Margarita Fores’ put up Grace Park to be her heirloom restaurant. The food isn’t as fancy as Lusso, or as progressively Italian as the beloved Cibo. But rather, distinctly and proudly Filipino. It’s the type of restaurant where I would order Negros Chorizo Fritters and Salmon Head Batwan Sinigang. Along with my first favorite, the irresistibly different Lamb Tapa. The initial restaurant was in One Rockwell. And back when it opened, the whole Rockwell area was quite different: smaller, but no less interesting. Grace Park was a destination then, and all the more now.
Rockstar Visits and Cherished Memories of Gaita
Remember when U2 rocked Manila in 2019? Guess where the boys in the band enjoyed a meal. Where lead singer Bono dueted with Gaita? That’s right, Grace Park! That gave all of us another reason to visit Grace Park and dine just like U2 did. But despite all the visits from world-renowned celebrities, Gaita proved to be a most genuine, absolutely real person. She was a good friend, and I really miss her. She was my talent in a commercial I directed for SM Malls and Resto PH months into Covid. And she was a fearless person, who shone a light on our cause then. A bright beacon of hope, that was Gaita.
A New Chapter: Amado Fores and the Abub’s Collaboration
Now, her son Amado Fores leads the way for Grace Park. And it has a second, more accessible branch in the ground floor of the sparkling Gateway 2 Mall in Araneta City. The boy indeed is his mother’s son. He’s quieter and prefers to stay in the kitchen, but no less talented. And together with his mother’s favorite lechon. Abub’s Cebuana Lechon, they have a partnership until September 15, where Grace Park heartily embraces Abub’s.
Abub is the Cebuana housewife, who, when based in Manila after marriage. Decided that she missed her provincial home cooking too much, and decided to put up her lechon store in 2002. The rest is culinary history. The lechon store that could is prospering over at Elisco Road in Kalawaan district in Pasig. The tie-up with Grace Park is another epic chapter for Cebuano Lechon!
The Lechon Remix Feast
Our “Lechon Remix” meal started with the “Pritchon Salad”. The spicy, charcoal-roasted lechon skin topped over romaine lettuce, house-made atchara, ripe mango, portobello mushroom, and the refreshing dalandan vinaigrette. It was quite good. But I gave most of it to our vegan dining partner, who relished every single bite. And yes, she enjoyed every single piece of lechon skin!
Next was the dish I had come for, the specialty that I try in every restaurant I visit: the Lechon Sisig! This was stellar, a standout made with lemongrass oil, red & white onions, and the special, secret sisig sauce. As a Capampangan, I gave this my seal of approval, served sizzling, with an egg cooking above the sisig? Amazing. This was followed by the do-it-yourself Sisig Tacos. The interactive dish to build your own tacos made with Abub’s Spicy Lechon Sisig, corn tortillas, burrata, Capiz Bihod, fried garlic & lemongrass. With all the added ingredients, this really felt like I went Mexican with the Pampango Sisig!
The Lechon Paksiw Palayok Rice was up next. Served in a traditional orange clay pot, the lechon was prepared with lemongrass oil, lechon paksiw sauce, and crispy tutong rice. This was the most traditional dish. With the crispy skin atop the steaming rice. But the best of the best was up next, the Lechon Binagoongan! Made with the addicting authentic bagoong, cherry tomato, green chili, and eggplants, I felt this was the simplest dish, yet unexpectedly, the leader of the Lechon Remix. The fermented shrimp paste provides a deep, savory, and funky flavor profile packed with natural umami, and that was precious. It wasn’t too salty, it was perfect with the steaming hot white rice, and my companions and I fought for who could take it home. Luckily, I won and had it for breakfast the next day. Even better!
A Sweet Finish and a Heartfelt Legacy
For dessert, we had the classic bestseller, the Salted Egg Red Brazo de Mercedes, a dish I’d loved over in Makati, and happy to know it was in Quezon City as well. And all in all, it was a very satisfying lunch, and I hardly had room for dinner later that day, I was reminiscing about the late, great Margarita Fores, and how she must be smiling down from up above, not only that her signature restaurant is in good hands, but in the care of the best, her son Amado. God bless them both!
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