Review Lamesa Filipino Kitchen - Toronto

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.

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.

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.

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. <br/>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. <br/>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. :)<br/>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). <br/><br/>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. <br/>

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.<br/>The third problem is the portions are incredibly small and the service is nothing to write home about.<br/><br/>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. <br/><br/>I won't be going back but out of our group of 10 only 2 would go back.

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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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).<br/><br/>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. <br/><br/>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. <br/><br/>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. <br/><br/>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. <br/><br/>Next time we feel for Filipino food I know where I can come back to. Be sure to make reservations though. <br/>

I headed to Lamesa for their tasting menu last night, which, by the way, has been rated one of the Top 5 tasting menus in Toronto.<br/><br/>The tasting menu is 11 courses long and is made up of dishes that are bite sized and some that are a little bigger. All of the dishes can be found on the regular menu.<br/><br/>This experience is a delicious journey over the entire menu. Filipino food is a cuisine of contrasts and this tasting menu gives you lots of chances to experience this. There wasn't any dish served that I didn't like.<br/><br/>Two thumbs up, and if I had more thumbs I'd put those up also.<br/><br/>

GIRLLLLLL!! Normally when I have high expectations for a restaurant I end up leaving pretty disappointed. This time I went in EXCITED AF and left so happy I could die. I went for the Sunday Kamayan dinner (which is their set menu for $40). The presentation was stunning, with a variety of different sauces you could dip your food in (ranging from hot to sweet). There was chicken, ribs, clams, a lettuce wrap, rice, veggies - the list goes on! Actually it stops there, but I highly recommend making a reservation this Sunday and trying this out.

Modern Filipino cuisine is a rarity in Toronto but thanks to Lamesa Filipino Kitchen you can experience the bold flavours in Filipino inspired dishes served up by the new head chef Daniel Cancino. Daniel was born in Hong Kong but raised in the Philippines so he is very familiar with home cooked Filipino food. Daniel began working in the food industry at the age of 15 and after completing the culinary program at George Brown college he worked at many notable restaurants in Toronto such as Hudson Kitchen, Kanto, The Thompson Hotel, and Union. He is now the head chef at Lamesa where his culinary upbringing and Toronto learned cooking techniques have given him the inspiration to produce a unique spin on classic Filipino dishes.<br/><br/>With the addition of head chef Daniel also comes a brand new fall/winter menu at Lamesa that features visually stunning dishes with sweet and sour flavours. The menu includes a number of items that I had never tried before so I was extremely excited to preview the menu.<br/><br/>When I arrived at at Lamesa, I automatically felt a very cozy and intimate atmosphere. The lights were dimmed, the space was long but narrow and some chill hip hop jams were playing. There was also art pieces throughout the restaurant which I later found out were from a number of Filipino artists in the community. After getting seated and being welcomed by the owner and chef Daniel, I was ready to indulge in quite an eclectic menu. <br/><br/>Here’s what I tried:<br/><br/>Boracay Breezy Cocktail – dark rum, coconut rum, banana liqueur, house made peach liqueur and macerated strawberry syrup<br/><br/>Tuna Kinilaw - albacore tuna, coconut calamansi vinaigrette, fresh chiles, coconut guacamole, shrimp chips <br/><br/>Beet Maalat Salad - salted egg, white anchovy, beets, Thai basil, watercress, wild rice <br/><br/>Corned Beef Lumpia - House corned brisket, house banana ketchup, house cheese, house kimchi, cabbage mostarda <br/><br/>Ensaladang Talong - roasted eggplant, eggplant caponata, creme fraiche, salted egg, puffed wild rice, sweet soy <br/><br/>Cauliflower Ginataan - Roasted and grilled cauliflower, green cauliflower puree, coconut cauliflower foam <br/><br/>Pork and Octopus Dinuguan - octopus, pork cheek, onion, apple, maple puto, pig blood <br/><br/>Beef Bulalo - beef short rib, bone marrow, cabbage, potato, salsa verde, beef and ginger broth <br/><br/>Ube Leche Flan - spanish style custard made with sweet purple yam, puffed wild rice, apple tapioca <br/><br/>The highlights for me were the Tuna Kinilaw, Corned Beef Lumpia, Beef Bulalo and Ube Leche Flan. The tuna tasted extremely fresh and paired perfectly with the coconut guac and shrimp chips. The corned beef lumpia's were like a spring roll on the outside but filled with corned beef goodness inside and served with homemade banana ketchup and kimchi. The bulalo broth was so tasty and aromatic and the beef literally fell right off of the bone. The ube leche flan was unreal and I don’t think I have ever tasted something quite like it. Not only did it look lovely, but it tasted amazing. Very light with a creamy texture and the perfect amount of sweetness. Loved the addition of puffed wild rice and apple tapioca which made for all sorts of fun textures in my mouth. <br/><br/>My least favourite was the Pork Octopus Dinuguan. This dish was just weird to me. Octopus paired with pork and pigs blood is just not appetizing and it wasn’t visually appealing either. There was so much strong sour flavour as well, the whole thing unfortunately threw me off.<br/><br/>Overall I really enjoyed my experience at Lamesa and would come back here for drinks and starters. The main dishes were good, but I really enjoyed the smaller plates. It’s great to have a culinary hub for all things Filipino in Toronto so be sure to check out this spot if you want to experience a modern twist on your favourite Filipino dishes!<br/><br/>Twitter: @lamesaTO<br/><br/>Instagram: lamesato<br/><br/>FB: LamesaFilipinoKitchen

I enjoyed a great meal with a bunch of food bloggers. We sampled a good chunk of Lamesas menu. This is modern Filipino food. Some traditional items and some with their spin and modern influence. Standout items included the purple dessert creamy and plated like a work of art. The owner and chef are on a mission to change your perception of Filipino food. The lumpur rolls are also fantastic crispy bites. There is also a braised beef dish that has the best broth and tender beef. Get your Filipino food on and check out this place

A friend of mine was celebrating a birthday and she wanted to try out Lamesa Filipino Kitchen, specifically for their "Kamayan" Hand to Mouth Dinner.  It looked like a wonderful spread of food so I was more than happy to join. Favourite of the night were the clams, the lechon lettuce wrap, the garlic rice and the fried chicken. I loved the flavour of the clams! Most other times when I get clams, it's done Chinese style with black beans and chili but this dish had coconut flavour to it which really made it stand out. Only wish there was more!!

This is my second time at Lamesa now as I was here for their Summerlicious menu (review here) back in July, and I am completely blown away by the food and service as last time!<br/>I admit, their prices are quite up there and they serve more of a modern fusion Filipino food, thus if you are still not so sure whether to dine here or not, I recommend trying their Summerlicious/Winterlicious menu. I think for both occasions, Lamesa only offers the dinner menu at $35 and in my opinion it was worth it! My friends left the restaurant extremely satisfied and loved every bits of it.

A star in the making! Chef Daniel Cancino delivers an eccentric, yet satisfying Fall/Winter menu at Lamesa Filipino Kitchen full of surprisingly flavorful and creative variations on classics from the Philippines. Couple that with some delicious cocktails courtesy of Bartender Justin Bella and you have a winning combination.

I was lucky enough to be invited to Lamesa (@LamesaTO) once again where we were introduced to their new Fall/Winter Menu from their new Head Chef Daniel Cancino. The moto here was to show people a modern elevated version of Filipino Food and it's executed by a brand new classically French trained chef.

Another Summerlicious 2015 experience at Lamesa Filopino Kitchen with my badminton peers after an intense session at Trinity Bellwoods Community Center.  The walking distance was supposedly not that far, roughly ten minutes,  but we were exhausted from the game and the heavy workout bags carried along extended our travel time to twenty minutes.

VERY cool vibe, playful and eclectic decor and it didn't hurt that they were playing a J Dilla playlist. But let's get down to what REALLY mattered – the food! Wow, totally surprised at the quality of food here. I grew up with quite a few Filipino friends so I've been exposed to basic Filipino cuisine. They've taken traditional food and infused a modern take and they did so very successfully. Would be very interested to hear a Filipino perspective but I absolutely loved it and so did my wife. We had the salmon, pea pancit, pork belly and beef burgers – all amazing! Will be going back to try the rest of the menu. Do yourself a favour and GO THERE ALREADY.

