Mesa

Mesa Filipino Moderne is a name that is often equated with Filipino food with a slight modern twist. What is distinctive about Mesa is that Filipino cuisine is given a contemporary tang while remaining faithful to classic flavors that we are all familiar with.

I still have gift certificates from covering Mesa a couple of months ago. And so tonight for a light dinner, I used my passes for a solo visit. For just around Php 500, I got meat, veggies, and rice, suitable for two people.

The Chicken and Pork Adobo was a super choice at Php 295 only. The portions, taste, and presentation were fantastic. I suggest adding some of Mesa’s Native or Vinegar dips for varied flavors.

The Mixed Vegetable (Php 195) was a neat attempt to replace the usual Chopseuy. And it worked! I liked its nutty and sweet elements.

We had a delectable dinner at the new Mesa Circuit. The establishment originally opened by Sharon Cuneta, Kiko Pangilinan and friends in 2009 has expanded through franchising and has elevated and fostered "moderne Filipino cuisine" via their branches.

For starters, we had the tinapa rolls which was heavenly with a dash of pinakurat suka. Then we ordered boneless crispy pata, 1/6 crispchon done 2 ways, Mesa braised beef and the steamed apahap in dayap and sili. Since all the mains were flavorful, we didn't want a clash of flavors by getting their flavored and stuffed rice variants and opted for plain rice instead, so we could savor each individual dish.

The crispy pata was a joy to eat not fumbling with the bone and such. God forbid someone manhandling the pata, using bare fingers to pull out a morsel and still leaving tiny bits attached to the bone. This way, it was cleaner, more efficient with each one getting the right amount of crispy skin and tender, succulent meat all in one neat roll. There were several sauces to go with it, like the traditional vinegar/soy/chili mix and the house sauce which had a hint of ginger and some herbs which gave off a sweet, Asian taste.

The crispchon was served and eaten like peking duck (1 way). It was wrapped in pandan crepe and each piece had crispy skin and savory lechon meat. This was served with a trio of sauces: traditional lechon sauce, garlic mayo and hoisin sauce. The second way came as chopped lechon pieces cooked in chili-garlic or as-is and dipped in the trio sauce.

The braised beef was their take on beef rendang. It was saucy, oily, fatty, with the right amount of chili and spices. Since the beef was interspersed with fat, it was fork-tender soft.

To cut the grime, we also had the steamed apahap which was very meaty and the combo of citrusy dayap and the chili let this dish call out to me. I favored this just because I am trying my best to cut down on fat and eat healthier, though I must confess I still got a piece or more of the other mains. Just as my doctor says, nothing in excess, strive for balance and don't deprive yourself of good food only to binge after fasting for a certain period.

We also had laing 2-way, one was wet and the other dry but with meat and potato bits. It was a creative take which showcased what is possible with this gata-based, spicy Bicolano staple.

As a sweet ending, we shared in their halo-halo. Another great weekend meal.