Mesa Filipino Moderne – A Taste of Philippines’ Cuisine

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When I first walked into Mesa Filipino Moderne in Eastwood Mall, it struck me as a nice family restaurant. The atmosphere is elegant, but not too posh. The place is very clean and inviting. The wooden partitions between the rows of tables add to the ambiance, as well as provide some privacy, thereby making the atmosphere more cozy, yet lite and open. It also has a nice view of neighboring buildings, which very much gives it a downtown city feel. The 1990s music adds to the relaxed, laid-back atmosphere. The noise level is moderate, which is perfect for families with young children. You can relax if they make a little noise. Nobody will be disturbed by it.

The service is great! The waiters and waitresses are very accessible, friendly and helpful, always smiling. The restaurant is well-staffed – someone is always available to help. I like the teal shirts with the black pants on the waiters/waitresses, whereas others are all black – easy to tell who to reach out to for service.

We ordered the Inihaw Sampler or grilled sampler – chicken, liempo, pork BBQ, muscles, BBQ shrimp, and bangus belly. The presentation is elegant but not over-done. The pork BBQ is very tasty. You can really taste the BBQ marinade. I actually like it better without the vinegar dip because it has such a balanced flavor as it is. The shrimp has a strong BBQ flavor as well, and the mushrooms compliment it very nicely. The muscles are marinated in a special sauce, then BBQ sauce is applied after cooking – nice touch! The liempo is good, but I do like the pork more. Although my least favorite, the chicken is very tender and goes well with the other meats.

We also ordered their “sisig in a pouch”, which is crunchy outside and very soft inside. It is also very spicy but not at all hot. It tastes great when dipped in their special vinegar sauce.

The big highlight to me was the least expensive item on the menu: pancit canton. It was very authentic and therefore delicious. I could immediately tell the noodles and the sauces are homemade, in the same way we can identify homemade pasta. The sauce has a nice soy-based flavor, and it’s not too sweet

I would strongly recommend at least one order of pancit canton – it would make a great side dish. This alone will bring me back to

I had bottomless iced tea to drink – way too sweet for my tastes! I forgot that I had to order it as unsweet in the Philippines.

And, to bring the meal to a perfect conclusion, we had turon with ice cream – great desert! The turon (banana/jackfruit mix wrapped in flower lumpia type wrapper) is nice and crunchy and flavorful. The banana ice cream has a rich banana flavor and goes very well with the turon. Suggest immediately removing the ice cream from the top – it will melt very fast if left on top!

The entire dining experience set us back only approx. P1800. BBQ platter was approx. P900, pancit only P250 and that alone will bring me back here. Will easily feed a family of 4-5 with top-quality food. Definitely a good value, especially considering the quality of the food.

Overall, it was a most enjoyable dining experience. The combination of great food and and outstanding service combined with the laid back, family atmosphere with nice city views definitely made this a place of choice for me.