Behind This Restaurant's Success is a Tita Lydia :)

The first encounter I ever had with a lechon was when I was around 4 years old.  I was fascinated with the apple inside the mouth of the pig.  How dare the pig, dead at that eat the apple that was supposed to be my favorite? I resented being made to eat the pig which later on I came to appreciate.  The apple was just the icing. It was a staple in every party and because my birthday falls on New Year's Eve, we were sure to have this special dish as well.  Not only that, after the party we were sure to have left over paksiw for a few days and it was just as special. Even though not all lechon have apple, it was fun to reminisce how I remember lechon back then. I knew that having lechon meant the celebration was extra special.

Last November 5, we were very honored to be the part of the kick off of the year long celebration in anticipation of the 50th year anniversary of Lydia's Lechon.  Held at its flagship branch in Baclaran, we were very lucky to hear about the lifestory of its founder whom we fondly call Tita Lydia. Before she arrived, we heard about the future plans from the social media managers of the company.  What I like about the brand is that even at 49 years and a classic brand at that, they have a young team who was willing to dish out new and exciting projects to promote the brand.  One of their activities was a painting contest.  Painting was probably one of the close activities of Lydia's since in the wall of The resto is a very brilliant painting by the grand daughter of Tita Lydia.
 We also got to hear about the famous pig mascot who will soon have his own name.  Another promotional activity was gathering stories of people in the restaurant similar to "Humans Of New York".  These activities are definitely worth waiting for. 

I admit that I didn't expect the owner, the real star of the night to be as young and vibrant as Tita Lydia.  I was sure that an institution such as Lydia's had to have a no-nonsense strict and classic leader.  I was right about your no nonsense part but conventional she was not. I learned a lot from just the few minutes she was talking. In fact the highlight of the night (yes the dinner) was forgotten with all the stories that she willingly shared. I always go to Divisoria and I meet a lot of vendors, but it was definitely inspiring to find someone rise from humble beginnings to where she is now.


HARD WORK
There was no doubt about it.  Tita Lydia knew from the start that her hard work will pay off some day.  Even at 7 years old she started selling anything she can get her hands on.  Eventually she asked for the help of her dad and learned the ropes about the business.  Up to now, she is very hands on and she personally goes to the stores to buy the ingredients herself.  She works from 11am onwards, most of the time sleeping for only 3 hours.

Not only was she hard working, she also knew how to say yes to opportunities.  Her big break came when someone ordered 300 orders and she had to bring all the people she knew to help out.  She found a way to accept orders not related to lechon and turning these unrelated to her favor by subcontracting.  From bones of lechon she made mami which she also sold.  These ventures paid off well in the end.

DREAMS
One if the memories that she shared was when she enrolled her son to Letran.  She told the cashier of the school that she will find a way to pay the tuition even if she was simply as market vendor.  Even their television set was bought using a loan.  One of the breaks she had was when one if the ninongs of her son Ricky amounted to 500 pesos.  She used it for the business and made it grow.

MOTTO
One of the things that I noticed about Tita Lydia is her positive attitude.  This was made even more evident when she mentioned that whenever her employee complains that work is hard, she will remind them that nobody dies of hard work.  People die of hunger.  This makes her staff more willing to work more than ever. She also mentioned the time when her kids used to sleep under her table while she was selling.  It was amazing how she said it with much dignity.

ONLY VICE
She never brought it up in her talk so we asked her upfront for her beauty secrets and she gamely told us her secrets. Her youthful, energetic demeanor was matched with her style.More than that, up close you can see  her very smooth skin. It was fun to hear how this charming lady uses sun block and cleansers.  She also told us about her favorite make up brand and how one should use tissue paper instead of towel for drying the skin.  She also shared her clean living lifestyle like staying away from vices like going to the casino or excessive shopping.  We attribute her glowing looks also perhaps from just the satisfaction of an honest day's work and a job well done. My mom, Lara and I were fascinated, and would have taken notes :)
 

Her talk was the evening's highlight.  Afterwards, the dinner served was very sumptuous. We started with the chicharon which were also quite filling.  I especially enjoyed the paella which was very tasty and delightful.  I also liked the warm bulalo soup. We now know why people love Lydia's and flock to their branches.