The restaurant is tiny with a modern decor and homey feel with the wooden tables. Lamesa’s servers are extremely knowledgeable and patiently explained to every customers about the items on the menu. Also, they are incredibly friendly and attentive, so you will never have to worry about getting your water refilled here :). I wanted to try the Halo-Halo, which is a famous Filipino dessert and it’s available on their regular menu. However Lamesa doesn’t offer items on the regular menu during Summerlicious week, so I have an excuse to come back and try the Halo-halo now after Summerlicious is over :p. Since I went with 3 other people, we were able to get most of the items on the menu, and thank you so much for letting me take pictures of your food for blogging’s purposes (LOL).

You'll find Lamesa Filipino Kitchen at Queen and Bathurst, sitting beside the black facade of Kenzo Ramen. The storefront and the restaurant itself is quite small. Inside, you'll find a few tables at the front and more near the back past the bar. The space is modern, fun and clean. They have $5 snacks and daily specials written on a chalkboard. The menu was quite simple, which was great for Sally and I because this was our first experience with Filipino food, plus the waitress was nice enough to explain and recommend some dishes. The atmosphere is chill and intimate with attentive staff.

We’ve been meaning to try this restaurant for awhile now. They also have the Kamayan dinner where you eat with your hands but they didn’t have it that night. So we had the a-la-carte tonight. We started with SISIG – Pig’s face, chicken gizzard, fried egg, rice. Yummy, the pork was very tasty...

Halo Halo Sisig and Rice. Very tasty<br/><br/><br/>-----06 Feb, 2015-----<br/><br/>Ensaymada Bread Pudding. Dessert - soo good!

I would say stay away if youre filipino as a corner store filipino cousine will outperform this restaurant. This is truly a fusion style filipino cousine where the fundamental flavours and style are lost through transition. I was disappointed when we ordered chicken adobo (dry, chicken served with no soup/sabaw at all but is served with decoration sauce that doesnt taste close to adobo). lecheon kawali was more of a merienda for kids than for adults. $18 and you get 5 2.5" x 1.5 inch and .25" slices with lettuce, some pickled carrots and wrap (4"x4") Their turon dessert that i was looking forward to only had a turon flake which sat on the chocolate cake. See pics if they stay. <br/><br/>Overall disappointed. 3/10

Expectations well exceeded!. Can't believe I walked by this place almost every day for a year before I tried it! Delightful and impressive combination of flavours. Somehow able to taste a myriad of distinctly different tastes in every bite - I think it was because of chef's clever use of different textures. Beautifully presented and humbly served with a clear pride of ownership.

Caution. Only brunch menu available Saturday mornings till 3pm. Still great.

Delightful Food Feast. As newcomers to Filipino cuisine, this restaurant was a wonderful experience. The apparent fusion of traditional flavours with an artistic twist was, from our little group's perspective, exotic dining we thoroughly enjoyed. An unexpected highlight to our Toronto visit. (We were totally stuffed by the end of it!)

Disappointing. Heard about this place from many of my friends. The filipino dishes were about as good as you can expect if you are filipino or ever tried them, such as the sisig, but the fusion-style dishes were disappointing. I had the fried chicken adobo, which was basically just fried chicken with a little sauce and not even that good. Normal style adobo would've been way better. The service was extremely slow, they clearly can't keep up with the reservation times because we waited even after coming early, and we were literally kicked out as soon as we paid.

Highly Disappointed. The service was pretty bad. Did not have our reservation ready when we got there early. Even after 15 minutes past our reservation time, tables were not ready even though no one was sitting at numerous dirty tables. Staff were not friendly and kind of ruined what could have been a good night. Would not recommend based on horrible service alone.

Why didn't I try this place sooner?!. Highly recommended. This place has a great vibe to it. The food is amazing. The sisig was on the small side but it was delicious. The crispy pata's awesome. The dessert selection for that day had cheesecake with a surprise twist to it.

Lamesa ran out of Crispy Pata. I headed down to Lamesa this evening. Called and requested a reservation for 7:30 pm - they did not acknowledge the call nor the reservation made on line. <br/>We ended up sitting at the bar. After ready to try this restaurant out we were informed they ran out of Crispy Pata. <br/><br/>Asked the waitress about special $80 Chef Special and was informed we need to call 24 hrs in advance - if you want to order the Chef Special<br/><br/>What a disappointment. How can you run out of a main dish? It is unfortunate - <br/>Do think I'd want to come back. I drove all the way from Mississauga with my family - poor service in the restaurant industry is the kiss of death - good luck !!

I went here lastnight with my boyfriend and it was absolutely amazing! Very authentic with a modern twist on Filipino dishes except the Krispy pata, amazing! Nice atmosphere

First time ever going. My g/f is Filipino so I thought I would surprise her on valentines day. I've had traditional filipino food before (which I love) so I was very excited. I was expecting something salty and full of flavour but instead I got something subtle (not too salty) and relied on natural flavouring. Coming from a traditional filipino home My gf said it was very "Canadianised". But we both still enjoyed it, the service was great, and the venue was very elegant.

Worst Wedding food reception ever. We have attended a Filipino/Indian wedding and Lamesa was the caterer. BOY! it sucks. What was this company thinking? Chicken Adobo and Monggo to be the main dish in this wedding. Was a waste of money and time. They could have at least advised the couple that Chicken Adobo and sauted Monggo is just an ordinary day dish that is served in any Filipino household. And my adobo is way better than theirs. For the best Filipino dish you want to have, go to Chef George. Affordable and delicious.By the way, the pancit that was served on that wedding was NOT cooked. BAD, BAD, BAD. will not recommend to anybody.

Anniversary Dinner. Had a delicious experience at Lamesa. We let them know that it was our anniversary and Lester took such great care to make our evening so enjoyable and delectable. The menu was very different but the wait staff always clarified and explained things thoroughly. This modern twist on Filipino cuisine was superb and one can tell the passion they have for food and hospitality. Thank you for making our 17th anniversary wonderful :-)

We've been meaning to get to Lamesa for a long while, and tonight we finally made it. Our only regret is that it took us so long to get here.<br/><br/>Everything about the experience was top notch. We sat at the bar (*Note: of you're coming on a Saturday make a reservation) and from the moment we arrived we were treated like guests in someone's home. <br/><br/>The staff explained the menu, with a wonderful background exposition on Filipino history and cuisine generally. The vibe is laid back, professional, and welcoming.<br/><br/>We chose the prix fixe menu (a steal at $40/person) and were completely blown away by the quality and originality of every course. The menu changes often, so we won't provide details on every dish here; suffice it to say that if the lamb shank or fried chicken are on the menu when you visit, order both with all due haste!<br/><br/>This is a real Toronto treasure, and we will be returning as soon as possible to try the 11 course tasting menu (reservations and at least 24 hours advance notice required).

I was really excited to try this place after hearing about it from a friend. Being of Filipino background, I was curious to see how they put their spin on our cultural food. I got the $40 fixed price menu. They started with arroz caldo as an amuse bouche. I then had the halo halo sisig and rice, the lamb kare kare and then the jackfruit brûlée. Our table also shared a platter that had a variety of their merienda. Everything was absolutely delicious while still staying true to the flavours of the Philippines. A friend of mine who has never had Filipino food, thoroughly enjoyed the food. It was a great intro for him to Filipino food. The staff made it that more of a memorable experience. The servers were quite knowledgable of each dish and the approach the restaurant takes to Filipino cuisine. You also learn a little bit about the Philippines as the servers speak about each dish. I can't wait to go back and to try different items on the menu. I would highly recommend this place to anyone.

Bad first impression. I called to make a reservation for my birthday for 8 people and was told they don't normally do parties larger than 6. <br/>WHY? do they not want our business?? to top it off, when the guy on the phone asked if i had been there before and i told him no, he asked me "what's the deal? you've never been here before and you're inviting your friends?.. is everyone having dinner? ...are you sure you guys will show up for the reservation?" after an awkward conversation, he then informed me that everyone would have to pay for the $40 fixed price menu, which was fine. i booked the reservation only to call back 10 minutes later to cancel. i really wanted to try the food but i was turned off by the customer service. <br/>sorry. there are things that you should not say to (new) customers.

Awesome Restaurant. My friends and i came here on halloween to celebrate my bday. As soon as i walked in was impressed by the ambiance, it was small and quaint. <br/><br/>I can't even begin to describe the dishes that were served to us. One word "Delish". The food isn't your average home cooked filipino food, it has an urban westernized style to it. Filipino fine dining at its best!<br/><br/>Good customer service for sure -- I can tell you this much that customer service isn't the cup of tea for most filipino restaurants ( sorry to say ). Lamesa changed my views on that. For my bday also the staff gave me a bday card and they gave me a taste of something that the chef is still experimenting with. Not a fan of lamb, but again Lamesa changed my views on it. I hope they put it on the menu coz i will definitely order it. <br/><br/>We all had a great time. Will definitely go back there again.

