Elbows Off the Table: Mesa Filipino Moderne at Greenbelt 5

If there's one Filipino restaurant that we know of that we are pretty sure would not disappoint, that restaurant would have to be Mesa Filipino Moderne. We have been dining here for the past few years now and we can safely say that this place serves some of the best Filipino dishes, coupled with great service courtesy of well-trained staff that makes dining here a really pleasurable experience. Maybe some other Filipino restaurants could learn a thing or two from this establishment.

We would normally dine at their SM Megamall branch, but we recently found ourselves at Greenbelt 5 since we wanted to avoid SM Megamall at the time because of an on-going 3-day sale (I'm sure some of you are aware of what SM Megamall is like during these 3-day sales). We were just so tired and hungry already after a long day that we decided to settle for Mesa, instead of trying out the other restaurants in the area.

Mesa's Greenbelt 5 branch is also their very first branch, which opened its doors to customers in 2009. Within just a few years, Mesa has undergone a massive expansion, and they've opened up more restaurants in Metro Manila as well as in places like Cebu, Boracay, and Davao. Mesa, by the way, is also partly owned by Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan.

Since its initial opening, Mesa Filipino Moderne has managed to build its reputation and has gained a loyal following among those who have dined here before (my family included), and also attracts curious people who may have heard about this restaurant chain through word of mouth or online. As such, expect to wait in line for a table. Wait times may vary per branch though--at their Greenbelt branch we had to wait for around 30-40 minutes while we wouldn't usually have to wait as much at their Megamall branch.

Apparently, Mesa was given a "2013 Philippines' Best Restaurants" award--I'm not surprised. I'm not sure which award-giving body gave them this, though. Anyway, having that sign outside their restaurant would surely help attract more people--especially clueless foreign tourists or expats, and there are a lot of them in the Makati area.

Since we first discovered this place, we've managed to try out a number of their dishes with some hits and misses. Certain dishes have already made it to our "must-order" list, meaning, we order them each time we eat here. Still, though, we do experiment and try out other dishes occasionally. 

Our usual appetizer: Baked Scallops with Garlic Butter. These are served fresh, always.

Their Pork Sisig with Egg is considered an appetizer but we like eating this with rice anyway. Their sisig is surely one of the tastiest ones I've had.

The waitress chops up our Pinatayong Manok--"standing" crispy whole chicken carved right at your table. This one comes with a variety of sauces. This sight never fails to get funny stares from customers at nearby tables whenever we order this but who cares? It's really good!

Sigarillas--"wing beans tossed in coconut milk and shrimp". This one is one of my favorites!

Baby Squid Adobo In Its Own Ink--prepare to have really blackened lips after eating this. My parents really like this one.

I ordered a Banana Shake to go with my meal.

Aside from the ones above, another item on their menu that is worth a try is their Crispy Boneless Pata which, just like the Pinatayong Manok, comes with a variety of sauces. 

But, aside from the food, another aspect that really encourages us to come back is their level of service. The staff are really well-trained and they do take the initiative to make the dining experience at Mesa Filipino Moderne a pleasurable one. Even the simplest of gestures like refilling our water glasses without us asking have made a good impression, but it's in the screw-ups that we really got to see how committed their employees are. The last time we ate at their Megamall branch, my brother accidentally slipped at their handwashing area because the floor was really slippery and they forgot to put a wet floor sign (negligence on their part). The manager was really very apologetic and escorted my brother back to our table. She would keep coming back to our table to make sure my brother was doing fine and didn't have any injuries (he didn't). After the meal we were offered free dessert, and I don't think something like this would happen had my brother slipped at some of the other restaurants we've dined in before. Thankfully, none of us slipped when we ate this time at Greenbelt, but the staff were still excellent anyway, and they really know how to treat the customers well.

Good food, great service--what more could we want? Once again, we are reminded of why we love this restaurant so much!