We were happy to receive such thoughtful giveaways such as the very delicious sauce in bottles, we are also happy to receive gift certificates, yey! :)

Going to this anniversary was very exciting.  Its memorable and heartwarming to know that such a well-loved famous brand had its humble beginnings.  Because of one lady's hard work and dreams, it grew to be what it is now.  Almost 5 years after and with more branches coming, we are definitely waiting in anticipation.  And just like the wonderful apple in the mouth of the lechon, this is only the beginning.

Over a Cup of Noodles I Shared with my Dear Cousin

"I miss Tito Warren"

My son TJ, though I normally don't allow him to have instant cup of noodles always reminds me of an important person in his growing years whenever he gets a chance to eat these instant noodles. "I miss Tito Warren, he always makes me noodles." TJ's young mind has associated these noodles with the care and attention he got from his uncle, who lived with us for about 3 years before he got married.

From the office, Warren would usually walk home from the corner.  Drenched in sweat, precocious TJ would enter his designated room to play with him, and he'd usually make noodles before their "kulitan" sessions. These sessions would end with me entering to make sure nobody gets hurt.As I write this, my son is getting ready for school. Again, I am reminded of the times when I was sharing one bathroom with my cousin, and he's so fast in taking a bath first. Amidst the wet floors I tell myself, this is nothing compared to the joy we had while he was with us.

He was extremely religious and made it a point to bow down to the altar every time he passes it in the hallway.  He always wants to go to Simbang Gabi but always winds up asleep when he's with us or not being able to wake up in time before. He put a lot of gel in his hair and we even end up sharing "beauty secrets" to clearer skin.

Ate Jinkee will always be a term reserved for my cousins, and he was the one who used it most often living here. When I was still single and in need of a date, he was there to be my tall handsome date (yeah good genes) And he'll always have stories to tell about his friends, his girl friend, his parents and his work. He loved to do overtime and was quite good at saving. He was one of my son's earliest male father figures, and although I don't usually say it out loud, I miss him a lot. I miss our cup of noodles together.

My previous association with noodles was way back in college, when I had it whenever I was on a diet or too tired to go out or perhaps trying to save money. For someone who didn't know how to cook, there was instant comfort in these noodles.  Nowadays, these instant noodles serve as a reminder for me that indeed, some things in life do dissolve in an instant.  That not all good comfort food are those that are homecooked, or served with a lot of ingredients.

Boiling water should be allowed to cool in a same way that one should take precaution in their actions lest they burn or suffer the consequences.

The bits of meat remind me that sometimes you do have to look for those small doses of good news in everything you have.

The ribs in the cup allow me not to touch anything that I am not ready for. The container protects me just as they protect the noodles from spilling all over.

The line inside the cup lets me know just how much water to put and in real life, reminds me of certain limitations.

The different flavors allow me a variety of choices that yes, even with a limited budget I can have bulalo or yakisoba or beef flavor in a bowl.

The different sizes? Well it goes to show that my appetite may be for merienda or for dinner but there is something for me just the same, I just have to adjust. Like in real life, you get what you need...

The brand that gave skyflakes remind me that some people just go well together.  Even the unlikely ones.

These noodles serve as comfort food for the sick be it from headache or flu.The rich noodles that run I can bite even if I have a toothache remind me that life is painful but you have to move on.

These noodles remind me of the good times and of the instant memories one can have with just eating them.

So now as I write this, I am eating a good cup of noodles, the hot and spicy Korean kind. Except that the instant tears in my eyes have nothing to do with the flavor of what I'm eating. 


(pic taken from the internet)