Pinoy Food & Other Cuisine :: Food PhotoBlog and Events |

There I was, the first to arrive at an intimate meeting with Kiko Pangilinan and a few bloggers. Little did I know that Kiko was one of the owners of MESA, a modern Filipino cuisine restaurant part of La Mesa Grill group of restaurants.

In terms of presentation, price, and the variety of favorite Filipino dishes in the menu, MESA beats most Filipino restaurants out there. On the surface, it might look like yet another fusion cuisine restaurant, but it’s really just the same old Filipino classics served in a different way. Mesa just opened in Greenbelt 5 at the first week of April and while I don’t necessarily support Kiko Pangilinan, this restaurant looks like an interesting alternative to Kamayan Restaurant or Kanin Club.

Our appetizers were a platter of adobo flakes, calamares, crispy shrimp, and crispy tawilis at 350 pesos

What Filipino restaurant wouldn’t have our shelled favorites? These baked scallops doused with rich garlic butter (P 190)are among MESA’s most popular appetizers.

I’ve never had hito flakes and crispy-pulled catfish on a spoon! P180

The appetizers left us wanting more, and the main courses did not disappoint.The Tinapa Rice (P 150, stir-fried rice tossed with smoked fish flakes, tomatoes, and red eggs) was served artfully in a bowl and looks almost too pretty to eat.

Pato Tim (P390) is MESA’s healthier version of the pata tim, but just as delicious.

The crispy boneless tilapia (P290) is a delight to eat, with four dips to choose from.

One of the more unusual offerings at MESA are river shrimp (suwahe) on the rocks at P280.

Fresh, raw river shrimp are placed on a pot of heated rocks and turn pink before your eyes.

Of course there was lechon, but friend to a crisp. You can order a whole lechon for P3,999, 1/2 lechon for P1,999, 1/4 lechon for 1,099, and 1/6th. We had 1/4th a lechon.

You can eat the crispchon wrapped in pandan crepe.

Or if you’re in the mood for something spicy, you can have it tossed in garlic.

The food didn’t stop coming! There was also Pinatayong Manok, “standing” crispy chicken (P 365) carved right at the table.

Kiko had a cute story to tell about this dish. When his daughter Frankie heard him talking about the “Pinatayong Manok”, she gasped “Pinatay yung manok?”

For dessert, we had small servings of cassava cake.

A Sampling of their Menu: Click Thumbnail to enlarge

Contact Mesa

Mesa, Filipino Moderne, Greenbelt 5
Telephone: +632 728 0886

Lamesa Grill, Mall of Asia
Telephone: +632 556-0737

Lamesa Grill, Trinoma
Telephone: +632 916-9047 to 48

Tags: greenbelt 5, mesa, modern filipino cuisine