A Quiet Saturday at Casa Roces

Yasuo san was back in Manila for another training session with us. We took him out for lunch on a Saturday morning.  We were undecided where to take him and it was a good thing Andrea suggested Casa Roces inside the Malacanang complex. During the long car ride from Makati to San Miguel Manila, we were exchanging stories about life in Japan and in the Philippines. 

We had no idea what to expect but this big beautiful door was the one that greeted us upon entering. I loved the furnishings of old books and antiques in the yellow shelves. The ambiance seems elegant and homey at the same time. 

The restaurant downstairs is actually called Kape Chino, paying homage to Don Chino Roces. The restaurant boasts Spanish and Filipino cuisine. Some of these dishes has been fused with other European cuisines to give each guest a different dinning experience. I loved the twists they have on our favorite classics yet there dishes that  best cooked the traditional way.

It took a long time for us to decide what to order as there seems to be a lot of good items on the menu. We started off with Choritos en Balsamico (295 PHP). The chorizos were not too salty and the sweetened balsamic balanced out the taste. It was served with slices of crunchy bread. Each bite will have sweet and salty flavors dancing in your mouth.

We then shared the Marinated Artichoke Salad (160 PHP). It was really good with fresh and crunchy vegetables dressed lightly in vinaigrette. I hope they had a bigger portion of this though. The artichokes had a nice touch of sourness and balanced out by the shaved parmesan and olives.

Chryssie and Karen both had the Fettuccine with Bleu Cheese and Roasted Mushrooms (185 PHP). The pasta was al dente and the cream sauce with truffle oil made this perfect. The aroma of the truffle let's you keep coming back for more.

Yasuo san had the Spaghettini Gambas ala Jillo (195 PHP). He liked this dish too with rich flavors of garlic, tomatoes and shrimp.

Andrea and I had the Pan-fried Sole ala Beure Noisette (220 PHP). I liked how the lemon and capers balanced this dish. It went well with the garlic and the tender fillet of fish. The fish was grilled perfectly--it has a nice golden crust but the fillet was very tender inside and full of flavor.

We had an array of desserts and hot drinks after our lunch. The Leche Flan Brulee (95 PHP) was very creamy. It was a fushion of leche flan and creme brulee. Instead of a caramel topped flan, the sugar was torched to form a crunchy topping.

We also liked the Cherry Walnut Cheesecake (150 PHP). It had the right balance of taste and textures. The cheese was not too strong. The cheesecake was velvety but had a good balanced of crunch from the walnuts.

The Tiramisu (150 PHP) was alright as well.  

Along with our cakes, we had Tsokolate Ah, Cappuccino and Baileys Coffee. All these over Yasuo san talks about reaching for your dreams and really wanting it. We will always remember his story on how he got the States.

After our lunch they toured us upstairs to see the function rooms. All the rooms had beautiful furnishings of chandeliers, antique tables and chairs and different types of art like sculptures, drawings, photos and even designed and carved parchment paper.

These rooms are great for intimate events and can be rented for 1000 PHP per person and consumable. The restrooms were beautiful too. All the function rooms are named after publications like The Manila Times, The Tribune, the Daily Mirror and more where Don Chino Roces was the editor.

We had a great time at Casa Roces, The service was good and all their staff were helpful and polite. We loved the food. The ambiance was perfect and quiet and just right to have good talks with the perfect company.

Casa Roces can be found in JP Laurel st cor Aguado st San Miguel Manila. This is inside the Malacanang Complex. Coming from Osmena highway, turn right at Quirino avenue then take the Nagtahan Bridge. Do not go up the flyover to Lacson st. Just go down and turn left at the intersection until you see the guard going in to Malacanang. Casa Roces is just down the road.