Going back to the classics
ENTERING Resorts World Manila’s (RWM) newly opened signature dining outlet is like visiting a refurbished heritage home where you can enjoy familiar home cooked meals.
Headed by RWM Executive Chef Godfrey Laforteza, Casa Buenas offers Filipino-Spanish dishes.
“As soon as you come in, you will already feel the experience. You are already submerging yourself into a different world of cuisine,” Mr. Laforteza told members of the press at last week’s launch.
The new restaurant’s menu includes appetizers such as the Asian-inspired Kumot, a unique take on fresh spring rolls, which Mr. Laforteza described as a love dish. “What’s inside are all the ingredients I love, that’s why kinukumutan ko siya (that’s why I put a blanket on them),” he said.
Mr. Laforteza also paid tribute to his mother-in-law and wife’s recipes by having them on the menu. The Callos De Monserrat is an original recipe by his mother-in-law, while he gives his own tweak on the Garlic Noodle with Crab Meat (a recipe by his wife, theater actress Carla Guevara-Laforteza).
“My wife taught me how to cook and my mother-in-law pushed me to explore the culinary world,” he said.
Other signature dishes include Tuna tartare kilawin with coconut cream pinakurat, premium Grilled Kurobuta pork chop, Cebu lechon-inspired Sinulog roasted lechon manok, high quality Grilled US Angus rib eye steak, and brandy-infused Emperador Strudel.
“I created some of the dishes together with the head chefs of Resorts World. [We had] a lot of tasting with our colleagues. When you see all of them smile on the first bite, that means that [dish] goes on the menu,” Mr. Laforteza said.
The restaurant, which seats 135 guests, has traditional bahay na bato-inspired interiors including capiz shell details, intricate wood marquetry and wood inlays, hand-crafted lattice work, and hand-carved hardwood floors. The restaurant is divided into various areas — the Tapas Bar; Aguador; Sala, Comedor; and La Cupula which is a private dining area which has access to an outdoor walkway; and the Pamilya, a long dining table.
“As soon as you come in, we will make you relaxed and forget everything,” he said.
For the Valentines weekend, Casa Buenas is offering a special dinner menu from Feb. 13 to 15, 6 to 10 p.m. called La Serenata. The six-course menu features an amuse bouchée of Tuna tartare kilawin and Kumot, Gambas and Grilled Octopus for hot appetizers, Salmon yazu dashi soup, Grilled beef tenderloin and Iberico pork jowl as the main courses, homemade pralines for mignardise, and Emperador Strudel for dessert. Dinner for two is priced at P6,000, while an exclusive date at La Cupula is priced at P10,000. The restaurant also offers a group date option at the La Cupula (P15,000 for four people, and P21,000 for six people) and Pamilya (P21,000 for six to eight people, and P30,000 for nine to 12 people).
Casa Buenas is located at the ground floor of the Grand Wing, Resorts World Manila, Pasay City. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. For reservations, contact 0917-878-8312 and 7908-8988 or e-mail casa.buenas@rwmanila.com. Visit www.rwmanila.com for more information. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman
