Mestiza Restaurant in Nuvali || A Spanish-Filipino Inspired Concept

December has come as fast as light!


December is probably the busiest and joyous month of the year mainly because of the Christmas season, the season of giving. Most of the people are also out and about on this month, looking for something new to try out. The people today have now become more and more adventurous in trying out new and trending things unlike before - and so am I! 😀

My family and I have decided to go out today for an early birthday celebration. I was asked where I wanted to go, and man, I really cannot decide right on the spot so I have to look over the web.

I didn't wanted to go to Tagaytay this time because we are pretty much just neighbours with this place and it is our go-to-place whenever we want to have a quick escape and chill moments. I didn't also wanted to go further north or south, so I thought of Nuvali in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Driving in Nuvali on a (December) Sunday is crazy - heavy traffic and heavy crowd! If you plan to drop by at this place, bring lots of patience and gas up. 😂

As we stroll the overly crowded place due to left and right fairs and attractions, we are almost out of choices. I passed by this cute, neat, and classy looking, small restaurant with only a few occupied tables regardless of the crowd outside. I thought that maybe because of the classy look of the restaurant, people think it might be "pricey". But people started coming in due to the inviting look and feels of the place.

Mestiza Restaurant, a Spanish-Filipino concept, is actually a newly opened restaurant in Solenad 3, beside TGI Fridays. I noticed the "Soft Opening" lettering on its door, so it is literally a freshly opened restaurant!

I am a fan of classy, simple interior design with a touch of art, and lights make me happy. I like how cozy and classy this place is! Ambiance - excellent!

Their menu is very simple but inviting and very classy (I am overly using this word now 😂). They have actually lots to offer. They have Paella as well which they claim as their best seller. We did not ordered it (sorry!) because of the only available size and we wanted to try as much dish as possible.

Their Paella for now having only one serving size.

I wasn't able to take a picture of the whole menu. Their menu has lots to offer despite of the restaurant with only about 30 to 40 seating capacity.

Calamares with Aoli Sauce and Honey Mustard Dip

Not really a fan of Calamares, but when paired with Aoli and Honey Mustard Dip makes it more special.

House Blend Iced Tea - not to sweet, not bland. 

Sinampalukang Manok

I really appreciate their Sinampalukang Manok - they used legit Tamarind for this. It doesn't taste artificial. You know the taste when you use commercialised powdered Tamarind flavor. The chicken is savory as well, not salty and not bland. Just right.

Half Pollo Al Horno (Baked Chicken)

Surprisingly, the chicken is not dry. Sometimes chicken gets dry when you over bake them. It was flavorful and the aroma is good because of thyme and lemon.

Garlic Fried Rice Platter

God knows how much I hate "buhaghag" and dry kind of cooked rice. Not their Garlic Fried Rice - it is a little bit sticky (malata as we may call it) and savory. The garlic flavor was just right, not over powering the dishes we have to pair it with.

Salpicado

Does it look pork? It was actually beef. The beef was not that tender. I think it would also be better if the beef was cut into strips instead of cubes. I like the flavor though, Cajun and other Spanish spices in its savory sauce. We also ordered buttered broccoli and cauliflower for sides.

Overall, our dining experience in this newly opened restaurant is good. The staff were courteous and were very willing to answer all our queries about their food. They also keep on refilling our glasses with water, we did not even have to ask them for anything.

The food is great, you know when the food is flavored just right. You'll never get the "umay" taste after you've eaten. Not salty, not bland. 

Ambiance and the restaurant's design - I really like it. It is actually one of the first things I look for in a restaurant, because people wouldn't normally look at the menu first, but on how the restaurant looks like. If it is inviting, welcoming, cozy and relaxed, I'm on it.

I find the price and serving size of food just right for us. We may be a family of 5, but we are not heavy eaters. We easily get full so the food we ordered above is just exact for us. No left overs. We only had a bill of Php 1,500. For us, the food is fairly priced. 👍

Of course, the whole dining experience is not based only on the looks of the restaurant, but the overall package - ambiance, food, service, value for money.

Will definitely visit this place again and try other stuff on their menu. 😊 👍

Mestiza

G/F Solenad 3

Nuvali, Santa Rosa, Laguna

Go and eat out! 😉

Patty 🐧 ☕