Mesa Filipino Moderne

Ground floor, Greenbelt 5, Makati City

Sunday-Thursday: 11:00 am-11:00 pm; Friday-Saturday: 11:00 am-12:00 pm

www.mesa.net.ph

Other branches: SM Aura, SM North Edsa, Robinsons Magnolia, Powerplant Mall, SM Megamall, SM Southmall, Tomas Morato, SM City Clark, Ayala Center Cebu, Boracay Regency Beach Resort and Spa, Centrio Mall Cagayan de Oro, SM Lanang Premier Davao

The University of Asia and the Pacific Now Accepts Donations for Typhoon Victims

The University of Asia and the Pacific in Ortigas Center, Pasig City is now accepting your donations for the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) in the Visayas region. There is an urgent need for goods such as:

• Chlorine tablets
• Bottled Water
• Canned Goods
• Snacks
• Juices

Volunteers are also very much needed to help repack relief goods. Cash donations are also accepted, and these may be deposited through:

UA&P H.O.P.E.S. Relief Operations

ushare.unionbank.com/uap

or

BPI Account: Business Economics Association BEA

Account number 3993-0387-75

Deposit slips may be e-mailed to bea@uap.asia

The University of Asia and the Pacific campus is located along Pearl Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. You may also contact 0917-7176212 or Tweet @uapasia or @uap_usg. 

Baby Got Ribs: Little John's Convenience Outpost in Baguio City

If there is one particular restaurant in Baguio City that you shouldn't miss out on and I highly suggest that you visit, then that place would be Little John's Convenience Outpost, located at the Mile Hi Center within Camp John Hay. This place serves one of the best Baby Back Ribs you'll probably ever try, and I'm not exaggerating. Try looking around while you're there and you'll see that that's what almost everyone is ordering. Take note of the very satisfied look on their faces, too.

My family and I first fell in love with their Baby Back Ribs during our trip to Baguio last year (check out my blog entry here) and after that, we just knew we couldn't miss out on the chance to dine here again the next time we get the chance to go to Baguio. 

This year, Little John's was the first restaurant we went to, after an exhausting 8-hour road trip. Unfortunately though, we arrived during the off-peak hours (it was already around 2 pm), and they were all out of ribs. We were told that if we wanted the ribs, we would have to wait until 6 pm. We were just so tired and hungry that we just ordered other items on their menu instead. I saw this as a chance to try their Vegetable Lasagna which I've been wanting to try since last year. 

Since we arrived at around 2 pm, the restaurant wasn't so crowded. Last year, we couldn't get a table right away and we had to wait for quite a while before there was a vacancy. On the blog post I made last year, I also complained about the restaurant being understaffed, with only one person as the cashier and another one who would bring the food to the tables AND clean up the tables after the customers would leave. They've already corrected this issue this year, and even during the off-peak hours there were more than enough waiters and busboys on standby.

To keep customers entertained while waiting for the food, crayons are provided at each table and customers can draw on the paper placemats. Some of the drawings I saw this year were the same ones I saw last year, but of course there were some new ones as well.

My dad and brother each had a serving of Beef Tapa with Egg.

My mom, meanwhile ordered Sinigang na Salmon Head, which is one of her favorite dishes.

I finally got to try their Vegetable Lasagna! To be honest though, it turned out to be different from how I thought it would look--it was really heavy on the veggies (onions, cucumber, tomatoes, etc.), and the lasagna noodles were quite few. I expected it it to have layers of noodles with the veggies in between. Still, the dish was good, and I think it's perfect for those who are more health-conscious or are just looking for something light to eat. 

We went back to Little John's again for dinner the next day, and we were finally able to order their famous Baby Back Ribs. Just like most of the other restaurants at the Mile Hi Center, there weren't too many people at night. I suggest you come here during dinner time--it can get really crowded during lunch. 

