We wanted to try filipino food, and chose this based on trip advisor. It's a small restaurant so good to reserve ahead. Our waitress was very friendly. We liked almost everything we ordered. I particularly liked the vegetable dishes.
I remembered walking by Lamesa Filipino Kitchen at least 4 years ago, at the tail end of my last trip to Toronto. I promised myself, that I next time I visited, it will be on my list. Well, I’m finally here. I’m not too familiar with Filipino food as I’ve only have it a handful of times. But I’m fascinated by all Asian food. This is an elevated version of Pinoy cuisine.
I had a fun Kamayan dinner here with a friend. I had called ahead for a reservation for this special dinner that they only serve on Sundays, they were almost fully booked but they did manage to fit us in. The service for this dinner was quite unique, with each item served and described individually all on large banana leaves and eaten with your fingers. We had fun picking through all the items with many different flavours and textures (see the item list on the menu). The only item that we didn't like, and both of us agreed, was the fish. A great new experience.
Lamesa means table, so the full name means… table filipino kitchen? Anyways. They served some pretty tasty food with romantic lighting, moody ambiance. We had this coconut fried polenta as a garnish for their fish (above, the polenta is that rectangular prism supporting the fish), and I fell in love with the restaurant then. I wish we could’ve just ordered that on its own. The polenta deserves a 5/5. We also had this pork (above), and it was just OK. Chinese pork siu yok is better, just because it’s oiler and juicier. We ended the meal with the ube dessert at the top of the page, which was quite refreshing.
I like to keep my food adventures random and a little bit to chance. When I hit Toronto last week, I decided to check what were some of the closest Filipino restaurants within decent walking distance from my hotel. As I was in town for work it would definitely have to be a dinner spot. I found three relatively easily, which surprised me given I was downtown. I normally don’t read other food blogs so as not to taint my taste buds with others opinions, but don’t mind word of mouth recoms. I asked MaryAnne, someone more familiar with Toronto than I, which of the three to try. She actually hadn’t gone to any of them but had heard good things about La Mesa, which has a “Filipino-inspired” menu. We went with that. We further pursued this food adventure by finding folks to join in the journey and we ended up with an interesting group of six, with André, Anne-Marie, Deanna, and Raphaëlle rounding off our group.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
I have eaten here 3 times in the last two months. I've tried their regular dinner service, their brunch, and finally their KAMAYAN (hand to mouth) Sunday dinner service, and I will be back. The staff is all very knowledgeable about the food, and they all seem genuinely interested in making sure your dining experience is a good one.
We walked in on a Saturday night and ask the tables were booked up so we sat at the bar and thoroughly enjoyed every bite that we ordered. We had the Tuna Kinilaw, Bicol Express, and another dish that I believe was the special but it had green beans and was delicious.
For brunch we had the Silog breakfast and the Bisteak and Eggs. We were both really happy with the dishes and very full. If we had any complaints it would be that there was too much food. :)
The KAMAYAN is an entirely different experience and I would recommend it to anyone who lives food. You must make a reservation for this dinner, as it is a tasting menu, "plated" directly on your table on top of a banana leaf by the chef and the owner as there explain to you exactly what you are eating. After they are finished "plating" everything you eat with your hands!! Not only was it delicious, but it was also an interesting experience. The variety of foods is fantastic. It is a lot of meat, but they sometimes have a vegetarian service as well (which I overheard is next week November 13).
All in all, I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant. And I also recommend their new sister restaurant Lasa by Lamesa on St. Clair. Which I will also review shortly.
OK so the food is pretty decent here, but that's not the issue. The price is ridiculous for Filipino food which like Chinese food is much cheaper. The second problem is it's a sort of fusion and not very authentic.
The third problem is the portions are incredibly small and the service is nothing to write home about.
I enjoyed the chicken adobo and duck lumpia but it wasn't worth $40, the slow and inexperienced service or the long wait for everything.
I won't be going back but out of our group of 10 only 2 would go back.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Labeled as one of the best Filipino restaurants in Toronto, and not having had Filipino food before, I knew I had to try Lamesa when I found out it was an option.
