Lechon Republik: Authentic Filipino food

Lechon Republik: Authentic Filipino food

Sample dishes from their regular menu            (Photos: MC Ramos)

Filipino Restaurant Month Review:

By Michelle Chermaine Ramos
The Philippine Reporter

Husband and wife team Carol and Jonathan Opiniano previously worked in the corporate world in HR and accounting when they moved to Toronto from Dubai in 2013. Prior to that, the couple lived in Manila where they were exposed to a diverse range of cuisine drawn from other regions of the Philippines.

Carol Opiniano holding a container of her special mango sago dessert. Highly recommended dessert pick for a large tub at $12.35 plus tax.

Carol grew up observing how her mother and their cook whipped up delicious dishes growing up in Bicol. Jonathan hails from Cebu and grew up in Manila where they both lived for some time. “There are many restaurants in Manila that have captured the flavors of regional food from other areas. So based on those tastes, that’s how we created a menu that’s authentic. We wanted to let people taste authentic Filipino food. It’s more a combination of research and we wanted the store to be a one-stop shop. We have boodle fight, we offer catering, we do a lot of events because we used to have an events company back home,” said Carol explaining how they designed their menu.

L-R: Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino, Lechon Republik chef Jericho Bonifacio, Arlena Hebert, Consul General Orontes V. Castro and Federico Ramos

The couple decided to follow their dream of starting their own business here by opening Lechon Republik in April 2017. They now have three locations. I had a chance to visit their North York location with Consul General Orontes V. Castro and Consul Mary Grace Villamayor on April 9, 2022, who were there to help promote Filipino Restaurant Month. My first impression was that this was a family-run business with friendly young servers, many of whom are students. Employee Claire Joelle Dumaliang explained that this is their company culture and that the Opinianos have taken them under their wings and treat them like family. Carol credits their survival during the pandemic to their staff’s hard work by caring for the business like it’s their own.

Lechon Republik’s friendly staff

Their Filipino Restaurant Month prix fixe offerings include three meal options for $22.12 plus tax:

Meal 1 includes Cebu style lechon with pork spring rolls and rice with buko pandan for dessert. Meal 2 is dinakdakan with pork spring rolls and rice with leche flan for dessert and Meal 3 is crispy pork sisig with pork spring rolls and leche flan. Consul General Castro chatted with Minister Marco Mendicino and Liberal MPP candidate for Eglinton-Lawrence Arlena Hebert over lunch about promoting Filipino restaurants as they learned about the dishes. Minister Mendicino also bought a bottle of Lechon Republik’s brand of spiced vinegar and snacks to take home to try with his family.

Prix fixe option 1: Pork spring rolls and lechon with rice comes with buko pandan for dessert

I also tried some items from their regular menu such as the goat caldereta, beef papaitan soup and mango sago dessert. For those who are hesitant to try original versions of papaitan which is traditionally cooked with bile and innards, Lechon Republika created their own recipe with none of that and said that many foreign customers love it. I can see why. Their beef papaitan is a delicious mix of sour, bitter, and spicy with their original blend of ingredients and spices. However if there is one thing I most highly recommend, it’s their bestselling mango sago dessert made from Carol’s original recipe. Those who like buko pandan will love this mango dessert even more. Some of their items that are also a hit with foreign customers include dinakdakan, lechon, sisig, lumpia and chicken inasal.

Prix fixe Meal 2 with pork spring rolls and dinakdakan with rice, $22.12 + tax; Right: Prix fixe meal 3 with pork spring rolls and crispy sisig with rice, $22.12 + tax; Both options come with leche flan for dessert.

For their house special Cebu-style whole lechon, orders must be placed at least a week and a half in advance because they source their pork straight from Ontario Pork, meaning it’s delivered freshly slaughtered, hand-picked according to the size ordered, and never frozen. Their tagline, “We plan. We Organize. We cater. You party!” reflects their extra personal service. “We don’t charge for consultations and sometimes I spend a day to learn what their goal is, the layout of the backdrop, then we give them the mockup of the event hall and floor layout and even the decorations for the ceiling and all that,” said Carol. They offer free event planning services when catering for weddings and other events. This includes developing the concept and sourcing vendors, invitations, and decorations including Filipiniana themed centerpieces and items imported from the Philippines.

Goat caldereta, $9.70 plus tax

Main Location: Unit 2 -1 Romar Crescent, Toronto, ON; Other Locations: Unit 46 – 4465 Sheppard Ave. East, Scarborough, ON1995 Salem Road North, Ajax, ON