Lechon Diva opens kitchen at Manila Polo Club

The Lechon Diva, Dedet de la Fuente, needs no introduction. Her “gourmet-style” stuffed lechon and her interpretation of old-time favorites have earned her a rightful place in our vibrant culinary landscape.

In celebration of Mother’s Day, Dedet pays homage to her late mother, Lorna Santos Lombos-de la Fuente, her first culinary teacher.

Mommy Lorna was a passionate cook and a happy homemaker. Her dream was to pursue a career in Home Economics, to the dismay of her mother (Dedet’s grandmother), Iyang Gaspar Santos-Lombos, who said, “Kung mag-home economics ka, just stay home and I will teach you.”

Because of this, Lorna shifted to law and placed sixth in the bar, a notch below her husband, Buenaventura de la Fuente, who ranked fifth.

With pride, Dedet said, “Lorna was a bar examiner (six times), was the heart and brains of the barangay system of the Philippines, and retired as Presiding Justice in the Court of Appeals.

“Not bad for someone who just wanted to cook, crochet, and knit,” said Dedet.

Dedet with her parents Lorna and Buenaventura de la Fuente. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Sunday meals made special

Being a woman of her generation, Mommy Lorna made it a point to cook, tend to her orchids, and care for the family.

Sunday mornings were palengke days at the De la Fuente home. Dedet took pleasure in joining their manang for a 10-minute walk to the market. It was during these purposeful trips that she first learned to identify fish and how to pick them.

Dedet became an expert in preparing bangus and sugpo at a young age. Her parents owned fish pens. This allowed her to cook our national fish in many ways. She also has a whole repertoire for sugpo.

Sunday meals were special, often with lots of meat, as Daddy Buenaventura was a meat lover. A staple was Mama’s pochero, made with beef, chicken, and pork with chorizo and vegetables, and ensaladang talong (eggplant salad).

Dedet also baked. In high school, her specialties were mango bars, dark and light bars—recipes she learned from Sylvia Reynoso Gala. Enterprising, she sold them to her classmates in school. Her number one suki, however, was Mommy Lorna, who gave them away by the box as gifts to her friends.

After college, the Diva had a burger van in QC that she named Snack Attack. She found joy in molding burger patties, her very own recipe.

De la Fuente’s fondest memory is of her parents driving her all the way to Quezon City to watch her work, and to buy from Snack Attack. “Suerte sila mag buena mano!”

De la Fuente also had a small dim sum place in a supermarket stall.

How she evolved from cooking at home to becoming the famed Lechon Diva is something she attributes to luck. “Or maybe it was really my destiny,” she said.

For three years, Dedet toiled to perfect her lechon. Somehow, she never got her timing right. “Finally, I was able to book a lesson with Reggie Aspiras,” she said.

“Lechon” with assorted stuffings, including truffle rice, “binagoongan” rice (mild or spicy), roasted garlic with lemongrass, “laing” rice, truffle rice with foie gras.

Just like magic

During class, I mentioned that Gerry Yu made my brick oven. Dedet called him, but there were no units available. The wait was two months long.

Brave, she dared to ask if there might just be a unit available. Gerry paused and said, wait, there is one! A client of his fell ill, and Gerry could not reach her. The unit went to Dedet, and “just like magic, I got my first oven the day after my Lechon Making class with Reggie.”

The rest is history.

Dedet’s dear friend Spanky Enriquez hailed her as the Lechon Diva. Innately shy, Dedet embraced her new persona. “Walang Diva na shy.”

Now at the top of her game, Dedet claims that she is who she is today because her mother loved her. “She was always my no. 1 fan. She always gave 100 percent in every endeavor I pursued. Some were successful, others were not. But it never mattered to her and my dad.

“On Mother’s Day, I remember Mama, who was gentle with her love, patient with my so many mistakes, and always positive with everything I did.”

Mommy Lorna is certainly smiling from heaven, knowing that her only child is well and thriving.

Have a sampling of Dedet’s cuisine as she stars as the Grand Hyatt’s guest chef for the Philippine Independence Day Celebration.

For Mother’s Day and every day, partake of her Food To Go Menu.

The Diva is also offering her latest degustacion menu, her eighth in 14 years.

By June, she will be catering again for groups of 12 to 30 pax.

She is most excited for the opening of her small kitchen by the driving range of the Manila Polo Club. Finally, the Lechon Diva has a kitchen she can call her own! “Sa wakas,” Dedet exclaimed. (For information, call tel. no. (0917) 326-3482; on Instagram: @lechon_diva)