The Tables are Full at LAMESA GRILL

I just realized another indication of a good restaurant:

the menu is almost in tatters.


although just a few months old,
the colorful menus of LaMesa Grill
are almost falling apart,

and after observing the sheer number of patrons
wolfing down the goodies this evening,
this restaurant definitely proves that,
like his wife, the rapidly inflating Ate Shawie,
Lamesa co-owner Sen. Kiko Pangilinan really knows his food.

the biggest surprise for me was
that the food was very very very affordable.

i thought that the prices would be more akin
to the higher-end restaurants in MoA,
such as the tagaytay highlands steakhouse
or like the similar nouveau pinoy restaurants in serendra.

and imagine my pleasant surprise
when i saw that the menu prices were more like Gerry's Grille.

except,
the food in LAMESA GRILL
(a playful nod to pyromaniac bobby flay's mesa grill!)
is as good as KKK,
and notches above the "cooked in mass quantities"
taste sensations when I eat at Dencio's and his kin.

The other gimmick of Lamesa?

You can grill on your tabletop, Yakiniku style!

Lamesa's superstar dish is
their plagiarized Pritchon piracy:
The CRISPCHON,
and it has a skin more like that of a really good lechon kawali,
and is sinfully scrumptious.



you can choose 3 dips,
and we chose the rikki's choice (hoisin),
spicy pork liver (mang tomas),
and the wonderful "wansuy infused" dip!




i love the fact that WANSUY
is present in almost all the ensaladas and sidings.
Hooray for the "surot" herb!!!!

Truly, the Pinoy version of Peking Duck!!!

The Gatorade Principle:

salt keeps the moisture in!!!

Lamesa has a full bar,

complete with all the premium vodkas and whiskeys;

but I need to go back to try

the GREEN MANGO & DALANDAN MARGARITAS!!!

the scallops were practically swimming in butter,
and we just had to drip this oily goodness over our garlic rice.
aray!!!!





the tawilis is as good as any i've had from taal;
and the sawsawan bagoong is paired with pureed manggang hilaw,
quite the successful innovation.

to offset our guilt from the Crispchon and the buttered sinangag,
we ordered sisig,
and i figured that this would be a regional specialty

that would be hard to mess up,
but sadly, it was the only dish that this capampangan found ordinary.

the boneless crispy hito was excellent

with the bagoong/blended manggang hilaw/wansuy...

specially the chicharon like tail section.

the Ginataang Pinakbet we ordered to offset our cholesterol guilt
had a spectacular coconut gravy

that seemed to derive sweetness from the kalabasa,
and this served as a counterpoint to the slight bitterness of the other vegetables
traditionally included in this northern classic.

and for dessert,
a splendid Guinumis,

topped with Pinipig & fresh Gata!!!!



according to the accomodating, alert, fast, and non-prickly serving staff,
the restaurant has a small kitchen,
with very little room for cold storage....

and they are way too dependent on whatever Lamesa's commissary
delivers on any given day;
which may explain the absence of the KAMIAS SORBET,
which we wanted to have in between courses.
well, this will definitely be the first on the agenda upon my return to lamesa.

total damage for all of the above,
plus beers and sodas + VAT,
was a very very reasonable P1,618.00!!!

A fitting Filipino send-off

for my favorite ka-birthday, Uncle Tong,

who's going back to Toronto in a week's time...

from Spanx, my sis Tins, and my Madder!!