At the end of it all... I'm happy.. It wasn't easy calling this place to book a reservation, nor did it make a good first impression when I walked in hoping to finally experience this place since I came too late in the night. But alas the third time is indeed a charm. They finally picked up the phone and was able to make a reservation. I love what Lamesa is doing; urban-chic-filipino-goodness. Though the portions are underwhelmingly little. I'm a hungry guy, I need good. The server says the chef's are trying to do more of a French style portion. Fancy and all but this defeats the whole purpose. How about you bring in the cafeteria style into the urban chic atmosphere and we can have it all! Lamesa redeemed itself by catering to my hungry needs by hooking us up with two more plates of delectable food, but more of an appetizer really... but it is better than nothing. A in my books.

Great experience. Knowing Filipino food pretty well, I think that this place does a great job of introducing this exotic cuisine to downtown Toronto foodies. Yes it is a little "toned-down"/modernized/Westernized compared to authentic, home-cooked Filipino food, but that's not what this place is about anyway.<br/>The service was excellent.<br/>Masarap!

Awesome!. I am a Filipina Foodie (aren't we all) and just had to try this restaurant after reading the reviews in Toronto Star (3star) and Globe (1star). Had to make my own decision. Came all the way from Oakville. LOVED IT! My party rated it a 10 star! The food was tasty, and not just a big stew mess. My son loved the bbq, as he said he could taste the seasonings and the BBQ. Really, you must try it! The setting was clean, and professional. The meals were exactly as described, "deconstructed" yet tasted the same! I would say, authentic for taste, but with presentation! We all had the chef's tasting menu, and ordered extras. The adobo was unbelievable. Definitely not the traditional adobo - more like, crispy lechon with the adobo sauce on the side! The guylay (veg) was crisp ! I will def order that next time as I took only a bit of a friends order! And you have to order the halo halo dessert - it's not overly sweet as usual. Service was amazing! Very professional, fast. Our server described all the dishes to us. Definitely, you must check it out...

Aura nice, food looks good if we get it this year! <br/>Reservations should be held only till the minute they don't show, especially when there is a table of 8 waiting! <br/>"tables available" on here, is fairly untrue ( I'm looking at very little room! I'd make a reservation, not that they matter! ) <br/>Staff is smiling, happy and sweet, so it makes my hungry belly a little better! <br/>Food<br/>Is <br/>Over <br/>Priced<br/>But delicious for the small size of potion<br/>Go to Max's of phillippines - worth the drive!

For years, I have been openly embarrassed at the quality of Filipino 'restaurants' in the city. Casa Manila and Max's are both great, but they're rather far for us downtown folk. And now, finally, Lamesa comes along.<br/><br/>If this new restaurant is the future of Filipino food in Toronto (at long last! A proper restaurant with real plates!), I am 100% for it. <br/><br/>Oh, and trust me: you will like the food. Prix fixe, $35.00. Not Summerlicious or Winterlicious-- every day is Filipinolicious. <br/><br/>My only criticism (and I hate writing it): please teach the servers how to pronounce the dishes. Bagoong became "ba-dong," and "gulay" turned into "goo-LAY." It was cute because they were really trying hard, but if Lamesa is going to be teaching Toronto about Filipino food, this should be an important training piece so that soon, everyone-- Filipino and non-Filipino-- will be eating bagoong and gulay with pride.<br/><br/>Out of all of those Filipino take-out places that pile our cultural food into styrofoam containers rises a true star.<br/><br/>Finally.

Good food, but didn't expect it to be "modern". This restaurant is a modern take on filipino cuisine. And the food is good... But I wish I could have been warned. I'm from the Philippines, I was expecting the cosy, home-cooked style filipino cooking is. No fuss, simple and delicious. Family style. The sign says "Filipino cuisine". It should say "Modern filipino cuisine" or "Gourmet filipino cuisine" and I would've been in a different mindset.<br/><br/>First of all, I was late to meet my friends who were already there. Filipino time right? And apparently, the non-filipino waitress came to the table my friends were at 2-3 times to ask them if they were going to order. A waitress putting PRESSURE in a filipino restaurant??? Filipino is no pressure at all.... What the hell. <br/><br/>On the positive side: the sisig and amuse-bouche were awesome.<br/><br/>Then I ordered a pork adobo. And it was not like stewy style you have in every banquet or home in the Philippines. It was hoitty toitty and dry, it looked like a dish from a Michelin star restaurant in Paris!? The sauce was in a separate tiny jar? My white friends had no idea how to eat it. They were eating the dry pork on its own and didn't use the sauce on the rice, cause they didn't get it. The adobo is all about the sauce! <br/><br/>I was so excited when the restaurant opened, and expecting this place to be my regular canteen... I eat out almost every day. I was expecting that place to make me feel like I'm in the Philippines that I miss. <br/>Being served by a non filipino pressuring me and my friends to order, and explaining me what adobo is, to see that it's dry, does not make me feel like in the Philippines. <br/><br/>OR: please change your sign so us filipinos are prepared psychologically!!!! :)

Delicious Food, Great Staff!. I chose items from the Chef's Tasting Menu (Halo Halo Sisig, Braised Short Rib Kaldereta, Jackfruit Creme Brulee) and it did not disappoint! My favourite was the Kaldereta, which was so tender and bursting with flavour. The tasting menu also had a "pre-dessert" course which featured the restaurant's take on Key Lime Pie. Instead of lime juice, they used Calamansi juice, and served it with a pie-crust like pastry. The tasting menu is a great way to try the different items available, but they also serve the dishes a la carte if you're not too hungry. The restaurant itself is rather small, but there was more than enough wait staff to go around. I found the staff to be very friendly and attentive - they visited my table multiple times to check if everything was ok, and if we were enjoying our dinner. It was my first time at Lamesa, and it definitely won't be my last!

A bit disappointing. We had the tasting menu, I ordered the sisig, the beef rib, and the plantain pastry. it was just ok. I was expecting better flavour but was disappointed. The beef rib was tender but lacked taste. Do NOT order the plantain dessert. I was extremely boring in taste. The jackfruit creme brulee was delicious.

This was a beautiful restaurant with winderful staff. We were treated kindly and were even brought some tasting "tapas" food throughout our meal. What a wonderful modern take on traditional Filipino food. Defineatly worth a trip down to queen street again. I encourage anyone interested in tasting beautiful Filipino cuisine in an intimate "kareoke-less" environment to try this restaurant. The food will not dissapoint.

A whack of food bloggers and journalists were invited to Lamesa to come and check out their new, revamped space and taste some of the items on the menu, which has also been recently revised. I have never been there before, so it was all new to me. The restaurant is quite cosy and warm with little modern touches to contrast their whacky bar area. Someone described it as a Filipino tiki bar, which is pretty fitting. As soon as Heather and I sat down, we were given a cocktail - so civilized. The Lolo Cool J was so full of spicy ginger that it gave a bit of a scotch burn on the way down and I mean that in the best way. I almost left the pineapple chunks in my glass until Heather elbowed me and gestured to my glass. The pineapple, soaked in ginger and bourbon was the best part and almost like a cocktail dessert. It went down way to easily and it was a very good thing that nobody offered me a second. The third drink, a Tita Baby, was not my jam at all. It was a mixture of mango, Bailey's and

Chef Rudy will come to your table and serve the meal. Beautiful, fresh banana leaves are laid out across the table making up the ‘plate’ and painted brush strokes of hot sauce, caramels, shrimp pastes and other goodies. It’s done all in a very theatrical nature and each portion and ingredient is explained in detail.

Lamesa promotes a more contemporary approach to traditional or homestyle Filipino dishes. It’s refreshing to see new twists applied to food I’ve been familiar with since childhood. I also appreciate what this restaurant does since while Filipinos make up one of the largest minority groups in Toronto, I haven’t really encountered many people familiar with Filipino food in the same way they may be familiar with other types of ethnic cuisine. There also aren’t that many Filipino restaurants around in general in this area.

I didn’t like this fried chicken because the meat was SO dry underneath the skin. The skin was fried well and extremely crispy; in fact, I don’t think I’ve had such crispy fried chicken before. However, the meat inside was so bland and dry. Even the barely-there smear of garlic puree on the wooden plate didn’t help with the flavouring.

I came in with very high expectations and eager to try their three course menu for $25. They could be the restaurant to make me change my mind on the Licious menus. <br/><br/>My favourite thing out of the three was definitely the halo halo sisig. Halo halo is Filipino for a “mix” of things. This dish is made with pork, chicken and garlic served with rice and a side of calamansi. That miniature lime thing you see in the mini- skillet is called a calamansi and tastes like a cross between a lime and clementine.

