KTG Christmas Party : On Lechons, Paella and Burgers

I always believe that the internet helps connect lives and build relationships. When used properly, strong and real friendships can be made. While I've been pretty much invisible in the local blogging scene since the start of 2013, I'm lucky to still keep in touch with a few of my fellow food blogger friends who would drop in a message via any social media platform to say hi and to check on us from time to time. They would also update me on the newest must-try restaurants in the metro which I would make sure to try whenever I get to go home for a visit.

As Christmas is the must-awaited season for partying and lots of eating, we joined the K.T.G. for their 1st ever Christmas Party! While a number were old friends, we were also able to finally meet the faces behind the blogs that we've been following for months now. Boy, were they a fun and happy bunch!

Of course, what's a KTG Party without yummy food, right? Let me share with you some of the dishes that we were able to enjoy that evening and that have made the party gastronomically delightful:

The Paella Mixta (Php. 3600 / Php. 4600 / Php. 5600) was brought by no other than Mr Pickiest Eater in the World Richie and his equally talented wife Rina of Rina's Rainbow. I love paella and I was so excited to try this. Rina reminded me to have this with some garlic aoili sauce. I love how the rice was moist yet there was a generous amount of socarrat at the bottom for that amazing crunch. The prawns were HUGE and so were the generous portions of mussels and string beans. I followed Rina's recommendation and indeed loved the aoili sauce. It surely added an interesting dimension to the already yummy paella. It was so good I had three...yes THREE servings of paella that evening and definitely not regretting it at all. I'm definitely ordering my own llanera when I visit Manila again.



Outside the party venue, a couple of bloggers were busy working the grill. We had Kitayama Wagyu Burger patties and it was my first time to try this. With just a thin spread of butter, I loved how the burger literally melted in my mouth. It was sooooooo tasty and good! This is one burger patty that will surely keep you daydreaming for more. I got to warn you though, having a bite of Kitayama's Wagyu Burger will surely raise the bar for all succeeding burgers that you'll have in the future. This just got to be one of the best in town!

The feast continues inside as we had not one but TWO roasted lechons! The first one was by Diplahan Lechon from Zamboanga which was very fragrant due to the lemongrass inside the lechon. This is perfect for those who wants their lechon simple, tender and tasty. This somehow reminds me of my favorite Lechon from Davao!

As we were all busy enjoying the first lechon when we were told to also leave space for the second lechon coming soon. What?! Another lechon? Bring it on then!

Here comes the second lechon with Richard re-enacting the famous Nativity Scene. He's quite a natural actor, don't you think?

Here's one lechon that I'm very familiar with. It's from my friend Dedet of Pepita's Lechon and this time she brought her Binagoonan Lechon which was filled with .... Bagoong Rice! If only this entry has smell-a-vision function, you'd be able to smell the savory bagoong scent the moment we cracked open the roasted pig. Oh man, this is exactly why I LOVE Christmas! We happily helped ourselves to the crunchy lechon skin, the tender and flavorful meat and the delicious, savory rice. It had a slightly spicy kick which made the traditional bagoong rice even more interesting.

We also had a lot more dishes that evening such as a bilao of Pancit Malabon which I missed so much and creamy Mashed Potato which my favorite 9-year-old friend Lauren made herself. She was so sweet to make one without corn just for me!

The feasting continued as we also had a number of yummy desserts. My favorite was Irene's Ube and Quezo de Bola Cheesecakes which I'll tell you more about in my succeeding posts.

Here are some numbers to remembers when planning your next party...or when the craving suddenly comes up:

Paella by Peewee Morato
0917-8478706
Prices: Php. 3600 (for 15 pax), Php. 4600 (for 25 pax), Php. 5600 (for 36 pax)
Ordering note: Don't forget to mention your name when sending an inquiry/order. 

Kitayama Meatshop
2292 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City
887-5848

Diplahan Lechon
0917-8268010 / 0917-8268017
Prices: Php. 6500 (Small) Php. 7500 (Medium), Php. 8500 (Large)

Pepita's Lechon
0917-8660662