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)

Zubuchon
One Mango Mall
General Maxilom Avenue
Cebu
Central Visayas 6000
Philippines

Escario Central
731 North Escario Street
Cebu
Central Visayas 6000
Philippines

SM City Mall
Pope John Paul II Avenue
North Reclamation Area
Cebu
Central Visayas 6000
Philippines

City Soho Mall
Buenaventura Rodriguez Street
Cebu
Central Visayas 6000
Philippines

The Outlets At Pueblo Verde
Pueblo Verde
6015 MEZ II
Basak
Lapu-Lapu City
Cebu
Central Visayas 6015
Philippines

https://www.facebook.com/zubuchonphilippines/

Zubuchon Fast Meal (PHP ₱180 / SGD $5)

Cebu Street Food - Part 2

More Cebu Street Food that I've tried during other visits to Cebu, Philippines, continuing from Part 1.

Sisig

Cafe Calle Real Tasting Session
6 Changi Business Park Avenue 1
#01-37 UE BizHub East

Opening Hours:
Mon: 11am - 2pm
Tue - Sat: 11am - 9pm
Closed Sun


http://callereal.com.sg/

https://www.facebook.com/CalleRealRestaurant/

This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session, but I did pay the standard price during subsequent visits.
Attended with representatives from Come Let’s Eat Initiative, Embassy of the Philippines in Singapore, Burrple Singapore, and The 4 Moose.

Lechon De Carajay (SGD $14.80)

Spanish Inspired, Modern Fusion Filipino Cuisine

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Budget about SGD $19 ++ per person.


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While Cafe Calle Real has only been in their current location for about 1 year, their history actually stretches back to July 2006, having moved from Lucky Plaza, to Joo Chiat, before finally settling here in UE BizHub East. Cafe Calle Real is known for its modern Filipino cuisine; while predominantly Filipino, it also incorporates elements of Spanish and Chinese cuisine.

We attended as part of the Come Let’s Eat Initiative, which strives to promote a more harmonious society in Singapore, by connecting Singaporeans with foreign cultures, through a shared food experience. In this tasting session at Cafe Calle Real, we were fortunate to be hosted by representatives from the Embassy of the Philippines in Singapore, along with Head Chef Joefre, Chef Rose, and celebrity actress, singer, and fashion designer Pamela Wildheart.

Cafe Calle Real Signage

Us, Source Credits

Ambience at Cafe Calle Real is colourful and cheerful. Sturdy wooden and metal furnishings, laid out in communal dining style, are in vibrant summer colours, without being garish or tacky. The ample natural light makes the place brightly lit, and the atmosphere can be noisy and bustling with laughter during peak periods. Cafe Calle Real can even set up a buffet line to accomodate events!

Cafe Calle Real Exterior

Cafe Calle Real Interior

Art

Service at Cafe Calle Real is good. Staff are friendly, polite, and welcoming, greetings diners and having them quickly seated. They display good product knowledge, able to describe how dishes are created. Food is served incredibly quickly, and looking at a full table packed with delicious food is just delightful. I like that staff come around occasionally to check if they're able to clear empty / dirty plates, and will also accede to requests for a change of serving plates.

Seating

Seating

Food at Cafe Calle Real is modern Filipino cuisine. Having previously visited the Philippines, and tasted the cuisines of both Manila and Cebu, I notice Filipinos prefer strong flavours, centered around savoury, sweet, salty, and sour, with an emphasis on contrast of flavours and counterpoints. At Cafe Calle Real, dishes taste less intense in flavour than normal, making it enjoyable for a wider variety of people. In terms of execution, small elements of Chinese, Indian, or Spanish cuisine have been incorporated into the traditional Filipino dishes. Portions are designed for communal dining, much too large for an individual, and sharing between at least 2 or 3 people is best. Prices are comparable to other cafes, budget about SGD $19 per person for a meal here.

Cafe Calle Real Menu

The Beer San Miguel Pale Pilsen (SGD $7.80) is a common Filipino alcoholic beverage. It has a bright, straw golden colour with a medium-thick foam head; a smooth, crisp, refreshing body with tastes of malt, grain, corn, and lemon. Pleasant and light drink with little bitterness and soft carbonation.