My mom didn't feel like eating too much so she ordered a bowl of clam chowder instead, but after seeing the ribs that my dad, brother and I were eating, she suddenly felt bad for not ordering ribs for herself. 

Little John's Baby Back Ribs is a surefire winner. The ribs are very tender and juicy (um...tender juicy? Oops.), and are very tasty, even without the sauce. The sauce just makes it even more lip-smackingly delicious as it already is. The meat comes off the bone really easily, too! At only P185, Little John's Ribs are certainly more affordable; other places that sell ribs price theirs much higher. It can't get any better than that!

For the best ribs in Baguio and one of the best you'll ever have, I highly suggest Little John's. While they do have other items on their menu (some are good and some could still be improved on), it's the Baby Back Ribs that people really come here for. It's absolutely delicious and affordable--it's got the makings of the perfect dish.

To borrow (and change) some words from that 80s rap song "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot: I like their ribs and I cannot lie!

Little John's Convenience Outpost

Mile Hi Center, Camp John Hay, Baguio City

Underrated: Carlo's Pizza at Camp John Hay

On our first night in Baguio, my family and I were looking around for a place to eat at the Mile Hi Center, a retail-and-dining center within Camp John Hay, when we came across this Italian food place called Carlo's Pizza. Carlo's Pizza, which opened its first branch at Camp John Hay in 2002, has grown over the years and has opened up other branches in Baguio, Tagaytay, Metrowalk in Pasig City, Tomas Morato, and others. 

Filippi Nouvelle Inc., the company that owns and operates Carlo's Pizza, also operates a number of other restaurant chains such as the Mile Hi Diner, with a branch right next to the Carlo's Pizza branch in Camp John Hay. Mile Hi Diner, as well as the other restaurant chains, now have a presence in places such as Bonifacio Global City and Eastwood City. Sounds impressive and very promising, don't you think?

The original Carlo's Pizza branch is located at the Mile Hi Center in Camp John Hay, a retail-and-dining strip close to The Manor and the Forest Lodge hotel. Parking may be a bit difficult here especially during the day but luckily for us, we just had to walk from our hotel to get to this place.

The overall set-up somewhat made me feel like I was dining at a restaurant in the Italian countryside with faux brick wall panels, wooden floors, and a laid-back atmosphere. The restaurant was also quite empty, just like many of the other restaurants in the area at night. The Mile Hi Diner next door is an exception, though--it always seems to be full of people no matter what time of the day it is.

The artwork on the walls reinforces the fact that you're in a restaurant that serves Italian food.

Service-wise, the staff were efficient and welcoming and they would attend to our needs immediately. Then again, the absence of customers could have contributed to this.

Just a glimpse of their menu. For a complete list of items on their menu, just check out their website.

First up: Classic Caesar Salad (Php185).

Calamari (Php255). Crispy coated squid rings served with aioli dip and Marinara sauce (that's what it says on the menu). The squid was fresh and wasn't too tough or chewy, which I really, really hate.

Of course, we didn't forget to order pizza. Why would we? This is Carlo's Pizza after all. We ordered a single serving of Capriccioso (large size; Php395). It is apparently one of their specialties. According to their menu, it is composed of pepperoni, salami, ham, bacon, italian sausage, mushrooms, black olives, onion, and green pepper. This one was really good--I like my thin-crust pizzas crunchy (and not crumbly), and this one certainly lived up to my expectations. There was a generous amount of cheese which is very much appreciated by people like me who love cheese, and the toppings all go well together. I've also stumbled across a few blogs and the bloggers were all praises for their pizzas. Their pizzas are definitely underrated--too bad they're not as popular as I think they should be.

Overall, dining at Carlo's Pizza's Mile Hi Center branch was a pleasant experience with good food, a relaxed atmosphere, and pleasant staff, most probably fueled by the absence of too many customers. I wonder if it's the same thing with their other branches, though?

