I have been hearing rave reviews about MarketManila’s Zubuchon that I decided to check it out on a Cebu trip I recently had. I asked my friend A to guide me through Zubuchon’s menu items and introduce me properly to what Anthony Bourdain has tagged as one of his greatest food finds. Being a foodie, of course I was looking forward to the experience.
Friend A decided to bring me to their Mango Avenue branch. When I got inside the restaurant, it was cozy and comforting and I was looking forward to the lunch ahead of me.
I had not eaten any breakfast and just had coffee because I was so looking forward to this much awaited lechon experience with Zubuchon. I am a fan of CNT although there are times that their lechons tend to be a bit salty but otherwise I am well satisfied with the taste so I wondered what makes Zubuchon different and why does it stand out. Also, being from Cdeo, I have had my share of really tasty and yummy lechons and when I compare it with the lechons I have had here in Metro Manila, nothing comes close. I have been very disappointed so far with the taste and quality of the lechons here in Luzon because they tend to be bland and just not tasty at all.
I was waiting for friend A to arrive so I ordered myself a glass of mango juice. Nothing fantastic, just your regular mango juice but it was made from real mango fruits and was not made out of a concentrate.
A few minutes later, friend A arrived and we proceeded to ordering our lechon lunch. Of course we got ourselves Zubuchon and we had ½ kilo between the both of us. No judgement please! 😉 The lechon had hints of rosemary and the meat was not bland but tasty. It was not also too salty. Just right! The skin was really really deliciously crispy and I think that my lechon cravings were satisfied with this Zubuchon foray but I’d like to try them again to see if they were consistent with their lechon and also because I miss lechon again!
We also ordered the pickled vegetables sampler on the side. 3 varieties of pickled vegetables: pickled raddish, atsara and pickled mangoes all served in little square bowls. These were great and a perfect foil to the Zubuchon. It cut through all the fats!
Of course I also had to have the Lechon dinuguan. Pig’s intestines in pig’s blood topped with some crispy chicharon, a green chili and sprinkles of green onions. A taste I so missed.
Friend A also ordered a Kamias shake and this one was a winner. A bit tangy and sour and sweet! I wish I had ordered it!
I plan to try their other offerings when I get to Cebu again one of these days. Definitely one visit is not enough! Also, if you’re dining on a budget, they offer lechon meals as well.
Happy Lechon Craving! Hahahah!
XoXo
