Natalia Moran, a talented chef/consultant to several successful restaurants in Boracay in the Philippines flew to do a collaboration with LA Rose Cafe and the 3 month old Manila Inasal LA . If you read the menu of Manila Inasal, it is a very generous offering of 11 menu items and 2 desserts, buffet style.

Three drinks of tanglad iced tea, mango juice and calamansi were offered.

The kare kare had a sauce, hindi mani kung hindi macadamia!! Upscale kare-kare, bulalo, all three appetizers were the hit in my book. Plus the vegetables that were well cooked, not overdone, just cleanly cooked with some crunch. Even the mochi and tapioca, sago, were well done. All these details are indicators of a chef who knows what she’s doing. I like her pancit so much with vegetables and mushrooms – yummy!!

The desserts were delicious: bibingka cheesecake – so delicate and guinataang mochi – quite pillowy with red bean inside.

She’s very clever in her innovation techniques, knew how to pair textures, flavors as well as differences in temperatures, hot and cold desserts. I like all her offerings!!

LA Rose Cafe managed to house over 45 folks. A beautiful Sunday!