We were looking for something a little off the beaten path for a Summerlicious meal when we stumbled upon the entry for Casa Manila.
We made a reservation for 7:00 on a Saturday night and the place was pretty much packed when we arrived. We were shown to a comfy booth and I decided to order the following:
Filipino Beef Vegetable Soup | Beef Nilaga ("Beef, carrots and vegetables in a beef broth soup made with beef bones and fresh vegetables"): This is a very brothy soup that's not quite as simple as it initially appears. Though I had to remove a piece of meat that was 90% fat, the soup is rich in flavor and I especially dug the undercurrent of burnt garlic.
Crispy Pork Belly | Lechon Kawali ("A Filipino iconic favourite - pork belly pan-fried to a crispy skin and softly marbled meat served with the house-made lechon sauce and seasoned vinegar; accompanied with garlic rice and coconut ginger vegetables"): This might just be the crispiest pork belly I've ever had. It's a very good dish. The pork belly, which unfortunately didn't arrive to the table hot, is accompanied by a pair of stellar sides, with the garlic rice perfectly prepared and the vegetables soaked in an absolutely irresistible coconut ginger sauce.
Cassava Cake with Custard Topping ("A delectable dessert made with coconut milk and topped with custard"): This was undoubtedly the weakest dish of the night. It's a competent yet fairly boring dessert that doesn't boast any standout flavors. I sampled my dining companion's Ube Cake, and that seemed much, much better.
I would definitely return to Casa Manila to try some of their other offerings, though its suburban location makes that highly unlikely.