LASA Bistro is a new restaurant that opened in Commerce Center, Alabang owned by Chef CK Kalaw and a couple of his friends. I first met Chef CK when he was with XO46 where he produced some wonderful heirloom Filipino dishes. LASA Bistro is Chef CK’s take on modern Filipino cuisine, giving the classic flavors his personal little touch. I seldom go to Alabang so when Chef CK invited me to check his place out, I scheduled it during our weekend at Crimson Hotel together with a number of our foodie friends.
You can easily see LASA Bistro after you take the escalators coming from the parking area of Commerce Center, which is across Acacia Hotel.
LASA Bistro occupies a fairly small but beautiful space with large windows letting lots of light flow in. There’s a staircase that leads to the kitchen where Chef CK and his team do their stuff. I also noticed something familiar about their tables and my suspicion was confirmed that they were indeed the old tables at Chef’s Table.
LASA Bistro starts your meal on a colorful and creamy note with some complimentary puto (rice cake). The puto are a bit more compact that the ones I’ve had before but they are equally delectable after your smear one of the three butters they serve it with; strawberry, bihod (fish roe) and aligue. Naturally, my fav was the strawberry.
We started with two different sisig dishes, Tofu Sisig (P175) and Liempo Sisig (P220). I would not mind eating the tofu, which had a light creamy mayo dressing mixed in but it just can’t stand up to the meaty and rich liempo sisig.
Empanada (P299), diced meat, salted egg encased in a delicate and flaky pastry. A dish that only Chef CK can make, even his former staff at XO46 can not replicate it. I suspect that he uses lard to make the empanada because it was quite flavorful.
The Pollo Patatas (P260) has chunks of chicken thigh thats been deep fried and tossed in olives and other spices. This felt a bit too ordinary for me compared to the more flavorful sisigs. For the less adventurous, this will definitely be appreciated.
Ensaladang Bagnet (P280). An tangy eggplant salad given a meaty and crunch upgrade by way of can do no wrong bagnet. This should make the veggie averse have their daily requirements.
We moved on to the soups, Binakol (P185) and Sinigang na Bangus sa Miso (P370). Both soups were good but I prefer the light and fresh taste of the binakol which uses buko juice. I was actually surprised I had enjoyed the sinigang probably because it was not as sour.
Lauren and the other kids had Batangueno Style Piniriotong Manok (P280). Tasty meat and crispy skin had the kids devouring the whole plate. It is served with some gravy but the chicken did not need it.
The Sugpo sa Bihod (P649) is not something everyone will like. I scooped the bihod and de shelled the shrimps and mixed everything into hot scoops of rice for a rich, pseudo fried rice. If you dislike the bihod, you can go for the more common Sugpo sa Aligue (P629) .
Thai Inspired Crispy Tilapia (P320). This was one of the dishes I enjoyed the most. Beautiful plating with lots of bean sprouts and basil on top of crispy tilapia fillets. Best eaten with a squeeze of lemon.
Spiced Coconut and Lemongrass Skewers (P350). I actually though this dish had curry because of the strong flavors. Even though the beef cubes were tender I felt the lemongrass flavors was drowned out by the other ingredients.
Kare Kareng Crispy Tadyang (P380). Cjhef CK deconstructed the classic kare kare by deep frying the beef ribs and pairing it with tempura veggies, laid on top of a creamy peanut sauce. An enjoyable and texture filled dish that made my taste buds quite happy.
Crispy Binagoongan (P360). This dish just begs for rice, something a lot of Filipino dishes do. Pieces of crispy pork belly covered with salty and savory bagoong and served with some green mango slices on the side. One of the his during our lunch.
We finished the fun filled meal with a trio of desserts, Canonigo (P180), Mango Cheesecake (P230) and Peanut Butter Delight (P190). The one I enjoyed the most was the fluffy, airy and sweet Canonigo.
LASA Bistro serves some nice dishes in a cozy and hip location. Chef CK Kalaw is very passionate in giving his own interpretation of Filipino food and this extends to the food that comes out of his kitchen. This is one restaurant that should be on the list of people who live in the South.
LASA Bistro
G/F Commerce Center, Commerce Ave. Corner East Asia Dr. Corner Commerce Ave., Filinvest Alabang, Muntinlupa City Contact No.: 551-4866
LASA Bistro Facebook Page
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Thank you again for taking me along, Richard! :) I don’t normally go for Filipino food when we eat out because I feel it’s lutong bahay so I can more or less eat that fare at home. But LASA has a modern take & twist on their filipino dishes that makes everything taste so yummy! <3
Kap even told me he enjoyed LASA a lot.
The recipes of this restaurant are delicious; I had visited this restaurant when I was coming back from east coast by get bus tour. I really enjoyed the food and nest time when I go there; I try visiting this restaurant again.
Happy that you enjoyed your experience at LASA Bistro also.
Do offer “combo meals” served for family of 6-7 members?
As far as I know they don’t offer combo meals. You can give them a call to confirm.