First Bite: Mama Rosa

I follow several notable foodies on Instagram and when they say this restaurant or that café is their favorite, I get curious. I just have to know if these foodie approved places are worth my time and money. And so when chef and food columnist Angelo Comsti said that Mama Rosa is one of his all-time favorite restaurants, I just have to visit the place. And I went with my mom as it seemed appropriate to bring your “mama” to Mama Rosa.

Hello, Mama Rosa.

I was worried that that place might be packed so I asked my sister to make a reservation for four. We got to the place around 1 p.m. and were lucky to score the parking space in front of the restaurant. And when we got in… surprise! The place was empty!

Famished, we quickly ordered the following: Kinilaw na Isda (PHP280), Kalabasa soup (PHP90, Halaan (PHP120), Mango Chicken (PHP225), Lechon Kawali (PHP220) and Guinataang Sigarillas (PHP160). 

While waiting for our orders, we were given some chips and dip. 

First served was the Kinilaw na Isda and the tuna chunks came in three variants. One had green mangoes and coconut cream, another had salted duck egg, tomatoes and black beans, while the last one had cucumber, radish and kamias. The one with the coconut cream was the spiciest as it had red chilies in it but I still manage to eat half of it as the spice level was still tolerable. I loved the one with salted duck egg best as there was a contrast in texture and the saltiness of the egg balanced the tanginess of the dish. If you love tangy dishes, you’d love the one with kamias.

I was so delighted with the generous serving of soups. Each bowl was good for sharing. The pumpkin soup was good for 2-3 while the halaan was good for 2. 

The pumpkin soup had a nice thick texture and I loved its sweet flavor. It was the ideal pumpkin soup. 

The halaan had a nice light taste which was perfect for a starter. 

The Guinataang Sigarillas was served next and my mom loved it! It has a nice coconut flavor to it and the sigarillas was cooked well. It was on the salty side though so make sure that you eat this with rice. 

The Lechon Kawali had a very poor presentation and it was nothing but your usual lechon kawali which you could get anywhere. It went well though with the pumpkin soup and guinataang sigarillas.

Last served was the Mango Chicken, Mama Rosa’s bestseller. Described as fried chicken marinated in soy sauce, calamansi, shallots and stuffed with green mango and lemongrass, we expected this to be one mouthwatering dish. It was served with liver sauce and soy calamansi with green mango dip. The chicken was chopped into pieces and it was served on a leaf. 

It had a subtle sweet flavor but overall, it was a bit too dry. The liver sauce and soy-calamansi with green mango (which was used as stuffing then removed from the chicken) did help add taste though. My mom liked this dish but I find it a bit too dry to be enjoyed. I wouldn’t order this dish again. 

Overall, it was an average lunch. Mama Rosa offers simple comfort food that you could prepare at home. But if you’re lazy or if you’d like a change, you could drop by this homey place. Just do not expect too much from it. Coz I did and was a tad disappointed for not having my tastebuds go crazy. 

Mama Rosa is located at 9 East Capitol Drive, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City. It is in front of Main Street, yet another new face in Kapitolyo.