My sister and I are both February babies and our birthdays are only 3 days apart, so we’ve always celebrated together. Normally, we would go somewhere nice for dinner with our family, but because we’re trying to stay as safe as possible these days, we just opted to have our joint party at my mom’s home.
If you think quarantine birthdays are sad and boring, think again! Our birthday dinner at home was still fun, festive, and special because we had a delightful and elaborate feast care of Salo Lechon Belly!
‘Salo’ is a Filipino word that can mean either ‘gathering’ or ‘celebration.’ True enough, Salo Lechon Belly offers traditional Filipino favorites that are staples in every celebration. Their food brought back fun memories of our family get-togethers, wherein our titos (uncles) and titas (aunts) would bring their delicious home-cooked potluck food, and we would all gather around the dining table, excited to sample each delicious meal and enjoy conversations while eating together.
Lechon Belly
Unquestionably, the star of our spread was the Lechon Belly! Having this beautiful roasted suckling pig on display at your dinner table guarantees a more celebratory feel. After all, the lechon is emblematic of a traditional Filipino festivity. Salo’s Lechon Belly is stuffed with lemongrass, which lends an ambrosial aroma and flavor to the meat. The smell was so tempting that we couldn’t help but take a few bites out of the skin right away before I even got to take photos!
The Lechon Belly Skin was smooth and shiny, and it crackled beautifully. We had fun taking ASMR videos because you can really hear how crispy it is! While the skin had a nice crunchiness, the pork belly was juicy and tender, and we could tell that it was roasted carefully. The fat was really succulent! The Lechon Belly was good enough on its own, even without sauce. But if you want to level up its taste, you can dip it in spiced vinegar, which Salo also provided.
Salo’s Lechon Belly comes in 4 different sizes, and ours was the Full Roll (~4kg). It was ENORMOUS and definitely perfect for sharing! I think it can feed a family of 20! Since it was so huge, we even got to send out some to our relatives who couldn’t celebrate with us. That’s what lechon is all about, right? It’s a dish that represents the bonding of families over food.
Lechon Belly Sisig
If you can’t get enough of Salo’s Lechon Belly, but you want it crunchy, you need to try their Lechon Belly Sisig. This is a colorful and vibrant delicacy, garnished with lots of onions and chili peppers. The creamy mayo complements the spiciness of this dish. If you can take the heat, you’re going to love this. I know I did!
Kare Kare
Kare Kare is one of my favorite Filipino food, and I was happy that Salo did their Kare Kare right. It’s all about the peanut sauce, and Salo made sure that theirs is smooth and rich, with the right level of thickness. I really enjoyed pouring the sauce all over my rice, especially when partnered with their bagoong (shrimp paste). We enjoyed the generous servings of vegetables and the tasty and tender meat.
Caldereta
Caldereta is another Filipino dish that I could eat a lot of, and Salo’s Caldereta was hearty, comforting, and full of flavor. I also liked it because it was creamy and cheesy. Since their version is not spicy unlike some Caldereta dishes that I’ve had before, my three year old got to eat some of it, especially the vegetables. It had a good amount of both meat and vegetables, so it was quite filling. The sauce was well done too, though it was a tad oily.
Lechon Paksiw
Here’s another way to enjoy your lechon! Just like their Kare Kare and Caldereta, the Lechon Paksiw’s sauce was also good. Salo was able to achieve that wonderful balance of sweetness and acidity. Their Lechon Paksiw was very meaty, with lots of onions that give it a bit more tang, and chili for a tinge of spice. So many flavors in one dish!
2pc Fried Chicken
Salo’s Fried Chicken is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I do think it needs a bit more flavor to give it a more distinct taste. It’s not their most outstanding dish, in my opinion, but it was still all right. My toddler did eat a lot of it so she must have really liked it!
¼ Chicken Barbecue
Salo’s Chicken Barbecue is big enough to be shared by two persons. It was coated in a lightly seasoned marinade and was a little on the sweet side. The inside is juicy and the outside has a smoky flavor. The part that I got was slightly undercooked, but other than that, overall, it was a satisfying dish that I could definitely eat again.
Sinigang na Salmon Belly
After chowing down on all that Lechon, you might feel like eating something a little healthier. Be good to your heart and get some Omega 3 by slurping on Salo’s Sinigang Salmon. It’s a nutritious dish loaded with soft and delicious salmon belly strips and lots of vegetables. I could probably have finished an entire serving of this! The soup is a little salty, so no need to use fish sauce with it. My husband said that this was probably the dish he liked best that evening.
Papaitan
Would you eat a dish composed of cow or goat innards, liver, and tripe? Papaitan is an exotic dish for those who are feeling adventurous! It’s really an acquired taste, and you either love it or hate it. I’ll be honest. I didn’t have any of it simply because it’s just not my cup of tea so I can’t really say anything about it. You’re just going to have to try it for yourself!
Pakbet
We all each had our own favorites, and the Pakbet was my mom’s first choice. Salo’s Pakbet isn’t too bitter like the others I’ve tried before. It has a mild and simple flavor, with a touch of subtle saltiness that made it enjoyable to eat, whether you like your veggies or not. I think Salo nailed this one!
Salo is perfect for any occasion, big or small. Whether it’s a family reunion, an important milestone such as birthdays or anniversaries, an office party, or even just a lazy weekend at home when you just want to relax and you don’t feel like cooking, Salo’s delicious but budget-friendly dishes are sure to make any SALObration merrier and more extraordinary!
Salo delivers wherever you are in the Philippines! Just call their hotline numbers to order:
09190939967 for Metro Manila
09190940784 for North and South Luzon
09190940019 for Visayas and Mindano
Thank you so much to Salo Lechon Belly and Game Changer PH for making our double birthday celebration more memorable!