...Watching the food be placed throughout the table. It really felt like food was being used as art and the banana leaves was the canvass....The cornbread made with purple yam was delicious. I told the chef how much I liked it, and minutes later I was handed a small to-go container filled with the corn bread! Made me so happy!

The service was great and the atmosphere served up as a nice place for a quiet evening out. It was higher priced for the amount of food I actually did enjoy. I do like their menu and their creativity with their own take on Filipino dishes, they did it very well. They also have a Filipino-Canadian brunch going on during the weekends, and a tasting menu. I would like to give this place another go during the summertime, all for their Halo Halo.

Nestled amongst all the action on the bustling Queen St W., Lamesa occupies what used to be the old Rosebud space. The front foyer space is home to a long high-top communal table, crafted from a single piece of stunning wood that is both imperfect and perfect at the same time. - See more at: http://www.abbeyskitchen.com/blog/event-lamesa-brings-modern-filipino-food-queen-w/#sthash.4wtLNuXW.dpuf

Lamesa has brought modern filipino cuisine to the Toronto food scene and we’re all the better for it.  Smoked Bangus (Milk Fish) and prepared as a fish cake in garlic fried rice. Their Fil-Can brunch takes Canadian brunch classics and adds a filipino twist.  I had some of my best guys, Shingo, Squiggy and Kee, join me on a sunny Saturday.  We managed to snag the front table, perfect for people watching while some of us enjoyed a Lamesa shandy. Benny and Squiggy chilling with a shandy Lamesa makes its shandies with calamansi: tiny filipino limes that we often use in a lot of our cooking. Calamansi – You’d have to to squeeze a LOT of these to get enough juice for a shandy! We were all very hungry and luckily none of Lamesa’s dishes were of the light variety.  Squiggy decided that he would choose the delicious sounding Pork and Pancakes. And it looked very, very  tasty: Squiggy ordered the

In a nutshell, this was, by far, one of the best restaurants in Toronto. I was impressed that they decided to do away with the trappings of standard Filipino restaurants, such as pictures of the Last Supper and carabao figurines. The interiors were sleek and spacious, with bright white walls and an impressively ornate gold ceiling. The service was exemplary - not too obtrusive but extremely friendly and warm, with each server making sure that clear explanations accompanied each dish.

I’m really on the fence with the score for Lamesa. I think there were a number of dishes that were just OK and I wouldn’t say I had any ‘wow’ bites. That said, I think the $35 tasting concept is brilliant (even if two of the courses are one bite) and I really enjoyed the service.<br/>I think I would recommend it to others on the basis of value and uniqueness, but not sure if I myself would go back for a second try. Read full review...

Filipino food often falls by the wayside when it comes to gourmet cuisine (perhaps due to Spam being one of the Philippines’ national meats...

Made reservations for their "Hand to Mouth" event that happens every two weeks. Basically you're eating with your hands, there are no utensils but plenty of wet-naps, this style of eating is called "kamayan". The chefs plate the food live in front of you while explaining every sauce and ingredient as it's being beautifully placed on the banana leaf lined table. The table lined with banana leaf.

I still can't quite put my finger on this restaurant/food. I did enjoy the appetizers, but not so much the main dishes. Is is because I am not used to Filipino food? or is it because I just didn't like the food?

After all that food and warm hospitality, it was no surprise we did not notice time pass us by and we finished late. Lamesa for sure gave me a solution to my dilemma. I’ll direct anyone who wants to sit and experience Filipino fine dining their way.

Lamesa (@LamesaTO) have been changing the perception of ethnic cuisine with a myraid of influences and reinventing some classic dishes. Although the focus of Chef Ruby Boquila is still Filipino food, her does borrow from all the food that he tasted.<br/> Haven't been to Lamesa since my visit here and have been meaning to revisit when they launch their brunch menu. Thanks for Mary Luz (@MaryLuzOnFood) for inviting me to this brunch menu tasting.

Pass by Lamesa Philipino Kitchen   ( @LamesaTO ) a couple of time and have been meaning to give it a try since it's not everyday that you'll find such a pretty Filipino Restaurant in the heart of downtown Toronto.  "Chef Rudy Boquila has taken traditional homestyle Filipino food and elevated it using fresh locally grown ingredients as well as new and classical techniques. The flavors remain authentic but the presentation is more contemporary." It's a pretty narrow and small space, we went on a Friday night and it was packed but good thing we had reservation. I really not too familiar with Philippines cuisine, so not sure what each dish should have taste like and if it's authentic or not (>_ San Miguel Beer  from Philippines They have a fairly simple menu, 3 choice of apps, 3 main and 2 desserts that can be ordered a la carte.... or you can choose their Tasting Menu $35 which we did, it's basically a prix fixe where you choose 1 from each section plus a Chef's amuse bouche and a pre-de

Ditch the knife, fork, spoon, chopsticks or whatever cutlery you use to eat. Free yourself from all that nonsense and just eat with your hands, folks. That's how it's going down at the kamayan dinner at Lamesa, where food is presented on lush, green banana leaves and eaten by hand. Available every Sunday for $40 per person you can now experience an interactive, one-of-a-kind hands-on eating celebration.

Lamesa's prix-fixe 5 course Chef's tasting menu for $35.00, is a representation of the aromas, texture and taste of traditional Filipino ingredients fused with international flavours. Owner Less Sabilano and Chef Boquilla are embracing this concept by serving crowd favourites while exploring with world cuisine with new daily menu items.

Nice little spot to try. As soon as I walked in my mouth started watering! Lots of great flavors to the food that are quite unique. The service was great, the atmosphere pretty plain, but clean and nice lighting. I do feel like some of the dishes were way overpriced for what we got, so overall not sure I'd go back.

If you’re looking for a unique dining experience on Queen Street West, look no further than Lamesa. With a prime location on Queen West, right near Bathurst Street – the restaurant has been opened for just over a year. Chef Rudy Boquila alongside sous chef, Joash Dy have thought of an inventive new way to entertain and feed diners: Kamayan dinner.<br/><br/>This Sunday night feast (the word Kama, is the Filipino word for “hand” and therefore Kamayan roughly translates into “eat with your hands”) is a family-style meal with over 18-different components and not a single utensil to lay claim to – so come prepared. <br/><br/>Chef Rudy will come to your table and serve the meal. Beautiful, fresh banana leaves are laid out across the table making up the ‘plate’ and painted brush strokes of hot sauce, caramels, shrimp pastes and other goodies. It’s done all in a very theatrical nature and each portion and ingredient is explained in detail. <br/><br/>Step by step, the meal is layered on top of each other including meats and fish and everything from sweet to savoury. Some highlights of the dish include the lettuce wrap with a sisig blend of pork, chicken and beef or even the adobo fried chicken. One item that may seem intimidating to eat but is a beautiful dish is the crispy fish with its delicate flavouring and smokiness. <br/><br/>Lovely clams cooked in coconut milk, grilled corn, baby bok choi and some rice were other fine additions to the table. All of this is for $40/per person with a minimum of 2 people per table.<br/><br/>If you’ve been looking to experience all the spoils of fine Filipino food, check out Lamesa’s Sunday evening feasts.

