If you love pork, a visit to Livestock Restaurant and Bar is a must. Livestock is owned by a family that is in the hog raising business so they know their pork in and out. They are known for their super tender crispy pata (fried pork trotter) that can be cut up using a popsicle stick. They invited a number of us to see the crispy pata for ourselves. I was not a skeptic though, since the most I’ve seen is a cochinillo cut up with a plate.
This is the main entrance with lots of parking spaces that they share with other tenants in the Jardin de Zenaida complex. Other restaurants there are a branch of Moonleaf milk tea and El Cangrejo.
The place is huge, with a big seating area on the ground floor as well as large function rooms on the mezzanine and an al fresco area on the 2nd floor.
We started with a plate of Livestock Caesar Salad (P230). From afar it looks like your usual Caesar salad but upon closer inspection you’ll see the pieces of crispy pork belly.
Next dish was the Drunken Mussels (P330). Large sized New Zealand mussels, plump and juicy, steamed in beer, herbs and little pork bits. They served this with slices of buttered baguette that you can use to dip into the broth, you can also spoon the broth on to steaming white rice. This is also a perfect dish for those looking for an appetizer to go with their alcoholic beverages.
Lechon Tom Yum (P310). Livestock adds lechon kawali pieces to the classic Thai dish. This sounded great in theory but the resulting broth overpowered the pork pieces. Maybe toning down the sourness by adding more coconut milk.
Four Egg Spinach (P230). A common Chinese dish that usually uses 3 kinds of eggs, Livestock adds fried quail eggs on top to bump the number to 4. Nothing surprising with this dish, you can get better ones in Chinese restaurants.
Livestock Crackling Pork Belly (P290-300g/P490-500g/P895-1 kilo). This dish was greeted with anticipation, the aroma arriving before the actual dish was laid in front of us. The skin was crispy and flavorful while the meat was tasty with strong flavors of lemongrass.
The main event, Melt in Your Mouth Crispy Pata (P590). There’s a popsicle stick stuck on it, to be used as the cutting instrument.
Livestock has made me a believer, here’s evidence that they really can cut through meat and skin with just a popsicle stick replacing a knife. One of the best crispy patas I’ve ever had.
The last they served was the Rich Man’s Pot (P350). The execution is similar to the poon choi dish from Hong Kong cuisine. There’s a hodgepodge of ingredients added on top of rice from sausages, vegetables, pork ribs and a lot more. The flavors were really rich and tasty and you’ll want to order more rice to put into the pot to sop up the broth.
For dessert they served a Bacon Ice Cream Sandwich (P180). French toast topped with vanilla ice cream and bacon bits then finished off with a drizzling of syrup.
There a whole lot of porky dishes here but the standouts were the crackling pork belly and the crispy pata. The other dishes were decent but not really memorable. If you love pork, then you must give Livestock Restaurant and Bar a visit.
Livestock Restaurant and Bar
34 Jardin De Zanaida Compound, Sergeant Esguerra Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City Contact No.: (02) 332-0409 Operating Hours: 11am to 2am DailyFacebook Page: Livestock PH
Instagram: @Livestock_PH
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Their logo looks like a close cousin of Zubuchon’s!
Wouldn’t mind trying the pork belly. It looks delicious.
you should try it, as well as the crispy pata.