For some reason I found Greenbelt a bit dark and cramped. The garden area is brimming with plants and trees, which is a good thing by the way, but the low hanging pergolas make the whole place dark and stuffy. I much prefer a spacious and bright garden like 7 years ago.
The hanging cylinder lamps at Mesa were gorgeous. If in Europe we have olive oil and balsamic vinegar as staple condiments on the table, in Asia we have soy sauce and vinegar plus a lot more.
I can’t remember why we chose Mesa Filipino Moderne, a restaurant with a contemporary take on Filipino cuisine, but it was one of the restaurants that spoke to us that day. I have eaten here many years ago and would have preferred to pick some place else that I haven’t been to yet. I even managed to create a short list of restaurants, but I quickly realised this is going to be an uphill challenge for my mom. Helaas, practical reasons prevailed. Perhaps it was the proximity of the restaurant as it was located beside the gates and around the corner from a row of restaurants. It was too warm outside so I was unanimously outvoted. We took our seats inside the restaurant instead.
When I am in Asia, I tend to follow the Asian routine and habit of eating 3 warm meals a day. It’s too much for my system to adopt really but I have a lame excuse. I am on holiday. It is also quite difficult to say no when family around you eat 3 warm meals a day. My mom will nag the heck out of me if I do not eat 3 times because to her I am still a little helpless girl who needs her nutrients.
There is a saying that goes, ‘If you can’t beat em, join em’.
We ordered a few dishes, the usual suspects really. Garlic Chicken glazed with honey that everyone loves. Baked scallops slathered with cheese on top as requested by the sister. My mom wanted to try the Laing, coconut infused vegetable dish based on dried taro greens. While dad and I were eyeing on the stunningly presented deep-fried Boneless Tilapia. Of course we need another vegetable dish so we picked the easy one on the menu, mixed vegetables.
I saw a couple with their Boneless Tilapia order and this is where the inspiration and craving came from. The whole presentation was quite captivating. They carved out the meat from the Tilapia in squares and then deep fried both the meat and the skeletal carcass of the fish and then served them both on a plate. We found however the fish to be a bit bland. That is a shame because Filipino food is, almost always, too salty for my liking. The fish was deep fried as well but it wasn’t crunchy at all. That’s major minus points. This was a bad judgment on our part. We picked this based on aesthetics and curiosity.
The Laing dish my mom picked was good but nothing spectacular. We did not finished it. That says enough I guess. The mixed vegetable dish though was a seller but it did not surprise me because what could actually go wrong with sautéed mixed vegetables in delcious oriental sauce? Nothing, unless you overcook the vegies.
The winner in this lunch round went to the Garlic Chicken which was super finger-licking good. This must have been one of their best and popular dishes. The runner up was the Baked Scallops, although I felt the cholesterol shoot up the roof with the combination of butter and cheese in it.
If there is another thing I noticed about the restaurant, that would have to be their cylinder wicker lamps. Gorgeous lamps. With the design and the indigenous material, they have made the ambiance of the restaurant a bit more cushy and Filipino.
Mesa Filipino Moderne Restaurant in Greenbelt 5, Makati. They do have an outdoor eating area but my family wants to sit in the air-conditioned restaurant and not sweat while eating. #tropicalcountryproblems
The parents, and my sister and moi.
Our lunch spread, looking delicious. Asian people always share the food on the table with each other.
Baked scallops (also mussels) with butter and cheese is a typical dish found in the menus of many Filipino restaurants.
This is the Boneless Tilapia with the dramatic presentation of the bone carcass of the fish. It came with 4 types of sauces.
The winner: Garlic Fried Chicken glazed with honey.
The Laing vegetable (taro leaves) dish infused with coconut juice. This is a regional dish in the eastern part of the Philippines, in the Bicol area.
The mixed vegetables topped with fried garlic bits.
Who's paying the bill?
Travel Period: December 2016
Destination: Makati City (Metro Manila - Luzon), Philippines
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Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
All pictures were taken by a point and shoot pocket camera or a smartphone.