Beer San Miguel Pale Pilsen (SGD $7.80)

Inspired by Chinese cuisine, the Lumpiang Sariwah (SGD $4.80) is essentially a vegetarian spring roll. A thin egg roll is stuffed with strips of potato, turnip, string beans, chickpeas (instead of mung beans), and lettuce (a modern ingredient). What makes the dish taste great is the thick, sweet savoury sauce, made from brown sugar, soy sauce, chicken stock, garlic, and crushed peanuts. The contrast of fresh, bright flavours from the spring roll, and the deep, robust flavour of the sauce, makes this dish memorable.

Lumpiang Sariwah (SGD $4.80)

Loved the Lechon De Carajay (SGD $14.80), more commonly known as Lechon Kawali, with its extremely crispy skin and moist, tender meat! Chef says the pork is air-dried for 3 hours, smoked for 1 hour, then roasted for another 2 hours. This results in the skin being taunt, cracking beautifully, yet retains moisture in the meat, making it soft and succulent. Paired with a robust sweet liver sauce, this was easily among the best dishes I tried here. Highly recommended!

Lechon De Carajay (SGD $14.80)

The Kare-Kare (SGD $18.80) is a type of Filipino stew, made of oxtail and beef stomach, along with eggplant / aubergine, string beans, and kai-lan / Chinese kale / Chinese broccoli (a modern ingredient). A thick, savoury sweet peanut sauce is liberally poured over the top, making this dish rich and flavourful! I find the peanut sauce to be milder in flavour than the traditional versions I've tasted, yet the lightness is rather appealing, making it easy to eat. Paired with an intense dried shrimp paste, which you mix in yourself, this creates a new depth of flavour for the dish. Excellent!

Kare-Kare (SGD $18.80)

The Crispy Pata (SGD $28.80) is a famous Filipino dish of deep fried pork knuckle. Incredibly decadent, the meat of the pork is rendered tender by slow simmering in water. The skin is then rubbed with spices and seasoning, including vinegar, and then deep fried. The version here has very crisp skin, with a large amount of fat, but I find the meat isn't as tender as it should be, still being rather tough in texture. This dish is commonly served with a dipping sauce made from soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and chopped onions, and goes great with beer!

Crispy Pata (SGD $28.80)

The Chopsuey (SGD $12.80) here features a decent mix of vegetables, including cabbage, snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, baby corn, bell peppers / capsicums, button mushrooms, along with squid rings and deshelled prawns. The entire dish is a modern interpretation, as our Filipino hosts tell us snow peas, broccoli, and cauliflower are considered luxury vegetables in the Philippines. Also, the dish has been cooked till the vegetables are soft and tender, which is how the Chinese prefer it, but the Filipino people actually prefer the vegetables to be firm and crunchy in texture. Still, it's a rather tasty dish.

Chopsuey (SGD $12.80)

The Rellenong Bangus (SGD $18.80) was a standout dish, among the better dishes we tried here. A medium sized milkfish, considered the national fish of the Philippines, is carefully deboned completely. The mild, gentle tasting fish flesh is mixed with green peas and raisins, then carefully laid back to resemble a whole fish, before being deep fried. The result is crisp, savoury fish skin, with aromatic, savoury salty sweet fish meat, milky and grainy in texture. Succulent and delicious, totally unstoppable. Highly recommended!

Rellenong Bangus (SGD $18.80)

It's said, "Sell the sizzle", and that's completely true with the Sizzling Pork Sisig (SGD $12.80). A noisy, sizzling hot plate, filled with egg, minced pork, minced beef, onions, bell peppers / capsicums, coated in pineapple juice, is mixed at the table, releasing a fragrant aroma of meat. Totally appetizing, this savoury salty sweet dish is best paired with rice, and eaten when piping hot. Pure comfort food at its best. Good!

Sizzling Pork Sisig (SGD $12.80)

The Sinigang (SGD $18.80) here is pretty good, sticking close to the traditional version. Featuring thick, fatty, meaty slices of pork belly, along with tender string beans, tomatoes, eggplant / aubergine, kang kong / water spinach leaves, and slices of chili, in a sour savoury, thin and clear soup / broth that is big on flavour. The sourness makes it rather addictive!

