Two kinds of stuffed lechon, bone marrow, crab fat, prawn, pork brain, the menu during Pepita’s Kitchen Hayop na Degustacion goes on and on.
For the faint of heart, Hayop na Degustacion is a heart attack waiting to happen.
Yet, even all known deities and the universe itself will be crestfallen should someone dies at mid-bite.
After all, The Lechon Diva Dedet dela Fuente’s famed degustacion isn’t an everyday thing. An unforgettable dinner by invite only, to showcase all the indulging dishes and new flavors of Pepita’s Stuffed Lechon one may order from Pepita’s Kitchen.
It was my second time to attend Pepita’s Stuffed Lechon Degustacion held at Pepita’s Kitchen somewhere in Makati area. The first one I almost passed out due to the degree of satiety I braved. But things like that rarely scares me, hence, an immediate YES was quickly dishes out upon receiving their second invite. This time, it was aptly tagged as Hayop na Degustacion. And it was. It really was.
Before I go on, please know that this is a lengthy and hunger-inducing
post. Proceed with caution.
I suggest that you read when you have ample time at hand, and
never with an empty stomach.
Definitely never with an empty stomach.
Ready? Okay, let's roll.
Stuffed Lechon Degustacion at Pepita’s Kitchen can be viewed in reference to the famous writer Charles Bukowski’s gem of wisdom ~ “If you are going to try, go all the way otherwise, don’t even start… It’s the only good fight there is.”
Yes, the only good fight when subjecting yourself to a dinner that can last up until midnight is to go all the way.
Yes, you may have some ill bouts of mental sparring with your cardiologist in every hearty bite of the glistening pork fat with its crisp skin. But if only for one night, it is highly suggested that you man the hell up.
The dinner started at around past seven in the evening and lasted until midnight. The menu promised 15 items to be devoured including 2 stuffed lechons. To be honest, midway through the dinner I lost count. I do not deal with mathematics when I am stuffing myself silly, life is easier that way.
Since degustacion at Pepita’s Kitchen is nowhere near kingdom of boredom despite the length of time it holds, the menu boasts of dishes with quirky names. These names are meant to be guessed before the food was served respectively. It was a fun way to build anticipation for the shape of things to come. Hence, when Pepita’s Magic Drink was served, I know from the get go that there is more to the cloud of cotton candy served on martini glass than its mere cute presence on the table.
Served with a small glass of lambanog for those who want a kick on their drink and pineapple juice for those who prefer otherwise, the cotton candy was meant to be liquefied by pouring the liquid onto it. From an innocent looking treat for the kids, in a blink of an eye, Pepita’s Magic Drink turned into a hot pink of a beverage that exudes delicious sophistication.
Tendon Chips with Dip is a very straightforward dish. No effort was required to guess what it was. But still I was surprised when the beautifully plated dish was served to us. I guess its my ignorance because I have not had fried tendon prior to that dinner. Had it not been explained to us, I will mistaken it for chicharon. And mind you, it's not the usual pork cracklings I am referring to but the thin kind I was led to believe to be a carabao skin chicharon when I was a child. I am not sure where that urban legend sprouted from. What a sad childhood, I know.
So this tendon chips was served with a dip which texture was suggestive of mashed taro and the taste was that of sampaloc. The combination was just right. I just wish the fried tendon could be more crisp, if that is possible, I am not sure. Nevertheless, judging by the way my dinner seatmates wiped off their servings in a blink of an eye, it was a pretty good starter.
Next came a dish that launched a thousand ooohhhs and aaahhhss among our table. A dish aptly called Hiplog. Hipster's Itlog, it wasn't. Rather, it was prawn (hipon) sauteed with butter and salted egg (itlog). Prawn, butter, and salted egg, what's not to love? Ditch your notion of the usual and tired salted egg prawn you can get in every Chinese restaurant there is, because this baby, this little saucy (pun intended) kick ass of a dish boasting of sunset hue impeccably placed inside a soup spoon is earth shaking it will rock your world.
