Kalesa Cafe

Myself and about 20 others stayed here for 4 nights for my wedding, and it was amazing. The staff were really helpful and accommodating, breakfast was so good, the hotel was clean and in general every person loved their time here. I would recommend this hotel to everyone.

Polite and friendly staff. Make sure to order Kare-Kare it’s one of the best sellers. They have a function good for 25pax but you can ask them if they can squeeze it up to 30pax. This restaurant is inside mercure hotel in Ortigas.

So Mercure Hotel is finally open. It is a dynamic botique like hotel that's actually targeted to young professionals and businessmen in the Ortigas area. It has vibrant colors and designs as you go in. The unique paintings and sculptures complement well the interiors.  This follows inside their only restaurant, Kalesa. 

Thanks to their Sales and Marketing head, Edroy Lim, I had the pleasure of visiting them on their soft opening. The current menu is a combination of Filipino and International flavors by renowned chef Patricia Mesina of Kulinarya. Her expertise in a variety of cuisines is shown in this start up offering. 

Seafood Salad Roll (Php 320) could be her prized appetizer. It's shrimps and kani rolled in nori and panko breadcrumbs. It's fried yet fresh with additional flavors of ebiko, wasabi vinaigrette and mango coulis kicking in. It literally burst in your mouth.Sesame Crusted Seared Tuna Tataki (Php 400) is another favorite with its simple yet flavorful combination. This works well if you are looking for sashimi. 

For an entree we started with Grilled Rosemary & Sage Pork in Cerveza Gravy (Php 415). This is likely best value for your money dish. Two deliciously marinated pork chops in rich seasoned sauce. It already comes with two sides: parsley butter rice and mixed vegetables. 

This was followed by an ever better one- Barbecue Glazed Asian Salmon Fillet. Fresh slab of salmon was cooked perfectly. It had a medium rare presence in the middle which made it melt in your mouth. It comes with good contrasting sauces- ginger oyster and lemon brown butter. 

Don't miss out on their gem before you leave. End it on a sweet note through their Buko Pandan Panna Cotta. It has three layers of sweetness and texture. The pandan vibe is well felt and yet it was not that sugary. I suggest having this with a cup of their tea and coffee selections.