23rd October 2014<br/><br/>How often to you get to eat with your hands? And I don’t mean eating foods like pizza, wings or canapes where eating any other way would raise an eyebrow or two. I’m also not referring to at not-to-be-named knights and jousting establishment; or when you were five. I mean eating a meal generally reserved for plates and cutlery. A multi-course, multi-dish extravaganza. For all those who have answered “Recently” then I’m disappointed I haven’t been invited along. For everyone else, let me tell you what you are missing.<br/><br/>Kamayan is the Filipino way of eating with your hands; a tradition revered generation after generation of families coming together over a wonderful meal served on banana leaves and just waiting to be pinched with your fingers.<br/><br/>As with everything they do at Lamesa Filipino Kitchen co-owner Les Sabilano and chefs Rudy Boquila and Joash Dy try to bring the tastes of their native country to city diners while interpreting it in their own unique “Torontonian” way.<br/><br/>What started out as an occasional, then a monthly event has now grown in popularity so much so that Lamesa now offers a Kamayan feast every Sunday for anyone to try. Catering to group sizes as little as two people the team behind this amazing menu present a feast not just for your taste buds but as Chef Rudy points out “a meal that includes all your senses”.<br/><br/>Without giving away all the dramatics behind their feast I will say that like a live performance art piece you have no idea where it is going until it is all laid out. A culinary masterpiece of mango salad, smoked fish, adobe chicken wings, lettuce cups, braised oxtail and so much more. Each fingerful unearths new flavor combinations totally unexpected. But in the end the result is a beautiful, senses-shattering portrait of these three’s connection to their homeland.<br/><br/>Please call and make reservations right away.<br/>-------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/><br/>17th March 2014<br/><br/>Toronto is a great city with a vast amount of culinary diversity. This past week I was invited to taste the new menu from Les Sabilano and Chef Rudy Boquila at their Queen West restaurant Lamesa Filipino Kitchen. Situated on the same block as notables like Lot St. and Lisa Marie this small space draws on huge flavor and unique concepts to bring a little known branch of Asian food to the city. Way beyond the requisite potluck noodle dish pancit, Chef Rudy mingles the memories of family sit downs with the demand for nouveau ideas and Canadian twists. Most telling of his concept is it’s parallel of the space in which it is served. A large friendly communal table awaits diners as they first enter, battered wood with high stools and a perfect people watching view of the street. The narrowness of the restaurant then draws eyes down past the “tiki” esque style bar and into a more intimate dining area with stunning stain glass ceiling fans, rich medium dark wood tones and crisp pale walls. A bit of home, a bit of fun and a lot of warmth.<br/><br/>While upbeat high tempo music played from local Filipino musicans Datu with the occasional guest spot from the chef himself we were offered up a tasting spanning across brunch, lunch, dinner and snacks with an amazing Halo Halo bar for dessert. An ambition undertaking but a perfect showcase of everything this Chef believes in.<br/><br/>While introductions were made and drinks began to be poured guests were offered their first plate of the day Crispy Pata. Three pieces of deep fried pork trotter each accompanied with pickled radish and a trio of homemade dipping sauces; spicy Lamesa brand hot sauce, a firecracker chili vinegar and a sweeter soy. Each paired exquisitely with the salty, greasy pata and I would be disappointed if any of the sauces were not offered with the dish. <br/><br/>A great take on a breakfast classic, sweet plaintain is wrapped in egg dipped bread then futher enveloped in a crispy spring roll and topped with jackfruit syrup and coconut whip cream. Crispy, flaky outside, a mushy banana like center and a lightly sweetened syrup and cream made this a slightly less decadent version of the Canadian classic yet still a dish that holds it’s own on a brunch menu. <br/><br/>For those who prefer a more sweet and savory mid morning treat the pork and pancake dish is a perfect balance. Pork is braised in Sarsi, a Filipino version of a sarsaparilla based root beer, shredded and then served atop corn and coconut pancakes and finished again with jackfruit syrup and coconut cream. <br/><br/>The ground pork filled spring roll served with banana ketchup was the only dish I did not enjoy. Slightly resembling sausage rolls I expected bigger flavour from the meat filling and was under impressed by the ketchup. As I was busy taking notes and photographing the food I will admit I got around to tasting them after they had gone almost completely cold which I believe played a big reason into my dislike. That being said I would definitely give them another chance; just making sure I try them piping hot. <br/><br/>The Arroz Caldo came as no surprise to me. Having first tried it at the Recipe for Change event several weeks ago it was the one item I was most looking forward to. A rice porridge with bits of chicken, fish sauce, crispy garlic, crispy kale and a cigar of deep fried chicken skin I was not disappointed. A belly warming dish that I’m sure came straight from someones parents or grandparents kitchen table.<br/><br/>While I would enjoy them both at different times of the day the Bicol Express Fries was my absolutely favorite dish next to french toast. Surprising since I almost didn’t take a second bite. Pork, coconut milk, chilies and bagoong, a fermented shrimp condiment, is cooked together and poured on top of perfectly crispy, chip truck quality french fries. A strong coconut milk taste with each bite I took the more I enjoyed the combination of the salty greasy fries and creamy sauce.<br/><br/>Highly touted by Chef Rudy as the best fried chicken in the city he uses it in a twist of this classic Filipino dish of Adobo chicken. While I haven’t eat my way across Toronto when it comes to fried chicken I will agree it is really well done at Lamesa with a crisp similar to Chinese Jar Do wings and a nutty sauce of pureed garlic and adobo reduction. <br/><br/>Vegetables definitely played a background role to the bulk of Filipino food yet here Chef Rudy makes sure our vegetarian friends have an amazing flavor experience at the restaurant. Roasted squash, beans, bok choy, eggplant and tofu are gently cooked in coconut milk and served here with pureed purple yam and squash while on the main menu it is served with rice. Lot’s of creamy flavors and crisp textures to enjoy in the Ginataan Gulay.<br/><br/>While the menu offers a couple tantalizing desserts for anyone’s sweet tooth Lamesa decided to go out on a high note with a wonderful Halo Halo bar. Toppings like coconut strings, sweet purple yam, cornflakes, cookie crumbs, sugar, palm fruit and jackfruit were available for buko pandan ice cream and shaved ice. Finished with carnation milk this is dessert with no middle ground. There is a lot going on here that could be off putting with it’s varying textures of crispy cereal, jelly-like fruit and crunchy ice with spoonfuls of very sweet to delicately creamy. Personally I loved it and imagine how wonderful it would be on a dry hot summer day in our city.<br/><br/>A great meal is always rounded out with perfect beverages and this evening was no different. The evening started with the Lolo Cool J. A combination of Maker’s Mark bourbon, ginger, pineapple and cinnamon syrup, lemon juice and ginger ale. Finished with candied pineapple that absorbed all of the liquids and demanded to be eaten with a fork. The shandy of San Miguel beer and calamansi juice secured itself as my new summer refreshment and the aperitif, a concoction of mango juice, malibu rum and bailey’s called the Tita Baby was a perfect finale to dessert. <br/>It’s unfortunate that it took me so long to discover this hidden gem of a cuisine yet I could not have been introduced to it any better then with the innovative concepts from Lamesa Filipino Kitchen and it’s undeniably talented chef Rudy Boquila. Flavors from all ends of the spectrum come together in perfect harmony with a homegrown feel but modern design.

I haven't written a post in over a month and I wasn't sure if I was going to start again but when my friend Manal took me to Lamesa for my birthday, everything changed, I still rave about how good the food is. <br/><br/>Manal made reservations for their "Hand to Mouth" event that happens every two weeks. Basically you're eating with your hands, there are no utensils but plenty of wet-naps, this style of eating is called "kamayan". The chefs plate the food live in front of you while explaining every sauce and ingredient as it's being beautifully placed on the banana leaf lined table. <br/><br/>Everything was so good, so simple and yet so complex. The sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavours all worked together to create something so magical and beautiful. My favourites of the night was the simple Lumpia, Filipino spring roll, garlic rice, and the fish based sinigang. I wish I got to try the pork but Manal is a pescetarian so we opted out of that. <br/><br/>We finished off the meal with their French Toast Turon, egg dipped bread with sweet plantain in a spring roll wrapper. <br/><br/>Who doesn't like deep fried goodness smothered in a sweet syrup? <br/><br/>Toronto is known for the array of Asian cuisine with the long lists of well known restaurants for Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. I'm not sure if I'm just ignorant but I can honestly say I don't know any other restaurant serving up modernized Filipino food. I think Lamesa is doing a great job introducing Toronto to Filipino food and I can't wait to go back for more. <br/><br/>So if you're still confused about what Filipino food is Head Chef, Rudy Boquila, simply puts it like this "Imagine a native Malay cook with a Chinese roommate being taught by a Spanish Chef with a love affair for everything American and you will begin to understand what Filipino food is all about."

