“People like the way I cook lechon, that’s why it tastes so good.”

Ask anyone in the Philippines where to find the best, tastiest lechon and they’ll send you to Cebu. Cebu is beloved to many Filipinos as the Lechon Capital of The Philippines. So, it was only a matter of time before I made a pilgrimage there. During a recent visit to my family’s home country, I asked my food-loving uncle to take me to see who he believes is the best lechon maker in Cebu. He took me to Rico’s Lechon.

Rico Dionson is a legend. Or so they say. He started his lechon business after money started running low in cock-fighting. On his own, without any experience, he bought a pig, and then another, eventually perfecting the crispy lechon recipe that makes him famous today. And if gold chains are any indication of how well a man is doing, then Rico is killing it.

In Cebu, you can get Rico’s lechon – regular or spicy – from his restaurant or WHOLE via special order. Believe it or not, they ship their whole lechon around the country, even to Hong Kong and Korea. It’s that good. And if you want to know how I feel about it, just listen in…

Thanks for watching food. curated.! Happy eating!