The admixture of distinct taste of the prawn and the salted was very apparent as you bite on the plumpy and juicy piece of meat. The flavor will caress your palate as you chew, then the lingering note of pleasant buttery flavor will remain thereafter.
I was still gathering my composure after the Hiplog experience when the fist of the two rockstars of the night made its entrance.
As expected, when the rockstar stuffed lechon entered, the beautiful girls gathered.
Of course, the gentlemen gathered around too. Better not to post their photo though because hey, swooning gentlemen photo? Way too manly even for my taste.
So, about the first rockstar. Thanh ong Lechon de Leche.
The name sounded mysterious to me until the pork was cracked open and the garlic noodle with crab meat was revealed. Yeah, Thanh Long garlic noodles from a Vietnamese restaurant in SanFo was the inspiration.
First thing I noticed about Thanh Long Lechon de Leche was the aroma brought about by the garlic noodles it was stuffed with. The crab meat which does not contributed to the monotone appearance of the noodle only elevated itself in terms of taste. Of course, the garlicky flavor was noteworthy.
And since we are talking about going all the way, the garlic butter sauce the Thanh Long was served with should not be missed. If you must commit a hearty delicious sin, you gotta do it right. While the lechon was already good in itself, a little love pouring of the sauce elevated the porcine bliss.
There could not be more apt dish that should follow a plateful of crisp lechon skin, manly chunks of meat, and garlicky noodles with butter than a salad dish. Hence, the Pop Salad happened.
Arugula, cashew paste, and herbed cheese were enough to create a simple salad dish that reeks of "repentance after the porcine bliss" vibe. But the Lechon Diva is all about pleasant surprises, so an unlikely combination that worked really well was thrown in to the mix for a good measure. What's that you ask? Pop Rocks!
Yeah, those little rocks of candies that burst into your mouth as you chew on it. Hello childhood! Some may think that it may be a weird addition to the rather decent salad, but I told you, we are nowhere near boredom.
Just in time that we felt that we've been good enough munching on the salad, we were then served with Bone Marrow Surprise (Yes, bone marrow in your face you little salad you!!! Okay I kid, I love you Pop Salad!)
Bone marrow came in with well, some surprise - chicharon bits and oxtail marmalade. It was deadly. A trio of manly treats not for the faint of heart.
Soft bone marrow meant to be eaten with a scoop of oxtail marmalade on top and a sprinkle of chicharon.The combination of flavor was just perfect while the texture was interesting. I could down several servings of this dish and live without an apology.
After the trio of fatty treat, a delightful palate cleanser called Cheers was served. Just like the palate cleanser we had during my first dib at this famous lechon degustacion way back 2011, it was essentially a sorbet available in two flavors - sampaloc and red wine reduction.
I chose the sampaloc variant and I'm glad I did. Its sour note was perfect way to cleanse all the flavors that played with my palate. It sort of reminds me of the best sorbet I have tried in the past.
When Dedet told us that the dish Pinoy Henyo Para 'Di Mangamote was made of mock tofu served with sweet potato chips on the side, I doubted it with every single fiber of my being.
I know it's ox brain from the get go. I love ox brain. I've been eating ox brain for good long years now. I don't want to sound creepy here but I love it so much that it can put your good ol' Hannibal Lecter to shame.
Needless to say, it was one of my favorite dish that night. There was no mind blowing twist added to it. But really, the name they baptized the dish with was mind twisting enough.
A dish of steamed crab claw topped with crab fat sauce is aptly called Sipit Sarap. And indeed it was really masarap (delicious). This dish is anything I hope a crab dish I am to devour would be. It was the kind that calls for a heaping bowl of steamed rice and you'll be a happy camper.
