One restaurant brand. Two branches. Casa Manila brings upscale dining to Filipino dishes.
Most of the Filipino restaurants that we have gone to give off that 'carinderia' or fast food vibe. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against them. Growing up in Manila the 'carinderia' is my go-to place for my panawid gutom. Whether it be along Katipunan Avenue's Pampanguena or Eagle's Corner or near Nawasa-UP area, or those along P. Tuazon behind SM or those in Pamilihang Bayan ng Marikina like Stella's Goto and Lola Helen's Panciteria, I truly enjoy that taste and flavor of local Filipino dishes.
And my wife and I did bring our kids to those carinderia when they were still small and we were still in Marikina.
So what is an upscale carinderia - Kusina ni Kambal at Kapitan Moy and Luyong along Gil Fernando Ave.? Upscale carinderia or restaurants offer a refined experience, table service, a little bit more privacy (where one can eat without being bothered by the regular passing of the tricycles or jeepneys), but still typically casual and accessible.
We were able to find such a restaurant here in Toronto. The first location is 45-minutes away from where we live. That would be around 20 to 22 km away. However far, it was worth the trip.
My sister referred Casa Manila. She learned about it through her friends. I forget which family celebration we had to go there but we went there.
We went to Casa Manila on York Mills Rd. No reservations necessary. There was ample parking at the back of the building. We were welcomed by a very Hispanic-themed décor with the Philippine Flag. We waited to be seated. Our table was near the window.
The chairs and tables were well kept and maintained. What struck me was the hanging Capiz lamp shades that lit each table.
We were given the menu, a moment to look over them and time to decide what we would like to have for dinner. I think this what makes Casa Manila an upscale restaurant...they have a full table service and a menu to start with.
We asked for glasses of water, iced tea and pop while going over the menu. When the waiter returned with the refreshments, we gave our orders.
We always like to have vegetables so we ordered the Pinakbet. And to compliment the Lechon we ordered, we ordered Atstara and a sawsawan of soy sauce, vinegar, chopped red onions and siling labuyo.
For the main viand, we got the Sisig, Lechon, Dinaing na bangus and Pork BBQ. Garlic fried rice was served in a separate bowl. Extra steamed rice was ordered when we realized that the garlic fried rice was not enough for all of us.
My family enjoyed our time at Casa Manila at York mills. Everything was great...the food, the service, and place. The only thing we can complain about, if this really is a compliant, is the distance and the travel time needed to go to this location.
A couple years ago, when my wife and I were still working at Downtown Toronto, Casa Manila opened a new location along Danforth Ave.. From our place of work it would be around 10 -15 mins. From where we lived it is only around 13 kms.
One afternoon after work, my wife and I went to check out this new location.
Without Google map, this location would be easy to miss. But we were able to manage and find this new branch. Frontage or width is smaller but he area is deeper. If you go there, you would say, "There are more seats and tables at the back."
Staff was cordial and very accommodating. We ordered something different... calamansi juice, bistek tagalog, pancit canton and garlic fried rice. Bistek tagalog always goes with garlic fried rice. This is pretty much what we order at the carinderias in Marikina.
Again we were not disappointed especially the Pansit Canton. It reminded us of the Pansit Calumpang of Marikina.
Filipino restaurants are spread all over the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with a large concentration in the Bathurst and Wilson area. Here and there are the restaurants in Scarborough in the East-end and Mississauga in the West-end.
Casa Manila is one of the 'upscale ones'. Great food and service. If you are looking for a place to enjoy Filipino cooking this is it. Casa Manila is a place to bring your family and friends for any occasion! I will definitely bring my family back!