I was invited to a kamayan dinner at Lamesa Filipino Kitchen, and having heard great things about Lamesa over the years, I RSVPd as soon as I got the invitation. I was so eager to finally try the food at Lamesa, that I did not read the WHOLE invitation. In fact, I had no clue what "kamayan" even meant! <br/><br/>Kamayan style: meaning "with hands," from the Filipino "kamay" = "hand"<br/><br/>In other words, no utensils! Ick! Okaaaayyyyy, let's admit it--not using utensils and eating with our hands is not unusual, we just avoid doing so in public! And well, culturally, being Hispanic, I don't always use utensils when I eat, but I do use tortillas or bread to act as a vessel for the food I am consuming. That said, this dinner experience was going to be an opportunity where eating with your hands was not only going to be acceptable, but also mandatory. <br/><br/>Set up:<br/><br/>Every table had banana leaves covering it. Imagine a tablecloth made out of banana leaves. <br/><br/>Sauces:<br/><br/>Bagoong caramel - fermented shrimp paste<br/><br/>Soy garlic puree<br/><br/>Housemade hot sauce - roasted red pepper, chilies, vinegar, sugar<br/><br/>Sawsawan gel - soy, vinegar, garlic<br/><br/>Salad:<br/><br/>Green mango salad - sour mango, heirloom carrots, arugula, radish, sweet mango chutney, garlic corn nuts<br/><br/>Meat & Seafood:<br/><br/>Sisig lettuce cup - chicken, pork, beef with chilli, garlic and onions<br/><br/>Kare Kare oxtail - braised oxtail in a peanut garlic sauce<br/><br/>Smoked boneless bangus - marinated milkfish<br/><br/>Crispy chicken adobo wings - soy and vinegar reduction<br/><br/>Clams and mussels ginataan - coconut milk, ginger and garlic<br/><br/>Sides:<br/><br/>Garlic fried rice with crispy garlic bits<br/><br/>Grilled corn<br/><br/>Grilled baby bok choy<br/><br/>Ube cornbread - sweet purple yam<br/><br/>Chicken tinola broth - chicken, chayote, ginger<br/><br/>Garnishes:<br/><br/>Kale chips<br/><br/>Fresh calamansi<br/><br/>Sweet pea shoots<br/><br/>Experience:<br/><br/>There was an air of excitement when the food was being placed on the table. The staff seemed to have a system to their "madness." You really got the sense that they had practiced this process and there was a reason why each item was placed where and when. It started with the sauces, followed by the construction of the mango salad, then it was proceeded by the rice, meat, fish, vegetables, garnishes and it ended with the most delicious corn bread I have had in a very long time. <br/><br/>Highlights:<br/><br/>Watching the food be placed throughout the table. It really felt like food was being used as art and the banana leaves was the canvass.<br/><br/>The cornbread made with purple yam was delicious. I told the chef how much I liked it, and minutes later I was handed a small to-go container filled with the corn bread! Made me so happy!<br/><br/>Eating with my hands with a bunch of fellow bloggers trying not to overthink the experience. I did cheat by using the shells of the clams as a utensil. Sue me!<br/><br/>Would I do it again?<br/><br/>Maybe. I loved the whole theatrical aspect of the experience, and several of the dishes were delicious. However, I am a picky eater in that I do not eat onions. Several of the dishes had onions and as a result I was only able to eat some of the food that we were served and was still hungry after I left the restaurant. So much so, that before I even got on the streetcar, I had already inhaled the corn bread I was gifted. <br/><br/>The staff at Lamesa did say that if you can't eat certain things and/or have an allergy, that you can let them know in advance and they will try to accommodate you. <br/><br/>The kamayan dinners are available every Sunday from 5 PM and the cost is $40 per person. Call to make a reservation. I think that with friends and/or family, a kamayan-style dinner would be a fun culinary adventure.

I love Lamesa. I wrote about it after my first media dinner there, here, and have been back a few times since. I attend lots of media dinners and there are only a handful of places that I return to on my own, and this is one of them so when the call came to try out their Kamayan dinner, I was all over it.<br/><br/>Kama, being the Filipino word for "hand" means that Kamayan roughly translates into "eat with your hands" and this is a traditional type of dinner that every Filipino will be familiar with. Served family style, the meal is placed on banana leaves at your table without cutlery or dishes. Keep in mind that it is a communal meal, so you want to make sure you are dining with people you like. If are you really squeamish about sharing food, I guess you could ask for utensils but that takes all of the fun out of it and you are probably better off skipping it.<br/><br/>This meal is tailor made for people like me, who want to taste at least a bite of everything on the table and, in fact, I am thinking of implementing a Kamayan policy at home this winter except that I am not sure how well a piping hot lamb stew would work without the benefit of a bowl and a spoon. Anyway, something to think about.<br/><br/>Even though it appears to be a haphazard mish mash of food just splayed out all over the place, it's not. When you watch them laying the meal out, you realize that there is a method to the madness and every person ends up with his/her dinner laid out nicely at his/her spot. There is crossover when it comes to scooping up extra rice and shellfish, but, for the most part, my entire dinner was there, in it's entirety - it just wasn't set out on plates and in bowls.<br/><br/>Using your hands, you scoop, dip and shovel all of this delicious stuff into your mouth and each bite is a bit different, depending on which sauces got caught up in each scoop. Every once in a while you get a big hit of hot sauce as a lovely surprise, or your third scoop of rice is suddenly tinged with a hint of salty bagoong. I loved the whole thing.<br/><br/>This would be so much fun with kids, for a celebration with family or a night out with close friends and a few cocktails and for $40/pp, you are certainly getting a lot of bang for your buck.<br/><br/>The chefs come out and start by painting and dabbing on a variety of sauces and pastes and then follow that up with garlic rice, adobo chicken, coconut mussels and clams, kare kare oxtail and more.<br/>LOVE <br/><br/>The Yum Yum Factor

Thai, Japanese, Chinese, even Korean- Torontonians are no strangers to Asian cuisine, but somehow the dishes of the Philipines have been persistently overlooked.  Thankfully, second generation Filipinos, Chef Rudy Boquila, and Les Sabilano, co-owners of Lamesa Filipino Kitchen, are on a mission to change that for good.  <br/><br/>To aid in transitioning palates South of China and West of Thailand, Lamesa offers a modern take on their Boquila and Sabilano’s traditional family recipes.  According to Sabilano, “Each of the 7000+ islands in the Philippines has developed their own style based on their customs, surroundings and what is locally available. For us, Toronto is just another island. Our style is shaped by our environment and where and how we grew up.”<br/><br/>I had previously tasted Lamesa Filipino Kitchen’s goodies at a few local pop-ups (i.e. Recipe for Change, Slurp TO) but was super excited when I was invited to an exclusive tasting.  <br/><br/>Nestled amongst all the action on the bustling Queen St W., Lamesa occupies what used to be the old Rosebud space.  The front foyer space is home to a long high-top communal table, crafted from a single piece of stunning wood that is both imperfect and perfect at the same time. The main dining space, beyond the bar, features the same signature wooden table tops- these ones of the traditional four and two top size, set along a leather banquette.  While stunning in any space, the hand-crafted tables were particularly fitting for this space considering that Lamesa translates to “table” in Tagalog.  My other favourite feature of the space are the wall-long pastel murals telling stories or symbolic tales- I don’t know what any of them mean, but I think they’re beautiful nonetheless.<br/><br/>The help steep guests in the Filipino vibe, a trio of traditional Filipino musicians kicked off the evening with drums, a sort of chime-type instrument and a hypnotically pleasing vocalist.  Soon after, Chef Boquila took the mic to welcome us all and describe the food he was so clearly passionate about cooking.  And boy, does he ever have reason to be proud.<br/><br/>With a heavy kick of bold flavours, and a perfect balance of sweet, sour and salt, here’s a little peak at what we sampled:<br/><br/>Lolo Cool J <br/>Ginger, Bourbon, Pineapple, Cinnamon Syrup, Lemon and Ginger Ale<br/><br/>Sweet as expected, but definitely a tasty way to kick off the night.<br/><br/>The Shand Miguel<br/>San Miguel Beer and Calamansi Juice<br/><br/>If you like lime in your Corona, you are going to love this drink- the calamansi is like lime with a kick and the traditional Filipino beer is super smooth.<br/><br/>Tita Baby <br/>Mango, Malibu and Baileys<br/><br/>Wow. For those who like their drinks strong- this one packs a punch!<br/><br/>Calamansi, Watermelon and Chili Juice<br/><br/>Sweet, sour and seriously spicy. It would have been ever better had it been super cold.<br/><br/>Brunch: Pork & Pancakes<br/><br/>Sarsi Braised Pork with Corn & Coconut Pancakes and Jackfruit Syrup<br/><br/>My favourite of the night. I loved the sweet-savoury contrast of the tender pork with the sweet fluffy pancake.<br/><br/>Brunch: Turon French Toast<br/><br/>Another winner. Unlike most French toast dishes, this one was not too sweet and had a good textural balance of cushiony egg bread and crispy phyllo with luscious coconut cream. Our whole table agreed we could have eaten a whole bowl of that cream.<br/><br/>Brunch: Arroz Caldo<br/>Rice Porridge, Chicken, Chicharon, Crispy Kale, Fried Garlic<br/><br/>I loved all of the attention to texture in this dish. The soft gritty porridge and the tender pulled chicken was nicely offset by the crispy fried pig skin, kale, and garlic and the supple pop of the sweet corn. This is definitely comfort food at it’s finest. <br/><br/>Dinner: Crispy Pata Three Ways<br/>Deep Fried Pig Trotter with Sweet Soy, Chili Vinegar and Hot Sauce<br/><br/>Crispy, juicy and salty, these were delicious all three preparations, but I particularly liked the spicy vinegar which definitely helped cut the richess of the fatty pork.<br/><br/>Dinner: Fried Chicken Adobo<br/>Crispy Fried Chicken with Garlic Puree, Pickle Chayote and Adobe Gastrique<br/><br/>A surprisingly light batter and super juicy meat, complimented by a savoury pool of sauce. Yum.<br/><br/>Dinner: Ginataan Gulay<br/>Roasted Squash, Beans, Greens, Eggplant with Coconut Cream Sauce and Pureed Ube <br/><br/>I loved the sweet creamy coconut sauce with the more starchy pureed ube.<br/><br/>Late Night: Bicol Express Fries<br/>Pork, Coconut Milk, Chilies, and Bagoong over Fries<br/><br/>This was one of my favourite dishes of the night because the balanced flavour was so intense – the creamy sweet coconut milk, the heat from the chilies, the salty pork and the umami-rich fermented shrimp (bagoong). I was also really impressed that the fries managed to stay crisp under such a generous portion of sauce. Heaven.<br/><br/>Late Night: Lumpia<br/>Ground Pork Spring Rolls with Housemade Banana Ketchup<br/><br/>Mmm.. this reminded me of a classic British sausage roll but served in a crispy phyllo pastry and served with a sweet and tangy dip. I am totally going to mimic this at my next holiday affair. <br/><br/>Dessert: Halo-Halo Station<br/>Shaved Ice with Coconut Jelly, Mango Jelly, Kaong Jelly, Jackfruit, Coconut Strings, Tapioca, Frosted Flakes, Brown Butter Sugar, Purple Yam Puree, and Sweetened Condensed Milk<br/><br/>I’ve had halo-halo many times but I always forget how much I love it. There is something so deliciously satisfying and refreshing about the combination of sweet fruit, wobbly jelly, sweetened ice and lots of crispy cereal on top. I particularly liked the addition of the brown butter sugar, which had a very rich toasty molasses flavour.<br/><br/>So in conclusion, how can we describe Lamesa’s Filipino food? To summarize in the words of Sabilano, it’s “a native Malay cook with a Chinese roommate, being taught by a Spanish chef with a love affair for everything American.” And if you’re still not totally sure you get the picture, you’ve got the perfect excuse to try Lamesa’s delicious food yourself.  Lamesa Filipino Kitchen is open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner, weekend brunch and late night eats, with reservations accepted online.   You can also follow their event adventures @LamesaTO or on their website.<br/><br/>Disclosure: The food and drink featured in this post were complimentary, however, as always, all opinions are my own.<br/><br/>abbeyskitchen.com