Carlo's Pizza

Mile HI Center, Camp John Hay, Baguio City

Store hours: 12:00 pm-8:00 pm (Monday to Thursday), 11:00 am-9:00 pm (Friday and Saturday)

Tel: 074-446-1387

Website: www.carlospizza.net

Art and Food Appreciation at the BenCab Museum and Cafe Sabel

A trip to the city of Baguio will never be complete without paying a visit to some of the city's more famous attractions such as Burnham Park, The Mansion, Wright Park, and even the Strawberry Farm in the neighboring town of La Trinidad, Benguet. Going to Baguio without visiting these places is like going on a trip to New York without immersing yourself in the chaos that is Times Square, or visiting Agra in India without admiring the beauty of the Taj Mahal. The places mentioned above are an essential part of any Baguio visitor's itinerary.

These past few years, however, another attraction has been quickly cementing its place among Baguio's must-see stops. The BenCab Museum in the nearby town of Tuba, Benguet houses the works of National Artist for Visual Arts Benedicto "Ben Cab" Cabrera, as well as a number of other artists. This blog posts covers our visit to the museum to see the works of art, as well as our dining experience at Cafe Sabel, the museum's in-house cafe and restaurant.

The BenCab Museum is a 20-30 minute journey from the heart of Baguio via the Naguilian Road and the Asin Road. Our journey, however, took longer than that because we got stuck in a nasty traffic jam along the way (yes, traffic in Baguio can be pretty nasty at times--they even have a number coding scheme in effect just like in Metro Manila to somewhat ease the congestion).

A view of the museum from behind. To see all the works of art, visitors must start from the uppermost level (where the entrance is) and then work their way downwards.

Even the parking area is decorated with works of art.

The museum's lobby. Tickets to get into the museum are at P100 each.

The museum has been getting a lot of attention from the media since it opened its doors to tourists back in February 2009.

32 Variations on Sabel (Glaze on Mariwasa Tiles) by Ben Cabrera.

The museum also houses an Erotica Gallery. Obviously, this area is off-limits to minors.

What an amazing view!

The museum also has its own duck pond and mini-farm where crops like onions are grown.

Cafe Sabel

After exploring the museum and seeing the wonderful works of art, we decided to have lunch at Cafe Sabel, the museum's in-house restaurant and cafe.

Since it was already lunchtime, the cafe was already quite crowded. The line at the counter where guests order the food was long, and the place seemed understaffed. As a result, service was a bit on the slow side.

Visitors must order their food at the counter. On their menu are items that include salads, sandwiches, pasta, and dessert. They also have a decent selection of beverages.

This section of the wall is adorned with promotional posters of Ben Cabrera's previous art exhibits.

It was my first time to try Lemongrass Tea (with honey), and I actually like it. This whole "lemongrass" thing didn't seem so appealing to me at first, when I would see it on TV.

A plate of Organic Vegetable Lumpia. Being a veggie lover (but not vegetarian), this one was a winner for me. It was really good!

I ordered a plate of their Carbonara which came with a slice of wheat bread toast. It was certainly one of the better carbonaras I've ever tried, but nothing I would exactly rave so much about. The serving size was decent.

Camote Fries, which I did not get to try.

It took a really long time for this Blueberry Cheesecake to reach our table. We had to call the attention of the staff several times. This was served to us warm so the cheese was runny (it should be refrigerated first), so it didn't taste as good as it ought to be. How disappointing.

Overall, I think the staff could be better trained to handle a sudden influx of diners. That should have been expected already for a tourist attraction such as this one, that gets hounded by local (and even foreign) tourists on holiday weekends such as the time we were there. Still, with the exception of the Blueberry Cheesecake, the food we ordered (the lumpia, especially!) did make up for everything.

BenCab Museum

Km. 6 Asin Road, Tuba, Benguet

Tuesdays-Sundays, 9:00 am-6:00 pm

Website: www.bencabmuseum.org 

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/BenCab-Museum/148385238553174