LaMesa Philippine Cuisine (Sydney, Australia)

LaMesa was a known Filipino restaurant in Dee Why and now they have moved to Sydney. We've always wanted to visit the restaurant but it was just too far away. Now, it is located conveniently in the city where we can conveniently visit in case we're too lazy to cook but crave for Filipino food.

And so one fateful night in May, a few friends and I got together and tried LaMesa's offerings. We arrived and dinner was already in full swing. I recommend calling to reserve a table as it seemed that things get busy and full during peak hours. The place was cozy, dimly-lit and had nice looking furnitures. A few touches of Pinoy can be seen in the decors such as monochrome photographs of the Manila we once knew. 

We started off with Kwek-Kwek, deep-fried coated quail eggs. The taste of the coating was as bland as it looked (we're used to orange Kwek-Kwek).

The Okoy looked different as well as it seemed like the prawns were individually battered and fried. This was definitely more of an appetizer. I think we were used to the big Okoy which can be paired with rice. The coating was crunchy but did not leave any significant "Oomph" as we took a bite in.

The sinful and indulgent Sisig (diced meat from pig's face) was everything we hoped it too be. Sizzling and with egg on top, beautiful on its own or with rice. Best eaten with a bit of lemon and chili sauce. 

A cold night is often associated with Pork Sinigang at home. It was nearly winter then so we got ourselves a bowl of Pork Sinigang to warm our tummies. An enjoyable tamarind soup with pork, radish, okra and kangkong that tasted like the comfort food we enjoy at home.

Pinakbet was another dish we enjoyed. With just the right saltiness from the shrimp paste, the vegetables were tasty, fresh and flavourful. It also had a generous portion of meat. 

We resisted to order another pork dish but threw all health caution out the window and got the Lechon Kawali. Deep-friend pork belly with crispy crackling. The best partner to the Pinakbet. 

Over-all, we enjoyed our dinner at LaMesa inspite of a few misses with the appetizers. They have definitely nailed the true taste of Filipino food. Our only hope is that they add a little more to their serving as we found the pricing of their food quite on the more expensive side. 

Will we visit again? Why, yes! Once in a while we'll come back to try their other offerings and bring other friends to enjoy Filipino food with us.

LaMesa Philippine Cusine
Level 1, 19 Goulburn Street
Haymarket NSW 2000
Ph: 1300 880 835