Restaurant Review: Lamesa Filipino Kitchen<br/><br/>Toronto is pretty lucky to have a Filipino restaurant likeLamesa…right on Queen St. W! Not only do I love the location but I simply adore eating at a restaurant that serves food that I could never (ever) make at home.<br/><br/>The “Hand to Mouth” dinner was Unique with a capital “U”.  Our meal featured – no cutlery and no tablecloth but PLENTY of food that was beyond flavourful.<br/><br/>The meal consisted of Sauces (4 different types), SaladsProteins (5 different types) and Sides (4 different types). Here’s a photo that demonstrates how the sauces appeared on our table. For a complete list of what was served, please click here.<br/><br/>Each dish came out (one by one) till the table was FULL. Ipatiently waited thru this process as I simply wanted to dig in! It was worth the wait. Can you tell there was no shortage of food?<br/><br/>This type of meal was definitely a treat and I’m eager to bring friends and family here for several reasons:<br/><br/>-It’s FUN<br/><br/>-It’s a unique experience<br/><br/>-The food is uber flavourful.<br/><br/>The Hand to Mouth Dinner is now being served EVERY Sunday and costs $40 per person. For reservations please email info@lamesafilipinokitchen.com. PS Vegetarian options are available.<br/><br/>For more information:<br/><br/>Lamesa Filipino Kitchen 669 Queen St. W, Toronto 647 346 2377<br/><br/>Facebook: www.lamesafilipinokitchen.com<br/><br/>Twitter: @LamesaTO<br/><br/>Disclosure: My meal was complimentary however all opinions are my own<br/><br/><br/>

“La Mesa” means table, in Tagalog. It also has the same meaning in Spanish. And just as multicultural as its name, is the food you find at the new Queen and Bathurst spot offering a modern take on Filipino cuisine.<br/><br/>Lamesa’s prixfixe 5 course Chef’s tasting menu for $35.00, is a representation of the aromas, texture and taste of traditional Filipino ingredients fused with international flavours. Owner Less Sabilano and Chef Boquilla are embracing this concept by serving crowd favourites while exploring with world cuisine with new daily menu items.<br/><br/>The menu experience starts with an amuse-bouche consisting of a chilled soup made with roasted corn, coconut milk and smoked bacon that was beautifully placed on a porcelain spoon. The flavour derived from the roasting of the corn adds a nutty note to the soup which is balanced by the creaminess of the coconut milk and is then brought back to basics with the crunchy texture and saltiness of the bacon. A fantastic appetite opener.<br/><br/>Following this, is the appetizer version of the traditional Halo Halo Sisig. The term ‘sisig’ refers to the spicy and fatty – but oh-so popular – meat dish all over the Philippines. At Lamesa, the base of the dish is made up of a combination of pork, chicken and beef that has been seasoned and cooked with aromatic spices, white onions, celery, red bell peppers, garlic and soy sauce, to name a few ingredients. It comes accompanied with a Filipino style Pico de Gallo, topped with a fried egg.<br/><br/>To eat this dish, as instructed by fellow Filipino friends I was dining with, one must first mix together all ingredients in the bowl, grab a spoon of the unlimited steamed white rice served with the dish, add it to it, and then squeeze the juice from the lemon on top, which will add some well deserved acidity to the otherwise fatty feel of the dish. What brought me to understand how much of a staple this dish is in the Philippines, was the reaction from my friends when saying it reminded them of home-cooked aromas with a fresh twist, the twist probably coming from the infusion of Pico de Gallo and lack of traditional use of offal meat. With a near full appetite, I am presented with my main, the Seafood Sinigang.<br/><br/>Sinigang is a soup or stew traditionally made with tamarind, daikon, tomatoes and onions. The smell coming from the dish brought me to an unknown place. I could not relate it to any stew I’ve had before. It had a specific smell that resembled notes of tea leafs and mild flavours and then hit you hard with the slight fish smell from the seafood. It wasn’t bad, it was just unknown to my kind. The seafood in the stew was grilled medium-rare and bathed with the accompanying green beans. I was not necessarily a fan of the daikon puree, but then again my nose was also just getting used to the new flavours.<br/><br/>Now on to my favourite part of the meal, a dual dessert experience! Starting a parade of sweet concoctions, Lamesa kicks-off this course with the Chef’s pre-dessert – Chocolate Mousse. The mousse was sweet and had a less dense texture than regular mousse. This is probably from the fact that the Chef confessed to mixing instant chocolate with tea leafs (not sure which kind). The twist to the pre-dessert, was the addition of a topping called Pinipig, which is basically an immature glutinous rice that has been dried out and puffed up. In some Asian cultures, this rice is considered the quintessential rice.<br/><br/>The meal closer, the Maple Leche Flan, was the most versatile and internationally infused dish of the entire menu.The notion of Canadian Maple syrup on a traditional Spanish dessert like Flan, that was adapted by the Philippines during the Spaniards conquest, opened up the possibilities on what can be done with a rather simple dessert. The texture of flan has to be silky-smooth, so that one’s palate is not overwhelmed by the sweetness of the condensed milk and sugar. Kudos to Lamesa for capturing the essence of this dessert.<br/><br/>Bueno Provecho,<br/>Foodies Inked.

