struggle. This is a 3-man operation, besides Kris and his wife, they only have 1 other helper. Partial self-service, with ordering and payment over the counter, then collection of drinks and utensils at the self-service point. They will serve orders to you, however, there is usually a wait of between 10 - 30 minutes. The lack of manpower means they're not able to clean tables quickly. However, they display intimate product knowledge, able to describe dishes, how it's prepared, and even the history.

Food at Don Lechon is Filipino cuisine, focusing on that much-loved ingredient from the Philippines; Lechon. Their suckling pigs are spit-roasted on premises, and the lechon is sliced and used in every of their dishes here... which isn't much, as the menu is limited. This enables consistent quality - their lechon is delicious. Portions are medium to large for individuals, but we chose to share. Prices are more affordable than elsewhere, budget about SGD $11 per person for a meal here.

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Don Lechon Exterior

Don Lechon Interior

Seating Outdoors

Seating Indoors

Seating Lounge

Don Lechon Menu

Dart Board

Colourful Mugs

A plate of White Rice (SGD $1 Ala-Carte, $0.50 Set Meal) is a must here, as the culture tends to favour big, bold flavours.

White Rice (SGD $1 Ala-Carte, $0.50 Set Meal)

White Rice

Sinigang Pork is a popular dish throughout the Philippines. This thin, tangy sour savoury salty Filipino soup / broth is made with chunks of pork belly, white onions, water, fish sauce, kang kong / water spinach leaves, string beans, tomatoes, brinjal / eggplant / aubergine, salt, ginger, tamarind pulp, orka / lady's fingers, and pepper. Their version of Sinigang Lechon (SGD $11 Ala-Carte, $11.50 Set Meal) replaces the pork belly with lechon, and the string beans with daikon radish. The ingredients have a soft, tender texture, while the lechon has a slightly crispy firm crunch to the skin. The consistency of the soup / broth is also much thicker than elsewhere, with a more pronounced sour savoury salty flavour. Good!

Sinigang Lechon (SGD $11 Ala-Carte, $11.50 Set Meal)

Sinigang Lechon

Sinigang Lechon

When it comes to Sisig, it's all about the sizzle. A noisy, sizzling hot plate, filled with minced pork, white onions, bell peppers / capsicums, and a little pineapple juice, is mixed at the table. Their version of Sisig Lechon (SGD $14 Ala-Carte, $9.50 Set Meal) replaces the minced pork with lechon, and has green chilies and a sunny side up egg included. Looks dry, but actually has a moist tender crunchy texture to the ingredients, with bold savoury salty sweet spicy flavour. Totally appetizing, best paired with white rice, and eaten when piping hot. Pure comfort food. Good!

Sisig Lechon (SGD $14 Ala-Carte, $9.50 Set Meal)

Sisig Lechon

Sisig Lechon

Not for the faint of heart, the Bopis (SGD $12 Ala-Carte, $5.50 Set Meal) features diced beef lungs and pig hearts, simmered in a sauce of garlic, tomatoes, white onions, and bay leaves. It has a bouncy tender texture with a light chew, and completely lacks any gamey flavour, instead being a deep earthy savoury salty flavour, with a touch of spicy notes. Worth ordering!

Bopis (SGD $12 Ala-Carte, $5.50 Set Meal)

Bopis

Bopis

The national dish of the Philippines, Lechon features roast pork meat from an adult pig. However, their version of Chopped Lechon (SGD $20 per 500g, $38 per 1kg) here uses suckling pigs instead. The pork meat is tender and moist, with good smoky sweet savoury salty flavour. The skin is wonderfully crisp, with a herbal note from the marinade (I detect at least garlic, lemongrass, and light soy sauce), and crunches loudly when bit. I understand each suckling pig is spit-roasted over wood charcoal for 4 hours, and regularly basted in its own juices. Fresh and succulent, with a balanced ratio of pork meat to fat. Served with a house special sauce of mashed liver, white vinegar, brown sugar, and Asian herbs, which was a little too funky for us. Highly recommended!