Contemporary Pinoy food at Sarsa Kitchen + Bar

Our family rarely goes to SM Mall of Asia because it's quite a distance from our home and we save the trouble only for special occasions. Like on New Year's Day when my two sisters (who were then vacationing from abroad) and I decided to bring the kids (my own four, a niece and two nephews) there to go bowling. But before the games, chow time! 
My sisters' choice? Sarsa Kitchen + Bar.

Sarsa Kitchen + Bar in MOA

 

This restaurant owned by Chef JP Anglo (who is reportedly the favorite chef of Kris Aquino) has three branches - at MOA, Makati and BGC. It has earned good reviews from foodies for its success in giving a new twist to traditional Negrense dishes. The restaurant's name, "sarsa", meaning sauce, is inspired by Pinoys' love for various dipping sauces and condiments that whet our already good appetite. We definitely love to eat, don't we! Notice then, that some dishes are served with sauces already like sinamak, which is spiced vinegar, achuete oil, and others. Chef JP, by the way, is from Negros, hence his love to cook, improve and tweak 
dishes from the Visayas Region. 
Meanwhile, our orders:

Pancit Molo, P275.

Tuna Sisig, P365.

Tortang Talong with Crispy Sardines and Kesong Puti, P210.

Monggo-nisa, P190.

Inasal na manok, P185.

Crispy Garlic Porkchop, P325.

Interior

  

Magazine features on Sarsa Kitchen + Bar and Chef JP Anglo

My sisters raved about the food! And I was happily munching away, having the feeling of eating in the comfort of our home food cooked by my mom and lola but served in a fresh, new way. Who would have thought that my favorite tortang talong could be served with a topping of my favorite palaman - kesong puti and crisply fried sardines? Yummy! One of my nephews, meanwhile, swore by the Munggo-nisa, which is ginisang munggo with crispy longganisa. What an ingenious way to serve this Friday veggie staple. Haha! Even the Tuna Sisig was such a hit to us that my sisters declared we had eaten at the best restaurant since they arrived five days earlier. And we had eaten at quite a number of Pinoy foodie places as we were out everyday. 
So what's not to like here? 
For me, it's either the price or the serving size. I just think that at those prices, the serving should be bigger. Oh, I am such a tightwad, you see. Haha!

Pay Sarsa Kitchen + Bar a visit, folks, to enjoy some good, 
contemporary Pinoy food. 
Happy eating!