What is Christmas without feasting. However, not every household has a member willing and able to whip up delicious Noche Buena and holiday dishes to make an outstanding table. Moreover, those who can cook may not have the material time and physical stamina to do tedious kitchen work, on top of holiday shopping, decorating, and entertaining.
This is where enterprising small food service businesses come in very handy. Restaurants come out with their dial-a-noche buena deals, either for delivery or for pick up. Home-based entrepreneurs, some of them seasonal, also have delectable offers, from lechon and ham to paella to galantina to cakes, pies and other desserts.
Here are just a few of them:
Lechon
Bai’s Boneless Lechon Cebu
Chopped rolls of lechon, looking like a porchetta, with crispy skin and flavored with lemon grass. Since it is “Cebu lechon,” no lechon sauce or vinegar dipping needs to go with it. Pork used is said to be of the highest grade, with just the right amount of fat imported from Canada. Sold by the box good for 10-15 persons.
From entrepreneur Dexter Ding , a Manila-based Cebuano.
Call 0917-58253333.
Pepita’s Stuffed Lechon
Famous for lechon de leche lechon stuffed with paella and other creative stuffing: a German stuffing with apricots and chestnuts; French stuffing of truffled rice; Chinese stuffing of machang; Filipino staffing of binagoongan.
From Dedet de la Fuente who calls herself the “lechon diva.”
Call 0917-8660662.
Sabroso lechon
A palate pleaser – with succulent meat and crunchy skin, with flavors of lemon gracs, tamarind leaves and other herbs and spices, a smokey flavor. Delicious by itself, without any sauce. Wrapped in Manila paper and packaged in a corrugated box.
By Charlie Sabroso, who takes pride in using only the best ingredients.
Contact Charlie Sabroso, 1237 E. Rodriguez Avenue cor. Tomas Morato, Quezon City, Tel. 7250711, 5158253, 3570659m 0922 – 8416220.
Cuchi Frito
A complete meal by itself – slab of roaster suckling pig twice cooked, salad, and rice. The infusion of lemon grass, fresh basil, garlic, onion, salt and pepper, and wine gives the lechon a different twist.It is baked for two to three hours then deep-fried right before serving.
Contact: The Flying Pig, Ground floor, Eastwood Veranda, Eastwood City Tel. 9000886, 5847433,
Family Cebu Native Lechon
A family run business for the past 16 years. The lechon is subtly spiced and seasoned with lemongrass, salt and leeks, and other secret ingredients. Cooked only on order and roasted the traditional way, over a pit of charcoal, in the family’s own backyard.
From Maria Cris Soriano.
Contact: 129 N. Domingo Street, cor. P. tuazon, Cubao, Quezon City, tel. 7249353, 7259342, 7260859.
Other holiday dishes
Casa Roces Christmas specialties
This year, Casa Roces offers various specialties aside from the menu mainstays like paella valenciana, cochinillo, and roast turkey. The new offerings include chicken galantina, baked prawns, and maya-maya with cherry tomatoes, among others.
Customers can choose from three different packages with different combinations of food items and should be for a minimum of 20 persons.
Casa Roces is located at 1153 J.P. Laurel corner Aguado Sts., Malacañan Complex, San Miguel, Manila. for details, call: 02-735 5896, 02-466 1929 or 0917-5509743.
Boyong’s pasta line
Boyong’s is a hole-in-the-wall in Marikina, with very limited seating capacity. Its devoted clientele often order to go. It has a wide range of very affordable pasta, including carbonara, pomodoro, seafood aioli, Oriental, pesto, spicy seafood pasta, aligue pasta, tuna pasta, etc. Price ranges from P85 to P120 per order, big enough to share.
Boyong’s delivers for a minimum P200 purchase in places within its periphery.
To order, go to Boyong’s modest restaurant at 15 E. de la Paz, San Roque, Marikina City or call Tel. 682 0403, 682 5615.
Michele Dee’s sugar-glazed ham
Considered the best ham in Manila, according to food reviews, chefs, and loyal clients. It is ham heavily glazed with sugar, delicately salty, perfectly juicy with the right amount of glistening fat. It comes with a cup of sauce made from drippings.
Michele Yuchengco Dee’s ham is sought after, partly because it is available only during the holiday season, thus infusing the product with a sense of anticipation.
The hams are sold at P950 per kilo, sizes range from one to three kilos. Christmas packaging in small (P70), medium (P80), large (P90) boxes are also available.
Order well in advance, for the queue is long.
Contact 892 0688 or email at [email protected].