Therese in the Philippines: Mesa Filipino Moderne

Intro: You probably don't know this, but I went home to the Philippines last January. In the span of the 9 days that I was there, I tried 5 new restaurants around the metro, and I even went out of town! Therefore, let me take a short break from my Taiwan posts and in my next few entries, I am going to write about the new places I've been to in and around the metro!

My bloc mates and I were supposed to have a dinner reunion at Yabu in SM Megamall but unfortunately, when we got there, we were put on the waiting list. We didn't want to wait for a long time, so we decided to eat at Mesa Filipino Moderne, which is located almost beside Yabu, instead.

We were seated at this table that had 2 long benches surrounding it. What we didn't like about it was that there wasn't enough space (it was very cramped) so it was hard for us to sit down and move around.

Moving on to the food...

Baby squid in olive oil | 270php

I loved this because the squid was tender and cooked just right (in my opinion). Also, they're very cute!

Pasta kaldereta | 165php

If you're a fan of kaldereta and of tomato sauce, then you're going to love this. The flavors were just right. This could very well be a comfort food.

Salpicao ostrich | 320php

I also liked this because the ostrich meat was tender. I think ostrich meat tastes a bit like chicken/beef but it's not totally the same, and you could actually taste that from eating this. I also like how they were cut into bite-sized portions, because the last time I ate ostrich meat, it was hard and the cuts were huge (maybe that's why it was hard?)

Sisig rice | 170php

We wanted to order the Laing rice but it wasn't available. We settled for this instead, but there was nothing special with this dish. It didn't taste much like sisig.

Tofu sisig | 130php

We also liked this one because of the juiciness (?) of the tofu along with the sisig.

In conclusion, I/we liked their food because it was delicious, and it's not all that expensive. Though it may look like the servings are small, they're actually very filling. We were a group of 7 and we all got full after. Also, each person paid less than 200php for dinner!

Location: SM Megamall
Level 2, Mega Atrium
EDSA corner Julia Vargas Ave., Mandaluyong City

Congo Grill Tomas Morato

Congo Grill Tomas Morato
by Nicole


My folks and I had our late lunch one Sunday in Congo Grill Tomas Morato. It's my second time to eat in this restaurant and their food has never disappointed me.

Congo Grill is a Filipino grille restaurant which offers a wide selection of Filipino dishes. They serve almost 154 items including appetizers, seafood, soups, chicken, pork, beef & steaks, specialty drinks, sodas, wines, desserts, and other native favorites. Their menu is indeed diverse!

So now. . . the food that we ate:

First, we were served with this ampalaya. Oh I really like this! The ampalaya was crisp and it was not too bitter. Also, I liked how there were only few slices of meat in it.

Ampalaya con Carne (Php 145)

It's my second time eating this tofu. It was not super delicious - it was just okay. Maybe because I was thinking how much better the tofu is in Bodhi.

Sizzling Fried Tofu (Php 105)

This sizzling stuffed squid is the bomb! It sizzles deliciously! The squid was perfectly cooked! Stuffed with lots of onions, tomatoes, green long peppers and with special sauce, no wonder this stuffed squid is one of their best-sellers. A MUST TRY.

Sizzling Stuffed Squid (Php 320)

This is my Pop's favorite - the tuna belly. It's really  good too! It has a hint of sweetness and a dab of sourness - I totally liked the combination of flavours (and I'm sure you will too - once you taste it :)).

Tuna Belly 300g (Php 300)

We were all fully satisfied with the food and the fast and friendly service. Before we finished, one of the crew asked us if we would like some dessert. We're not a family who's really into dessert but since I've got two siblings who are still kids, my Pop ordered a  banana split. I tasted it and honestly, there's nothing special about it.

Banana Split (Php 120)

It was my Pop who introduced the family to Congo Grill. My family including me, of course, now like this restaurant because it's affordable (really ideal for big families or any kind of group), the service is two thumbs up and, the food is GOOD! I indeed found a  DELECTABLE  Filipino restaurant!


Address and Telephone Number
Congo Grill Tomas Morato
Tomas Morato, corner Scout Limbaga
332-2194 / 332-2193
http://www.congogrille.com