Sinigang (SGD $18.80)

The Arroz Adobo (SGD $10.80) is an example of Fusion Spanish Filipino cuisine. Served in a paella pan, the savoury fried rice is topped with tender chunks of fatty pork belly and chicken meat, done adobo style, which is a process of slowly cooked meat which has been marinated in vinegar, crushed garlic, bay leaves, soy sauce, and pepper. The result is pork and chicken which is savoury salty in taste, with incredibly tender, fall apart texture. While I like this dish, it falls short because it lacks the lovely crisp, burnt bits of rice which usually stick to the sides of the pan.

Arroz Adobo (SGD $10.80)

A good value for money lunch meal, the Tapsilog (SGD $9.80) features the classic Filipino savoury tapa / grilled cured beef, a fragrant garlic fried rice, a sunny side up egg, atchara / pickled papaya strips, cucumber, tomato, and vinegar as a condiment. A hearty, working-person meal, quick and filling!

Tapsilog (SGD $9.80)

The Brazo De Mercedez (SGD $3.50) is essentially a rolled meringue cake with a custard centre. The outer layer is a soft meringue cream made from pure egg whites, while the inner center is a soft custard made from pure egg yolks. This rich dessert cake is soft and sticky in texture, and intensely sweet and eggy in taste, totally decadent. Our Filipino hosts tell us the best time to eat this is not when it's freshly made, rather, it should be left to set for 1 or 2 days, until tiny beads of moisture have formed on the exterior. The version here is baked in-house, and is authentic and delicious!

Brazo De Mercedez (SGD $3.50)

The Leche Flan (SGD $2.50) is essentially a Creme Caramel, a soft custard pudding dessert coated with a sticky sweet caramel sauce. The Filipino people prefer this to be denser in texture and sweeter in taste, made with condensed milk and egg yolks, as opposed to the European style which is usually lighter and more airy in texture.

Leche Flan (SGD $2.50)

Overall, Cafe Calle Real offers a good dining experience, with comfortable ambience, friendly service, and decent tasting food. While not completely authentic, the food at Cafe Calle Real is a great introductory experience for non-Filipinos, and prices are affordable enough for everyday communal dining. Filipinos themselves will still enjoy the modern interpretation of dishes at Cafe Calle Real, as they strike a nice balance between the familiar and the new. I will return to Cafe Calle Real for more!


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Cebu Street Food - Part 1


Cebu Street Food is largely influenced by Spanish Cuisine, and the Philippines has 3 distinct sub-regions when it comes to food. North Philippines is noted for its use of seafood, rice cakes and puddings, Central Philippines is noted for its use of chili and skill of roasting meats, while South Philippines is noted for flavouring food with spices. Being located in central Philippines, Cebu is noted for its heavy emphasis on pork and pork related dishes, distinct savoury tastes, and liking for grilled / barbecue / fried dishes.

Food in Cebu can be found in pushcarts along the streets, in cafes, mid-range eateries or fine restaurants. Fast food is extremely popular here, especially among office workers, and many mid-range eateries in Cebu are fast food outlets. Street food sold from pushcarts are often pastries or desserts which can be consumed on the go. Common ingredients used in the Philippines include pork, chicken, fish, ox, mango, pineapple, pandan leaves, rice, peanuts, plantains, yam / taro, tapioca and coconut.

Breakfast in Cebu quite often resembles a dessert course, with several sweet dishes / drinks. Snacking is common, and often involves a complete meal. There is very little finger food in Cebu. Food in Cebu tends to be more savoury and / or salty as compared to other cuisines. Their love of pork also means that a typical meal normally includes a pork-related dish. Textures loved by the Filipinos include crispy, juicy, and crunchy, so most foods feature some of these textures.


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Adobong Kang Kong is a simple vegetable dish that is commonly eaten at most meals as a staple in Cebu, but less so throughout the Philippines. This savoury dish features kang kong / water spinach leaves stir fried with light soy sauce, vinegar, toasted garlic, onions, and pork stock.

Adobong Kang Kong

Adobo Chicken And Pork from Cebu, which is similar to the version I ate previously. Adobo is a type of cooking method, which involves stewing / braising meats such as pork, chicken or a combination of both in a marinade / sauce made with pepper, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce and bay leaves. The resulting dish of Adobo Chicken And Pork is served with rice and a pickled salad, and is considered a national dish.

