House of Lechon – Bohol, always hits the spot!

(Editor’s Note: The author whose FB account is marked “John Araneta” is a
Balikbayan who just arrived from his stay in the United States of America.
Missing his home province, he decided to visit Bohol (with his mother,
Elvira) upon arrival in the Philippines two weeks ago, before both went
back to their residence in Laguna. The review he wrote on his FB page, is
an account of his experience at the House of Lechon, Bohol along J.A.
Clarin St., Tagbilaran City. “EJ”, as John is fondly called, has his roots
from Dauis. He earned his Baccalaureate Degree from St. Louis University,
Baguio and Master’s Degree in Communication and English (Summa Cum
Laude) from the University of the Philippines, Los Baňos, Laguna. As a
young corporate person, his job brings him to places abroad, more
frequently, in the U.S.A. It was on October 23, 2023, his birthday, when he
stepped into the halls of the House of Lechon, Bohol. Was the experience
good? Unpleasant? Boring? Read the article below and you will get the
answer.)
“Welcome home to Bohol.” This was the warm greeting from the smiling
staff and crew of House of Lechon Tagbilaran, the place I chose for my
birthday lunch. Simple, but very touching. For a returning Boholano like me,
it meant I was missed; for somebody else, it could mean he is welcome to
stay, even for good.
I was with my Mom, my Uncle, and our driver. As we headed inside,
beautiful rondalla music of Philippine folk dances welcomed us to a cozy
venue with very high ceilings, elegant interiors, and a luxury of space,
enough to give each dining group the much needed distance and privacy
for an intimate meal and gathering. Large tables were strategically
positioned to fill the entirety of the room, and everything was sparkling
clean, including the restrooms. We chose our spot, a dining booth that
would allow us to look out into the spacious parking lot and the busy street.

My expectations from a lechon house were pretty conservative. I was
anticipating just lechon and a few more dishes that could come from it, like
liver recipes and dinuguan; but when the menu book was handed to me, I
was surprised to find out they had practically everything you can think of,
from a wide array of entrees down to cakes and desserts. Each dish came
in a finely crafted photo that could tease a hungry tummy; mouth-watering
table photography at its best. So we got their “Carcar lechon,” mixed
veggies, pancit canton, dinuguan, and rice served in a traditional kaldero.
Much to my delight, they had the langka salad which had been my craving
for the last 15 years. I stopped there and told the crew I’d order more if
needed. To my surprise, given the very reasonable prices that I saw in their
menu, the food came in very huge servings; that included the pitcher of ice
tea which I estimated at almost 2 liters, and my candid remark was “Hala
daghana ani, Ma! (OMG this is a lot, Mom!)”
Delectable was an understatement for the food at House of Lechon, and I
was very much impressed. Their cooking exemplified the real Boholano
taste and had no single hint of foreign flavor, be it Chinese for the
vegetables or Thai for the noodles. Contrary, too, to my first-hand
experience of lechon in Carcar which I always found excessively salty, that
from House of Lechon, Bohol was just perfect, with a healthy balance of
salt, vinegar, and native herbs. We learned later on from the manager that
they roast their own lechon but just put in some Carcar secrets (probably
minus the salt). With my langka salad on the side, my lechon meal was
just…divine!
I had the ice tea all to myself plus a can of soda so I had no more space for
dessert. Next time I knew it, the crew gathered in front of me to sing a
birthday song! Who told them it was my birthday didn’t matter anymore; I
was just pleasantly surprised and deeply grateful. The manager came twice
to check if we were enjoying the food and service. I promised him this
review and assured him they were doing great.
A birthday lunch fit for a King. That was what House of Lechon Bohol
offered me on my 46th. From a diversity of restaurants both here and
abroad several months back, I could say that only House of Lechon really
hit the spot! Savory cuisine, world-class service. And it happens to be in the
place where I first saw light. Thank you, House of Lechon. Thank you,
Bohol. I will be back. Mobalik ko sa Bohol ug mo kaon sa House of Lechon!