THERE is always something so admirable about businesses that last through the test of time, amidst rapid changes in consumer habits and technology. One of these businesses is a restaurant centered on the Filipino staple lechon.
It used to be that lechon or roasted pig was a special dish, a dish only to be served on special occasions or on big parties but not anymore. Lechon is now a staple and perfect for everyday consumption. Why wait for a special event when you can have lechon everyday?
Lydia's Lechon, a homegrown brand that is now on its 55th year of business, has elevated the lechon into different succulent dishes with different recipes. I tried the lechon sisig, the lechon paksiw and the dishes were delicious indeed. The lechon is not just lechon anymore but has morphed into several dishes that can be served several ways.
On Lydia Lechon's 55th anniversary, they launched classic Pinoy bowls such as pinakbet and pork barbecue classic bowl, lechon sisig bowl, lechon paksiw classic bow, kare-kare classic bowl and dinuguan classic bowl.
Apart from the classic bowls, Lydia's has launched its lechon bilao which is available at P2,500 and can serve up to eight to 10 people. Consumers can order the signature lechon bilao and the rest of the menu items online through food delivery partners Grab Food and Food Panda.
I cannot help but smile upon meeting Miss Lydia herself who started this lechon stall in a tiny Baclaran space in the 1960s serving its famous original boneless lechon stuffed with seafood paella. The brand now has 25 stores and they try to keep up with the times with new dish offerings, a phone application in cooperation with Globe Rush, and they now are sprucing up their dine and delivery operations. Miss Lydia told me that her first big break came when someone from Hyatt Hotel went to her small store and asked more than a dozen lechon orders. She fulfilled that order and became known in more hotels and she started supplying hotels with lechon orders.
“Sipag, tiyaga saka dapat talaga magtrabaho ka nang mabuti. Basta panay sipag lang talaga. Now lahat ng anak ko sa restaurant nagwowork. Tulong tulong kami. Meron sila mga departments. Kasama ko na sila sa business but active pa rin ako," she said.
This family effort has only made the brand stronger with younger blood joining the business. And there is no stopping Lydia's lechon. Here's to another 55 years, Lydia's!
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