Casa Roces greets the Yuletide season with a new holiday menu

'Tis the season to be jolly—and for foodies, 'tis the season of bounty! Filipino-Spanish restaurant-cafe Casa Roces inside the Malacañang Complex has begun to serve its special menu for the holidays, which includes three Christmas packages.

At the media's sampling of the Holiday menu, Casa Roces served set menu A, which includes Filipino-Spanish classic recipes such as Lengua Estopado, Beef Pot Roast, Chicken Relleno, Maya-maya with Cherry Tomatoes, oven-roasted vegetables, and Paella Rice—plus Pork Cochinillo con Salsa at the carving station. To cap this menu off, Casa Roces offers Tres Leches con Quezo de Bola and fresh fruit platter for dessert.

Hands down, the Pork Cochinillo con Salsa (basically lechon de leche with salsa) was the winner with its crispy skin and tender meat. Many cochinillo recipes fail because its flavors are only "skin-deep" while the meat is bland. Casa's cochinillo is definitely not one of these.

Another must-try is the Chicken Relleno, which played around my mouth with flavors that remind me of Noche Buena—very festive.

This set's dark horse award goes to the oven-roasted vegetables. I wasn't expecting much from this dish but it caught me off-guard. Casa turned this usually bland dish into something appetizing. Even those who avoid vegetables would appreciate this.

Unfortunately, the Maya-maya with Cherry Tomatoes was forgettable for me. But, it could be a treat to those who appreciate mild flavors.

Although they were not able to serve Tres Leches con Quezo de Bola, Casa Roces still delivered with Baked Cherry Walnut Cheesecake. I do have a sweet tooth, but I love my cheesecakes semi-sweet. This Casa cheesecake hit the right notes for my palate.

The second set menu is the "opulent" one: Beef Kaldereta, Baked Prawns ala Nancy, roasted vegetables, Candied Baked Apple, Creamed Spinach, and Rice Pilaf. Roast Turkey with Gravy takes the center stage of the carving statio, while for dessert are Christmas Cake and Strawberry-Kiwi Short Cake.

The last Christmas package as "hearty," as Casa Roces describes it: Lengua con Champignon; Fabada ala Casa; Pollo Iberico; Baked Maya-maya Fish in Olive Oil, Garlic and Capers; Herbed Roasted Marble Potatoes and French Beans; and Rice Pilaf. At the carving station is Home-Cooked Ham with Gravy, while Xocolata, Mango Brulee Cake, and Crème Caramel are the grand finale to this menu.

Beyond the Roces table  

Casa Roces not only has good food and a prominent address. It also has a rich history. After all, the restaurant-cafe is a well-preserved 1930s heritage house of the Roces family.

On the second floor of the Casa are rooms that were once family bedrooms but are now available for private functions. Each room is named after the publications the Roces family started such as The Tribune, La Vanguardia, and Liwayway.

Casa Roces also has "the proposal room," an intimate space perfect for those who want to pop the question and say yes to forever.

Aside from the Commonwealth-era aesthetics, Casa's second floor is also full of work from various Filipino artists at the Galeria Roces. One of the most prominent is Juan Luna's "Spanish-Chinese Mestiza in Paris" (1889).

In any event, the venue is an important element since it sets the ambiance and the mood of the occasion. Casa Roces, with its time-tested Filipino-Spanish dishes, offers a menu familiar to every palate. But more than that, its vintage interiors add a touch of elegance and coziness to any affair. — BM, GMA News