Coconuts Critic’s Table — Don’t let Mesa’s aesthetics scare you and your wallet because if you do then you’ll regret it. Once you get past the entrance, take a seat, and ask for the menu, you’ll realize that there’s no reason to get intimidated. Mesa, despite the impressive aesthetics, offers food at reasonable prices. And boy was it a joy to discover that apart from being affordable, some of the dishes are actually pretty good.
For a super late lunch, my chef friend and I went to the Mesa in SM Southmall. Ordering was up to me and indecisive me ended up taking forever to choose because there was a lot of interesting-sounding dishes, there were appetizing photos, and I couldn’t believe how a lot of the dishes were affordable. In fact, they sounded so affordable they made me assume that portions wouldn’t be that big. And so I ordered three dishes for my friend and I to share.
First to arrive was the Tinapa roll wrapped with lettuce (P155). I thought it would be composed of just two small rolls so I was glad to see they were six small pieces. They’re basically lumpia composed of flaked smoked fish, tomato, onion and salted egg. Each piece sat on a piece of lettuce strip (I don’t remember seeing or tasting lettuce inside the roll itself), plus there was an accompanying vinegar dip. I swear it looked like it was just two teaspoons of vinegar, so I asked the waitress for more. She said it was just the vinegar on our table, which was a good thing because I hate asking the waiter for more, and more, and more — especially when it’s clear they’re too lazy to do so.
My chef friend loved the tinapa rolls. I loved them, too, although I was a little disappointed that I tasted the salted egg more than the tinapa. Still, they were very good, especially considering the price.
The Pasta Kaldereta (P175) and the Tofu Sisig (P140) arrived next.
The Pasta Kaldereta smelled like ordinary spaghetti; sadly it also tasted just like ordinary spaghetti. You know how in birthday parties you sometimes need to cram your spaghetti and beef kaldereta in your paper plate? It’s like getting a forkful from that plate.
On the other hand, the Tofu Sisig is surprisingly good. Most tofu dishes end up boring, but not this one. The bean curd is made special with a brown, gravy-like sauce (that is made tastier with calamansi) and more textured with chopped onion. Those on a diet or are health-conscious would love this one. It is also flavorful enough you can partner it with steamed rice.
My chef friend and I devoured all the tinapa rolls. We didn’t get to finish the Pasta Kaldereta because we weren’t exactly impressed. We also didn’t finish the Tofu Sisig; my friend was full because he was already stuffed when he got to Mesa while I was already full and wanted to save some of the Tofu Sisig so I could enjoy it at home.
The verdict: we liked the rolls, we didn’t like the pasta, we liked the tofu. Well, I LOVE the tofu. A return to Mesa is scheduled not just because of their Tofu Sisig. Most of the dishes are really affordable and seem yummy, too. Most probably you’ll hear us raving about Mesa again here, on our Facebook Page, our Twitter page, or on our Instagram account.
Mesa has branches in SM Southmall, Greenbelt 5, Tomas Morato, SM Megamall, Boracay, and Ayala Center in Cebu.
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Coconuts Critic’s Table reviews are written based on unannounced visits by our writers and paid for by Coconuts Manila. No freebies here.