Adobo Chicken And Pork

Adobo Chicken And Pork

Adobo Chicken And Pork

Adobo Chicken And Pork

Adobo Chicken And Pork

Adobo Chicken And Pork

Adobo Chicken And Pork

Adobo Chicken And Pork

Atchara from Cebu, which is similar to the version I ate previously. Atchara is a popular condiment, made with julienned unripe papaya, carrot, ginger, bell pepper / capsicum, onion and garlic. These vegetables are pickled in a mixture of vinegar, salt, sugar, pepper and chili, then garnished with raisins or pineapple chunks. Atchara is served as a side dish with barbecue dishes such as Adobo, to cut through the savoury saltiness of the meat.

Atchara

Atchara

The Beer San Miguel Premium All-Malt is a bright golden brew, that has a malty aroma and pleasant hop notes, smooth in texture with a slightly sweet taste, and a low bitter finish.

Beer San Miguel Premium All-Malt

Beer San Miguel Premium All-Malt

Biko is classic Filipino dessert normally eaten as a mid-day snack in the Philippines, but the people of Cebu prefer having it during breakfast. It's made with sticky glutinous rice, that achieves its signature brown colour from being steamed with water, coconut milk, and brown sugar. Normally served topped with diced mango cubes, and a hot beverage on the side.

Biko

Buko Juice is a refreshing Filipino beverage that is commonly sold along the streets, and consists primarily of chilled young coconut juice sweetened with condensed milk. Some other versions include the young coconut meat as well, or even blend it with ice to make a milkshake.

Buko Juice

A popular cold weather dish, Bulalo is a beef shank and bone marrow soup / broth. Whole beef shanks are stewed in water until all the bone marrow and fat has melted and flavoured the soup / broth, and the beef meat has become incredibly tender. Normally, several hardy vegetables are stewed together to sweeten the soup / broth, such as cabbage, onions, corn, string beans, potatoes, and garlic. Fish sauce and chili are sometimes added as well.

Bulalo

Bulalo

Bulalo

Chicharon is a well-loved street snack in the Philippines, made from deep fried pork rinds or pork belly, seasoned with salt. In Cebu, it's normally eaten with a dipping sauce of soy sauce and vinegar, or with chopped garlic and chili.

Chicharon

Chicharon

There are several versions of Longaniza / Chorizo Sausage Filipino, all of which are sausages made with savoury cured pork meat flavoured with spices. The Guagua version has a salty, slightly sour taste, while the Hamonado version has a pronounced sweet taste.

Longaniza / Chorizo Sausage Filipino

Longaniza / Chorizo Sausage Filipino

Longaniza / Chorizo Sausage Filipino

The Daing Na Bangus / Marinated Milkfish In Vinegar And Garlic begins with a cleaned and deboned milkfish, butterfly style with the skin still on. The fish is then marinated with vinegar, salt, crushed garlic, and pepper overnight. It is then fried / grilled till the fish meat turns golden brown, and slightly crisp. Normally served along with white rice.

Daing Na Bangus / Marinated Milkfish In Vinegar And Garlic

Daing Na Bangus / Marinated Milkfish In Vinegar And Garlic

Dinuguan is a savoury Filipino stew of pig's offal (lungs, kidneys, intestines, ears, heart, snout), simmered in a rich dark gravy of pig's blood, garlic, vinegar, and chili. Normally served with white rice, this dish is an acquired taste... personally, I didn't quite like it!

Dinuguan

The Filipino love crispy textures, as such, Fried Chicken is very popular. The chicken meat is still moist and tender, but the chicken skin is normally flavoured with various spices, and fried till golden brown and crisp. Biting into it, the crunch of the skin is very satisfiying!

Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken

The dish of Kinilaw Na Tangigue / Kinilaw Na Tanigue is a raw fish salad, similar to the South American Ceviche. It features bite sized, deboned chunks of fresh tangigue / tanigue / sea bass fish fillets, marinated in vinegar, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Served chilled in a coconut milk gravy, it's usually garnished with diced tomatoes, onions, spring onions, lime, and ginger.

Kinilaw Na Tangigue / Kinilaw Na Tanigue

Kutsinta / Coconut Brown Rice Cake is a sticky, chewy dessert, made from glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, water, lye water, then steamed and topped with grated fresh coconut / dessicated coconut. Taste is a combination of savoury and sweet, and the dense texture makes it rather filling.