A noodle glass dish suggestive of Asian flavor came next. Baptized with a name Lucky You which I think is a word play on the famous local instant noodle. While this may not be one of my favorite, a little break on the usual indulging flavor was a welcome change, if only for a bit.
When I was given a go signal by my seatmates The Hungry Giant and Dude For Food that Lambada's spicy kick isn't that assaulting, I immediately dig in. And they were right. This lamb dish struck a fine balance between spicy and savory. Perfectly combined with a little serving of rice covered in banana leaf, it was one hearty dish perfect for any gatherings.
We had almost exhausted all the dishes on the menu when the second rockstar was introduced - The Lechon Ham.
Lechon de leche stuffed with Christmas ham ~ two hits combo right there. Dedet recently studied ham making so her lechon boasts of her own homemade Christmas ham. And what could be more better than homemade goodies? Charming if I do say so myself.
Speaking of two hits combo, another rockstar, this time a well respected French chef Cyrille Soenen of Brasserie Cicou rocked our world by showing us his impeccable knife skills in carving the lechon, French style.
Seriously, I have never seen a carving style as impressive as what chef Cyrille showed us. It feels as if there was a conspiracy of physics and mathematics going on as the intricate execution of knife skills unfold right before our very eyes. A subtle woosh sound of knife and the crackling sound of the crisp skin were like cherubim singing, and trust me, I was not hallucinating.
I was already satisfied with my fair share of stuffed lechon. The combination of savory note plus the innate sweetness of the ham was wonderful. But then again, the dinner is all about going all the way. So, without hesitation, a spoonful of sweet pineapple sauce with ham bits was smothered on top of my pork treat, it was bliss.
After the porcine overdrive, Cholesterol Sweeper was served. It was an innocent looking shot of oatmeal in all its monotone and warm glory. Harmless, I thought. Little did I know, the creaminess and the distinct palatable taste that made this somewhat bland oatmeal surprisingly indulging was brought about by the Ghirardelli white chocolate it was cooked with.
As if fate smiled on us that night, chef Cyrille and her lovely wife Anna brought their own rendition of Breton cake called Kouing Aman in original and chocolate flavor. Now you should take my word for it, these caramelized babies are life changing. I love them to bits that if it is possible to marry them, I most definitely would! Kouing Aman is available at Brasserie Cicou, visit them people!
Another dessert was served, this time a creation by Pepita's Kitchen called Pinoy Dessert. This work of wonder is a suman dessert peppered with all thing Pinoy and sweet such as candied pili, pastillas, ube, mangoes, chocnut, and yema.
By the time I was done with my last spoonful of dessert and the last gulp of wine, it was almost midnight. The enthusiasm of the night was slowly wearing off, but the happiness was nevertheless very apparent.
Compared to the previous degustacion I had at Pepita's Kitchen where we feasted on four kinds of stuffed lechon (Chinese, German, Pinoy, French Lechon de Leche) the Hayop Na Degustacion was equally delughtful. I guess two lechon for one night are enough for one unforgettable blissful dinner.
One of the best dinners this year, it was. The company I was with was composed of some of my friends whom I consider my favorite foodies in Manila. Dedet has always been a good and generous host. Her stuffed lechons and other dishes were impressive, hence making the degustacion all the more enjoyable. In this lifetime, I must say that Stuffed Lechon Degustacion by Pepita's Kitchen is something that you should not miss.
Interested to experience Pepita's Kitchen Stuffed Lechon Degustacion with your loved ones? You can do that by booking a degustacion at Dedet's private kitchen located somewhere in Makati or at the comfort of your own home. Check out the 12 course Menu and the Pepita's Kitchen Food To Go Menu and get in touch with Pepita's Kitchen through the contact details below.
Stuffed Lechon Degustacion at Pepita's Kitchen
Email: pepitaskitchen@gmail.com
Facebook: Lechon Degustacion at Pepita's Kitchen
Mobile: +63 917 866-0662
Telephone: +632 425-4605
