It’s Amy’s birthday today and she will treat us for dinner. Some of my care bear co-members (my office mates in reality) are elated to go back to Dampa in Macapagal Boulevard for seafood delight. But Amy declined because we had frequented the area from several past occasions. She wanted to eat something new this time. More suggestions came up until we ended up at Mesa, Filipino Moderne in Greenbelt 5, Makati.

so yummy tinapa roll

Mesa, Filipino Moderne was owned by the Lamesa Grill Group with Kiko Pangilinan as one of the owners. For me, this restaurant is one of the best Filipino restaurants in Makati when it comes to ambiance, affordability, quality service, and the variety of dishes that will satiate hungry tummies.

We scoured on the menu and here’s our order:

Pinatayong Manok (P415). I’ve tasted appreciatively varieties of unique chicken meal from different provinces like the Inapuyang Manok of La Union, Binakol native dish from Aklan, and the original Inasal of Bacolod City. This time I tasted another chicken dish, the Pinatayong Manok, fried and hanged in curved wood. It was tender and tasty even without the sauce. The thing that made it unusual is how it was presented in front of our eyes. Filipinos are really creative when it comes to culinary.

Tinapa Roll (P155) is one of the best sellers of Mesa. These flaked smoked tinapa spring rolls with salted egg and tomatoes were wrapped in lettuce. I love this food. It was so crispy and so yummy.

Crispy Tilapia – is very crispy with four dipping sauces: sweet bagoong, sweet chili, soy sauce and vinegar, and honey patis. I just love its crunchiness, seemed like I was eating my favorite Tortillos cheese-flavored corn snack. Yum yum.

Laing 2 ways (P170) is a dish of taro leaves cooked in rich coconut milk, red pepper, onions, garlic and with adobo flakes. It was so creamy and not that so spicy. This is my hometown’s everyday staple and I just love to munch it together with the tinapa roll.

Crispy Pata (P505) - deep-fried pork (cardiac delight!) was cut into pieces. It was garnished with lots of garlic on top. I’m not a lover of this food so I only tasted a little. It was soft and not so salty.

Suwahe or River Shrimp on the Rocks (P295). The shrimps were thrown into a pan filled with hot rocks. It was covered for few minutes and later was served on a big plate with soy sauce.

Kare-Kare Beef and Tripe (P305) – is the traditional Filipino stew with a delicious sauce made from rich creamy crushed peanut. To make it a complete meal, there were the beef tripe and fresh vegetables like string beans, banana blossoms, eggplants, and pechay leaves. Of course, Filipino restaurant would not be complete without this Filipino specialty.

Bagoong Rice (P165) a fried rice with shrimp paste, tomatoes and what made it so exciting to eat was the topping of shredded green mango. I love this rice because there’s no greasy oil in it and with a natural taste of bagoong that will make you eat more.

Indeed, we had a plethora of delicious dishes tonight. It’s really wonderful to taste something new and innovative food once in a while. I was surprised when the bill was handed to us because it was much lower than I expected. Well, I will bring my family here for a lunch date.

We found the meal very appetizing. The staff was attentive and the service was fast. We left the restaurant, happy and satisfied. 

My office mates were craving for dessert. We set off to St. Marc Cafe just a few distances away from the restaurant. Of course, I was so eager and excited for another food venture coming up!

my first plate

Contact Info:

Greenbelt 5 Branch
Ground Level, Greenbelt 5
Legazpi St., Ayala Center, Makati
Metro Manila, Philippines

Telephone Number – (+63 2) 728-0886, (+63 917) 891-6372 / Fax - ( 63 2) 728-0886

Operating Hours: 
Sunday to Thursday: 11:00am to 11:00pm
Friday to Saturday: 11:00am to 12:00am

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