See Ben Eat At Se Ben’s Lechon

“You can never put too much pork in your mouth as far as I'm concerned.” - Lewis Black

It was all a stroke of luck (and a hungry stomach) that I discovered this quaint, little store selling the heart-stopping delicacy from Cebu somewhere in Mabolo. I was supposed to visit a different hole-in-the-wall resto in the same area, but I shied away from the place since I noticed it was rather full. Since Manong’s Original Bacolod Chicken Inasal was still closed, I walked around the area looking for a place where I can feed myself. While walking around, an image of the pig in overalls on a window of one of the shops seemed to call out to me. With my stomach already grumbling, I went in to check out what they had to offer.

See Ben Eat At Se Ben’s Lechon

Se Ben’s Lechon

Se Ben’s Lechon is a hole-in-the-wall resto offering the world-famous Cebu lechon. The branch I visited opened recently, while its Gaisano Country Mall branch has been open for some time already. I wasn’t able to ask more about the place since I was already famished and needed something to eat. But based on their Facebook Page, they have been in the lechon business for over a decade. They have a branch at the food court of Gaisano Country Mall and this branch in Mabolo only opened in August 2019. Aside from offering lechon on a per-kilo basis, they also offer whole lechon orders.

Interior of Se Ben’s Lechon

Food

I’ve been to a lot of lechon places in the city and most of them offer something unique to their customers. And this place is one of those places. One thing I liked the most was their crispy lechon skin. The pictures I took do not do justice to the delicacy, but believe me or not, the lechon skin was indeed as crunchy as it gets. They gave me the option of getting the regular lechon or the lechon belly. Since I’m more of a belly person, I opted for the latter. They have a budget meal size for their lechon belly, but I opted to get the 1/4-kilo serving of the dish. They have the regular and spicy variants of the lechon belly. Similarly, their whole lechon also comes in the regular and spicy variants.

Crispy lechon skin at Se Ben's Lechon

Price

Se Ben’s Lechon offers per kilo price and whole lechon price for their products. The price of a 1/4-kilo order of their classic lechon is PhP155. A 1/4-kilo order of their regular boneless lechon is priced at PhP175. On the other hand, a 1/4-kilo order of their spicy boneless lechon costs PhP190. These orders are good for one to two persons.

Boneless lechon at Se Ben's Lechon

The prices of their classic whole lechon are between PhP5,500 for 15 persons and PhP8,500 for a lechon good for 30 to 40 persons. The price of the spicy variant of the lechon is from PhP6,000 for 15 persons up to PhP9,000 for 30 to 40 persons.

Lechon prices at Se Ben's Lechon

Their boneless lechon is available in family packs. The regular boneless lechon family pack costs between PhP2,200, which is good for 12 to 15 persons, and PhP3,600, which is good for 20 to 25 persons. In contrast, the price of the spicy boneless lechon family pack starts at PhP2,400, which is good for 12 to 15 persons, up to PhP3,800, which is good for 20 to 25 persons.

Lechon skin and boneless lechon at Se Ben's Lechon

I was not able to take note of the price of their other products since the hunger pangs got the better of me. After eating the 1/4-kilo order of their lechon belly, I was already getting ready to go home and take the afternoon off. But this gives me another reason to visit the place to get the prices of their other products.

Boneless lechon at Se Ben's Lechon

Location

The Se Ben’s Lechon branch I visited is located at GDN Arcade, Mabolo. It is located in the same area as Manong’s Original Bacolod Chicken Inasal. They also have a branch located at the food court of Gaisano Country Mall.

Boneless lechon with puso at Se Ben's Lechon

Getting There

From Ayala Center Cebu, you can get to Se Ben’s Lechon by getting on a jeepney headed for Mabolo. Tell the driver to let you off at Ngohiong Express across PLDT. You need to cross to the side of PLDT and get on a jeepney marked 03A. You can get off in front of the gasoline station next to the GAGFA building. Se Ben’s Lechon is located at the GND Arcade, which is right across the gasoline station. You also have the option of walking to Skyrise Alpha where QBE is located and get on a Beep bus headed for Mabolo. The GAGFA building is one of the stops of the Beep bus.

See Ben Eat At Se Ben’s Lechon

With the opening of Se Ben’s Lechon at the GDN Arcade, the Mabolo area is gradually cementing its position as one of the best foodie destinations of Cebu. The lechon belly of Se Ben’s Lechon ranks up there among the best inCebu, but their crispy lechon skin is probably the best I’ve tasted so far.