If you plan on going here, be sure to book a reservation, as this place is very small and fills up fast, especially during dinnertime. While it is small, bright colours and candlelight fill the room with a sense of warmth. While all the waitstaff is friendly, there was a sense of disorder that flowed throughout the staff.
I ended up having the lechon kawali, calamansi juice, and ube leche flan. The lechon kawali was a deep fried pork belly dish, which was very juicy once you got to the middle, but the fried part needed to be thinner in order to get the full experience. Calamansi is my new favourite juice as it tastes like a mixture of Sprite and pineapple juice, which gives the drink a tropical, bubbly feel. Ube leche flan had a very starchy taste to it, which is something I'm not used to in desserts, but the unexpected taste is what made me loved it (the purple look also helped with me loving it).
I would recommend this place, but like I said, get reservations.
I came here for UFEAST. The food is amazing. The chef really knows what he's doing. He is able to keep the traditional taste, but spunk up the dish with innovation in a way that only enhances the flavour.
6 of us came here on a Sunday night to try the LaMesa Kamayan dinner. It's a family style dinner for $40 per person and it's only served on Sundays.
The table is covered with banana leaves & the chef comes out to "plate" the food for you. By the time they placed the tasty sauces & food on the table you are faced with a colorful & beautiful masterpiece.
Everything was so good. I posted a photo of the menu in the pictures section. My favourite things were; the soy garlic purée, Pork Rib Inasal (very flavourful fall off the bone ribs), and Boneless Bagus (delicious milk fish). I'm not into clams but my friends said they were GREAT, full of coconut flavour.
We were stuffed after all that food but couldn't resist ordering additional desserts: Ube Leche Flan & a moist chocolate cake with caramelized bananas. So glad we did. They were absolutely delicious.
Next time we feel for Filipino food I know where I can come back to. Be sure to make reservations though.
We booked out the restaurant for a friend's birthday tonight, and the team put out an incredible meal. Absolutely everything was delicious. Could have eaten an entire bowl of the brussel sprouts, but thankfully I didn't as I needed the room to try everything on the giant platters they brought out for us to share, each item of which was unique and full of flavor and perfectly cooked. Great place for a couple people, or a big group like ours.
Got to try the Valentine's Day Prix fixe. First time being at the new location. Atmosphere is very cozy and vibrant. Food is INCREDIBLE. I loved tasting these food that I grew up on in a new and elevated way.
Jacob Wharton-Shukster
+5
Absolutely delicious gem, serving unpretentious Filipino cuisine that is incredibly easy to get along with. Affable service and a bright cheery room. Long live Lamesa!
We ordered catering for about 25 people for a return to office gathering. The staff at Lamesa were incredibly gracious, kind and patient with every new request we made in our order. They arrived early and did the full set up turning our modern office environment into a beautiful oasis landscape. With aromatic banana leaf's and tropical floral décor cradling the food, feeding all the senses. The attendance was fewer than 25 but judging by the leftovers you would never tell. Rating Lamesa, their staff and their presentation at a 10 out of 10. Oh yes! they came to collect everything on time and the whole experience was so smooth. We will definitely be making a catering request of them again... and the next time we will have the Halo halo ice dessert and we are all looking forward to it! Until next time Lamesa we will fondly remember this delicious day.
Highly recommended! The staff was friendly, welcoming, and attentive and the food was delicious and in generous portions. The fried chicken and the garlic rice in the chick-silog were really good and the adobo brussel sprouts were perfectly cooked.
Finally checked this banana leaf plate off my list of things to try! It’s an interesting way to introduce all kinds of Filipino food if you aren’t familiar. The flavour isn extravagant but comforting.
My favorite Filipino restaurant in Toronto! ❤️ Every single thing on the menu offers an elevated Filipino culinary experience. My current gastronomical obsession is their Discovery Brunch-- it creates a party in my mouth and makes my soul happy! Thank you Lamesa! You rock!
We ordered the Discovery Dinner and it was delicious, with a little bit of everything! Also had the brainfog cocktail, highly recommend for its aesthetic in a beautiful purple colour and lychee taste. The servers were so attentive and overheard our table’s birthday wishes, offering a complimentary dessert to the bday boy.
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