Almost everyone who grew up in the mid ‘90s knew the ‘lechon manok’ craze the Baliwag Lechon Manok brand had spurred. Folks in and outside the Metro have a soft spot for this roast chicken kiosk that is named after its founder’s hometown Baliwag, Bulacan.
To me the brand holds a special place in my heart as it brings back fond memories of Sunday get-togethers and celebrations with my family.
Here are eight things I love about Baliwag Lechon Manok that you will love too:
1. Ready-to-fry frozen food packs
No need to sweat for hours to cook that perfectly deep-fried pork dishes. The Baliwag team repackaged their existing products and brought in together frozen ready-to-fry packages of Crispy Bagnet (Php 430), Crispy Ulo (Php 760), and Crispy Pata (Php 650) you can enjoy at home with short and simple reheating guide.
2. Ready-to-heat all-time favorite Filipino meals
Ready-to-heat Baliwag food packs include 15 all-time favorite Filipino dishes: Pork Binagoongan (Php 290), Beef Steak (Php 340), Kare-Kare (Php 435), Beef Caldereta (Php 345), Lechon Paksiw (Php 280), Dinuguan (Php 220), Lengua (Php ), Callos (Php ), Embutido (Php ), Laing (Php ), Spaghetti (Php ), Papaitan (Php 240), Bopis (Php ), Pork Sisig (Php 225), and Guising-guising (Php 220).
These food packs are good for three to four persons.
Enjoy a Baliwag feast at home you can share virtually or physically with family and friends especially this coming Thanksgiving, Christmas Noche Buena and New Year.
3. Chikititas
Another must-love Baliwag original are the Chikititas.
These chicken pieces coated with special breading mix that can be pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried are also easy dish to prepare. Thanks to the frozen repackaged Chikititas. Baliwag conceptualized these repackages during the early stages of the pandemic when most people couldn’t eat out and found it more convenient and safer to eat at home.
4. Bottled side dishes
A perfect complement to meat roasts and other heavy meals are the Baliwag bottled side dishes such as Atsara (Php 55), Bagoong (Php 85), Chili Hot Bagoong (Php 85), and Kimchi (Php 85). These food accompaniments not only make meals extra flavorful, they have high-fiber content and are a good source of probiotics too.
5. Baliwag Grill & Restaurant and food court branches
If you miss eating out, you can visit Baliwag Grill & Restaurant or Baliwag food court branches to enjoy the bestselling lechon manok and a wider variety of Baliwag Greats starting off with Sisig, Kare-Kare, Pancit Bihon, Pork Barbecue, Chicken Barbecue, Bagnet, Chop Suey, and more.
They also have two-ulam and three-ulam combo meals with viands such as dinuguan, kare-kare, ulo sa miso, and sinigang sa baboy, to name a few.
They have other services as well, including delivery and catering for events and parties.
6. Baliwag Gift baskets
Baliwag offers gift baskets that can be customized are also ready by November for holiday giveaways. For example, a big basket of 12 chicharon packs in mixed flavors costs P850.
7. Online delivery
Baliwag food combinations and catering are ready for delivery.
For orders and inquiries, you can call 02-86542929 or send a message through their Facebook page at @baliwaglechonofficial.
They are also serving their products via Foodpanda and Grab.
8. Inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs
The story of how the founders of Baliwag Lechon Manok Dwight and Dolores Salcedo brought the small business to what it is now—an iconic Filipino household brand name that everyone loves and trusts—is uplifting.
Baliwag Lechon Manok opened its first kiosk in 1985. Two decades later, the company opened its first restaurant Baliwag Grill & Restaurant in E. Rodriguez, Quezon City and its very first food court branch in SM Megamall. To date, the humble food chain has over 400 kiosk outlets, 40 food court branches, six restaurants across the Philippines, and is continually expanding due to demands.
Start-up entrepreneurs can take lessons and inspiration from the thirty-seven years of Baliwag Lechon Manok providing the crispiest, crunchiest meals, adapting to the changes in market trends and thriving through pandemic challenges.
Parting words
If you haven’t tried Baliwag Lechon Manok, it’s about time you do. It’s a household favorite for a reason and with that I can say: Dear Baliwag, congratulations for thriving after so many years, even as multiple competitors have cluttered the marketplace. And thank you for making it easier to enjoy my most favorite Filipino dishes at home despite the pandemic. Sincerely, Erica.