Sydney Cebu Lechon, Enmore

I have fond memories of Cebu in the Philippines. Not only is the region and food great but so is their version of lechon (Philippine suckling pig). What sets Cebu lechon apart from other versions of lechon is that the meat is so damn tasty that you don’t even need any lechon sarsa (sauce). The unique blend of spices and herbs that goes into the stuffing takes the flavours of the meat to another level.

Sydney Cebu Lechon by the Mahusay family has been operating since 1991 as a made to order/catering lechon business in Sydney. In fact, we actually ordered the lechon for our engagement party from them way back and I remember it being the best lechon I’ve had in Sydney. Fast forward to 2016, Will Mahusay took over the family business and has also opened a restaurant in Enmore a few months ago. It’s a small casual restaurant with a minimalist type menu that highlights their main product, Cebu-style lechon.

Their signature Cebu lechon (charcoal roasted pig) is $18 for 200 grams and it comes with atsara (pickled papaya salad) and some vinegar soy blend sauce. The sauce is just there as an option but to be honest, the pork is already incredibly tasty on its own. The meat is tender, smoky, rich in notes of garlic and other spices, full of umami and very aromatic. The tiles of crisped crackling makes amazing shattering sounds with every bite.

Then there’s a dish local to the Cebu region called humba ($23.50). Only the chicken version was available at the time. It’s Cebu-style adobo that‘s heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine. It’s heavier on spices rather than being vinegary compared to other versions of adobo in other parts of the Philippines. The sauce is very close to an aromatic umami rich Chinese masterstock. So you get notes of garlic, star anise and other spices. The braised chicken was so tender that it easily fell of the bones.

There are also weekly rotating desserts available. We had ube cheesecake and frozen brazo de mercedes. The frozen brazo de mercedes was like almost like a meringue and custard flavoured ice cream in texture with a crumble-type base.

Besides the delicious food, the service was also excellent. As there are rotating specials on the menu, I would definitely go back to try them.

Sydney Cebu Lechon

Shop 4/80-80A Enmore Rd, Newtown NSW 2042

Ph: 0481 205 589

Opening hours:

Friday to Sunday 11:45am-3pm, 5:45pm-9pm