Filipino cuisine has improved over the years. Innovation comes from one to another. Because of this, we cannot help but fall in love with our food even more. A testimony to that is the family recipe well-executed in a Cebuano-owned restaurant – the Liloan’s Pride Liempo.
Background and Inspirations
Liloan’s Liempo is a true pride in the Philippine culinary world as it imparts local techniques to the originally adapted Chinese dish, liempo. The family who runs the Liloan’s Pride are from Liloan, Cebu and has created branches in the outskirts of Metro Manila. They took their local recipe to the city as a form of gratitude to their roots.
The one we were privileged to visit is in California Garden Square, Domingo M. Guevara Street, Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City.
Ambiance and Setting
Though surrounded by a number of food hubs, Liloan’s Pride Liempo succeeded in giving us the laidback feels from the ambiance to the plate. The brand color is a vibrant green which kind of give you a refreshing sight after experiencing traffic. In addition, the place is maintained cool which is comforting due to the humid weather here in the country.
The only downside is the small space they have. This is something they should improve on as there are days when restaurant gets a little busier than usual. Despite that, we are convinced that location and setting is a good spot.
The Food
They serve savory rice meals which feature roasted pork and meat. All shouting local Filipino flavors.
The menu has a number of food that are prepared to its finest. Secret is not only observed in the cooking, it is also embedded in the flavors and ingredients.
Here are some of the stars of their menu.
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Cebu Liempo
This is the highlight dish in Liloan’s Pride. Cebu Liempo is a juicy roasted protein that has a nice crisp on its skin and a tender meat on the inside. You can also expect it to be smoky as it is not roasted using typical charcoal. What makes it even special is the home-made vinegar served with it. This balances both fatness and acidity.
What we first observed about this dish is the inviting appearance of the Cebu Liempo. You can almost feel the crunch of the skin and the succulence of the meat by just looking at it. Secondly, we enjoyed how they paired it with acidic pickled papaya (atchara) and home-made vinegar. We usually are accustomed to having a different dip for liempo, so vinegar quite stood out from the rest of the restaurants. It was a great dish and they were true when they said it is better than lechon.
A good portion of the Cebu Liempo can be enjoyed for only P360. You can also have it served spicy by just adding P20.
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Roasted Chicken
While some may think this is like the typical roasted chicken available in the metro, we observed how richer the seasoning is. It tends to be more peppery and more flavorful compared to what we tried in other food hubs. We think the secret is on the herbs and spices used to marinate. Overall, we think the price is just enough for the quality of Roasted Chicken we received.
The whole chicken costs P360. You can also avail their Quarter Chicken rice meal which includes a generous portion of chicken, a cup of rice, and atchara (pickled papaya) for only P110.
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Garlic Bangus
Bangus (milkfish) is common in the markets of Cebu, so it is not a surprise to have them in Liloan’s menu. Since the fish is known to be fatty, marinating it in a sour mixture elevated the taste. This is what you will experience when you try Liloan’s Garlic Bangus.
What we like the most in this dish is the aroma from the fried garlic and vinegar. You can definitely taste the food as you smell. Basing from it, we think it was marinated for a right amount of time to soak in the taste.
A whole medium-sized milkfish costs P220. It can also be enjoyed through their Garlic Bangus Rice meal for only P99. Serving of bangus in this is lesser, but taste is superb.
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Classic Sisig
This Filipino-inspired dish is made with pig cheeks, onions and chili peppers. To add some drama and taste, it is further topped with a raw egg, which will later on be cooked with the sizzling hot sisig.
This type of meal tends to leave some guilt in your mouth, so a slice of lime (calamansi) in their serving is appreciated. We just wish it has more crunch to it. All in all, it is a great interpretation of a Classic Sisig. A serving costs P160.
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Pochero Meal
It is a relief to have a dish which has more vegetables that meat. We think they anticipated that others prefer to eat greens, too. Thus, the flavorful Pochero Meal.
The dish is made with stewed pork belly slices in chickpeas, sliced potatoes, bananas (Saba), green peas, and cabbage. We appreciate that there are a lot of vegetables in one plate. However, we think the vegetables should have a bit more of seasoning. Visual-wise, the plate also looks overload. Despite that, taste is delicious. We love this healthy meal and it can be enjoyed for only P149.
A Story in Each Serving
There’s a lot to love in Liloan’s Pride Liempo. It speaks up for Filipino cuisines and represents cultures from some of our cities and provinces. The looks of each served meal also enticed me the whole time I am eating. Ultimately, it told us stories of how a family in Liloan, Cebu shared their treasured recipe to the rest of the Philippines.
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