Lenten options from ‘lechon’ experts
Lent truly is the perfect time to explore seafood flavors and enjoy them without the distraction of meat, especially since the Philippines is blessed with a wide array of seafood choices.
Text size
Lent truly is the perfect time to explore seafood flavors and enjoy them without the distraction of meat, especially since the Philippines is blessed with a wide array of seafood choices.
STEAMED Sea Bass with Sepcial Sauce and Fried Sea Bass with Sweet and Sour sauce.
LECHON'S Vegetable Kare-Kare and Vegetable Kare-Kare with Crispy Tuna Buntot
DEEP-fried Sea Bass with Sweet Chili Sauce bundle.
THAI Sweet and Sour Shrimps.
Established in Cebu by Enrico “Rico” Dionson in 1995 and then acquired by seasoned Manila-based restaurateur George Nocum Pua for his Meat Concepts Corporation in 2017, Rico’s Lechon has always been known for its perfectly tasty Cebuano lechon with crispy golden skin. Now that its presence has been established in different parts of Metro Manila and more people have access to it, the brand has become even more famous and coveted.
But for a restaurant whose primary product is lechon (roasted pig), Rico’s Lechon is surprisingly so secure and “comfortable in its own skin” that it has laid out a wide selection of fish and seafood alternatives for diners to enjoy this Lenten season. For a la carte dishes, it offers Crispy Sea Bass Sarciado, Crispy Tuna Buntot, Sinigang na Tanigue, Sinigang na Salmon Head, Sinigang na Hipon, Vegetable Kare-Kare, Vegetable Kare-Kare with Crispy Tuna Buntot, and Mixed Seafood Kare-Kare for its specialties. For shrimps, the choices are Sizzling Gambas and Cheesy Baked Shrimps, while squid comes in two versions—Sizzling Adobong Pusit and Sizzling Squid. For diners who are looking for fish fillet, the restaurant has Fish Fillet in Tofu and Black Beans as well as Sweet & Sour Fish Fillet available on its Lenten menu.
There is also a special emphasis on sea bass this year, as it offers Sea Bass Delight, which is perfect for sharing among two persons and allows diners to choose how they want their fish cooked: grilled, steamed with special sauce, or fried with sweet & sour sauce, at P650 per dish.
Having carefully thought over the Lenten menu, Rico’s Lechon has also put together two Lami Gyud Bundle Feasta packages for group dining (ideal for 3 to 4 persons). One is the Crispy Sea Bass Sarciado Bundle (P1,250), which comes with a choice of grilled, steamed, fried or sarciado sea bass, along with Buttered Mixed seafood, plain pandan rice platter, and Minatamis na Saging with Sago. The other package is the Mixed Seafood Platter Bundle (P1,500), composed of mixed seafood platter, Vegetable Kare-Kare, plain pandan rice platter, and Minatamis na Saging with Sago.
All are available for dine-in, take-out and delivery and orders can also be made through GrabFood and Food Panda.
Sea bass is also the highlight of the Lenten menu of Rico’s Lechon’s sister restaurant, Thai BBQ Restaurant. On top of the Sea Bass Specials are Tom Yum Sea Bass, Steamed Sea Bass with Lime Chili Sauce, Stir-fried Sea Bass with Cashew Nuts, and Deep-fried Sea Bass with Mango Salad, ideal for sharing by two persons.
The restaurant has also drawn up two Meatless Trio Sea Bass Bundles, each priced at P1,750 and is good for three to four persons. Bundle 1 has Deep-fried Sea Bass with Special Sauce to go with Steamed Egg Soup with Shrimps, Green Garden, and Egg Fried Rice. Bundle 2 put together Deep-fried Sea Bass with Sweet Chili Sauce, Tom Yum Goong, Papaya Salad, and Egg Fried Rice.
Shrimps, meanwhile, are also high on Thai BBQ’s Lenten menu, with such choices as Shrimps with Chili Paste, Shrimps with Thai Curry Sauce, Glass Noodles with Shrimps, Steamed Egg Soup with Shrimps, Shrimps with Baby Corn and Shrimp Fried Rice.
Also on the a la carte menu are a number of seafood dishes, including Deep-fried Garoupa with Herbs, Crispy Buttery Squid, Crispy Oyster Cake in a Hot Plate, Steamed Squid with Lime Sauce, Soft Shell Crab with Thai Curry Sauce, and Thai Sweet & Sour Shrimps.
Lent truly is the perfect time to explore seafood flavors and enjoy them without the distraction of meat, especially since the Philippines is blessed with a wide array of seafood choices. But do not forget to give a proper amount of time to what really matters most during the Lenten season, particularly as we wind down to the highlight of the season, Holy Week. Spend time in reflection and prayer, remember the sacrifices that God made for us, and give thanks.