Kutsinta / Coconut Brown Rice Cake

The Chinese inspired Lauriet Chicken is a type of fast food set meal, featuring spiced fried chicken, fried rice, stir-fried noodles, crackers, a bean paste sesame seed dessert ball, and siomai pork.

Lauriet Chicken

Lauriet Chicken

Lauriet Chicken

Lauriet Chicken

The national dish of the Philippines, Lechon, or roast pork, is very commonly eaten in Cebu, more so than any other part of the country. As such, they're known for having the best Lechon around! There are 3 common types of Lechon; normal Lechon, Lechon De Leche, and Lechon Kawali.

The normal Lechon features roast pork meat from an adult pig. The meat is usually tender and moist, but with a slight gamey taste. The skin is incredibly crisp, with very little fat, and crunches beautifully when bit. Lechon is prepared by roasting a whole adult pig on skewers over charcoal.

Lechon

Lechon

Lechon

Lechon

Lechon

The Lechon De Leche, in contrast, uses pork meat from a suckling / baby pig / piglet. This means the meat is more tender, and also has less gamey taste. However, the skin may sometimes be more chewy than crisp.

Lechon De Leche

Lechon De Leche

Lechon De Leche

Lechon De Leche

Lechon De Leche

Lechon De Leche

Finally, the Lechon Kawali features pork belly that is seasoned, then deep fried. This results in a crispy, golden brown exterior, while locking in flavour and moisture to the pork belly meat. It usually has more fat than other versions.

Lechon Kawali

Lechon Kawali

Mamon is a type of Filipino dessert, a sweet, round sponge cake, made with all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, vanilla, and butter. It's usually flavoured with 1 additional ingredient. For example, Mamon Cheesy features grated cheddar cheese; Mamon Ube features purple yam / taro / ube; Mamon Caramel features lashings of thick caramel syrup; and Mamon Chocolate features chocolate fudge.

Mamon Cheesy

Mamon Ube

Pandan Tapioca is a Filipino chilled dessert, more commonly eaten in Cebu than in other parts of the Philippines. This decadent dessert is made with tapioca sago pearls, pandan / screwpine leaf jelly cubes, water, sugar, young coconut meat, dessicated coconut / grated coconut, heavy cream, and condensed milk. This sweet, creamy, fruity dessert is rather refreshing, but also very heavy on the stomach.

Pandan Tapioca

Pandan Tapioca

Puto Cheese are a steamed, savoury, Filipino mini rice cake. It's made with rice flour, baking powder, sugar, water, eggs, coconut milk, butter, and cheddar cheese. It's often eaten for breakfast, instead of as a dessert.

Puto Cheese

Root Beer Zest-O is a locally produced root beer. This fizzy soft drink has good root beer flavour, but a slightly chemical tasting finish, due to the use of artificial sweeteners instead of sugar.

Root Beer Zest-O

Sikwate is a type of Cebuano version of hot chocolate, and the beverage is like drinking pure, rich, deep, creamy chocolate. Made from roasted cocoa beans, sugar, milk, and flavoured with either orange or vanilla. This luxurious beverage is commonly drunk during breakfast, in small shots!

Sikwate

Sikwate

Sikwate

Sikwate

Sikwate

Sinigang Pork is a popular dish in both Cebu and throughout the Philippines. This tangy, sour Filipino soup / broth is made with chunks of pork belly, onions, water, fish sauce, kang kong / water spinach leaves, string beans, tomatoes, eggplant / aubergine, salt, ginger, tamarind pulp, orka / lady's fingers, and pepper. It's often served with white rice.

Sinigang Pork

Sinigang Pork

Sinigang Pork

Sinigang Pork

Tortang Baboy / Omelette Minced Pork is a classic Filipino egg omelette dish, where minced pork and onions are mixed into the egg omelette, then garnished with cilantro. Sometimes, tomatoes, bell peppers / capsicum, or chili is added. Served with a mild spicy chili sauce.

Tortang Baboy / Omelette Minced Pork

Tortang Talong / Omelette Eggplant is a unique egg omelette dish, made with eggs, onions, and baby eggplant / aubergine. The baby eggplant / aubergine, with stalks kept on, are smashed, then coated with the egg and onion mixture, before being fried. Closely resembles a Spanish tapas dish.

Tortang Talong / Omelette Eggplant

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