I still have very fond memories of the tasting menu I had at Lamesa Filipino Kitchen a year and a half ago. I remember describing it as a "rock-solid meal" which is why, to this very day, I still recommend this Queen West restaurant to my friends whenever they are looking for something different, something unique.<br/><br/>Responsible for putting modern Filipino cuisine on the culinary map here in Toronto are second generation Filipinos Rudy Boquila and Les Sabilano. With Lamesa, the duo has successfully combined traditional tastes of the Philippines with modern takes and local ingredients. As Sabilano puts it Filipino food, the Lamesa way, is “all about taking a regional approach to Filipino food. Each of the 7000+ islands in the Philippines has developed their own style based on their customs, surroundings and what is locally available. For us, Toronto is just another island. Our style is shaped by our environment and where and how we grew up.”<br/><br/>Last week, I was invited to Lamesa's new menu launch where I sampled numerous dishes spanning their brunch, dinner and late night menus. Aside from the updated menu, Lamesa's bar also received a dramatic makeover (check out how the bar was before). I personally love the new bar especially the psychedelic glow in the background. Pretty trippy :) <br/><br/>Speaking of bar, I enjoyed several cocktails that evening. My favourite would be this classic hip hop inspired Lolo Cool J cocktail which consisted of ginger, bourbon, pineapple and cinnamon syrup, lemon juice, and ginger ale. <br/><br/>Here's a look at what I had at the media tasting (note that these are all sample sizes specially made for the evening): <br/><br/>CRISPY PATA (brunch / dinner)Deep fried pork trotter with pickles and housemade dipping sauces<br/><br/>FRENCH TOAST TURON (brunch) <br/>Egg dipped bread with sweet plantain and jackfruit wrapped in spring roll served with coconut whip<br/><br/>PORK & PANCAKES (brunch) <br/>Sarsi braised pork with corn and coconut pancakes and a jackfruit syrup<br/><br/>LUMPIA (late night)<br/><br/>Ground pork spring rolls served with housemade banana ketchup<br/><br/>ARROZ CALDO (brunch) <br/>Rice porridge, chicken, chicharon, crispy kale and fried garlic<br/><br/>BICOL EXPRESS FRIES (late night) <br/>Pork, coconut milk, chilies, and bagoong over housemade fries<br/><br/>FRIED CHICKEN ADOBO (dinner)<br/><br/>Crispy fried chicken with a garlic puree, pickled chayote, and an adobo gastrique<br/><br/>GINATAAN GULAY (dinner) <br/>Roasted squash, beans, greens, eggplant with a coconut cream sauce<br/><br/>Before dessert we learned that not only is head chef Rudy Boquila passionate about food he is also passionate about music. As a producer / musician / DJ, Boquila has produced some classic Toronto tracks (he also has a massive record collection to boot!) and as a chef, he started at the Bamboo and went on to work at Oyster Boy and the Gladstone Hotel. Chef Rudy also spent some time cooking on tour with Live Nation for groups like U2, Bon Jovi, AC DC, Aerosmith, etc.  <br/><br/>After the performance it was time for dessert! We each made our own Halo-Halo at the Halo-Halo station. <br/><br/>HALO HALO (dessert) <br/>Coconut strings, sweet purple yam, sugar, palm fruit, and jackfruit with buko cream pandan ice cream with shaved ice and carnation milk<br/><br/>Call me bias but I knew I was in for a treat even before this media night because if the tasting menu a year and a half ago is any indication of what Lamesa is capable of then I knew I'm in good hands. As expected (and 'cause I'm always right) Boquila's new menu did not disappoint. He has thoughtfully applied the traditionally sweet, sour and salty flavours of Filipino food with ingredients that we are all familiar with, then works his magic to create some very delicious fusion plates. I thought the Fil-Can brunch items were especially fun and whimsical, such as Boquila's version of the French toast which had bread, plantain and jackfruit all wrapped in spring roll. Amazing! His savoury pancakes topped with tender braised pork was equally stellar. One of my favourite dishes at Recipe For Change 2014 was Lamesa's Arroz Caldo so I was really happy to see it at the new menu launch. Similar to congee, this smooth rice porridge is so warm and comforting (hangover brunch item?) One thing's for sure, I will need to revisit Lamesa for their chicken adobe! Seriously that one bite of fried chicken left me hanging; it was so tasty I wanted 10 more (note to Lamesa: it's really cruel to serve just one bite of fried chicken like that...it really is!) As for the Halo-Halo I've already raved about it last time but this time was extra fun because we got to make our own :) However, what I really need to try next is their Ginataan Sundae, a beautiful concoction of ube, tapioca, brown butter polvoron, caramel corn, and coconut whipped cream. <br/><br/>Kudos to the Lamesa team for a wonderful night of great drinks, food, and music, and keep up the great work in exposing Filipino cuisine to the mainstream! Your Fil-Can brunch looks amazing and I will try my best to make it down for brunch but rest assured you will definitely see me soon for your 11+ course tasting menu :)<br/><br/>*This meal was complimentary. The opinions and views expressed on this post are my own*

I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to try some Filipino food since and found a place on Bathurst and Queen called Lamesa Filipino Kitchen. BONUS, this place also does brunch 11am-3pm, Saturdays and Sundays!<br/><br/>They take classic Filipino cooking styles and foods and give it a modern twist. I wouldn’t say that they are reinventing the dishes, so much as evolving them with different techniques to lend the dishes new life.<br/><br/>I tried their krispy pata which is large enough to share around the table. Super crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It’s basically a deep fried pork hock (with the skin on) and served with homemade sauces and pickled vegetables. So rustic and simple, it was to die for.<br/><br/>Oh and then there is their Filipino big breakfast (made ultra Filipino with a big bowl of garlic fried rice):<br/><br/>Their hash is made up of plantains<br/>Their longanisa is made by curing the meat so it lends a sweet taste to it<br/>Their biscuit is amazing<br/>Then I had a bit of their French Toast Turon, which is egg dipped bread with plantain served with coconut whipped cream. Absolutely wonderful and a nice Filipino/Canadian mash-up for breakfast.<br/><br/>Finally, I had their arroz caldo which is the Filipino adaptation of the Chinese congee. Chicken rice porridge topped with garlic, crispy kale, corn and chicharron (deep fried pork rinds). Very good flavour and full of chunks of chicken.<br/><br/>Lamesa is definitely outside of the traditional popular brunch spots, but I definitely believe that it’s worth a dedicated trip if you’re looking for more than just your typical eggs and bacon in the morning.<br/><br/>Thumbs up!

When I found out my favourite Filipino restaurant was now doing weekend brunch I did a happy dance. Lamesa has brought modern filipino cuisine to the Toronto food scene and we’re all the better for it. <br/><br/>Their Fil-Can brunch takes Canadian brunch classics and adds a filipino twist. I had some of my best guys, Shingo, Squiggy and Kee, join me on a sunny Saturday. We managed to snag the front table, perfect for people watching while some of us enjoyed a Lamesa shandy.<br/><br/>Lamesa makes its shandies with calamansi: tiny filipino limes that we often use in a lot of our cooking.<br/><br/>We were all very hungry and luckily none of Lamesa’s dishes were of the light variety. Squiggy decided that he would choose the delicious sounding Pork and Pancakes. And it looked very, very tasty:<br/><br/>Coconut Pancakes are topped with a generous portion of root beer braised pork. Here they use a filipino root beer called Sarsi – I love this stuff! And what are pancakes without a dollop of butter? Lamesa uses coconut butter to finish off this dish. Yum!<br/><br/>Kee went with the Halo Halo Sisig and Garlic Fried Rice:<br/>Halo Halo – literally ‘mix mix’ in tagalog – is exactly what you do with this dish. You can mix your skillet of pork, beef, chicken, chili, garlic, onions and fried egg with freshly made garlic fried rice<br/><br/>Next we have Shingo’s choice. The eggs Josephine. They take the traditional eggs benedict with homemade biscuit and hollandaise and add crispy pork and bagoong – a shrimp and fish paste condiment. It’s a unique flavour that adds that bit of salt and seafood to any dish.Finally I decided that the Bansilog fish cakes and eggs (also pictured above) were calling my name. I didn’t realize until this moment how we filipinos are suckers for contractions:<br/><br/>And the result was a garlic fried rice and milk fish cake topped with a perfectly poached egg. Come. To. Mama.<br/><br/>Lastly we couldn’t leave with out something sweet to balance out our savoury. And I loved their version of a stuffed crepe:This validated my strong opinion that brunch should always have a dessert course! Jack fruit and coconut mascarpone fill a crepe that is blanketed with coconut whip cream, tapioca pearls and crushed fruit loops. Wow.<br/>Thank you Lamesa for showing us a real fusion of Filipino and Canadian food! I loved that I was able to introduce some of my friends to essential filipino food elements, reimagined. While eating at Lamesa isn’t like eating a home cooked filipino meal, I love that they have taken filipino cuisine and elevated it to another level.<br/><br/>Can’t wait to come here again for dinner and some of their other special events. Hope you guys can join me next time!<br/><br/>‘Til next brunch…<br/><br/>