Casa Verde in Cebu City - a Manileño Food Review
Casa Verde has always been famous, and it even branched out in UP Town Center of Metro Manila. Well, I was able to give this a try years back, but I could no longer remember how I liked or disliked it. Hence, I decided to give it one more shot when we had the opportunity to be in Cebu. Here in this blog post, you'll learn about our experience dining here, and how I ended up with a conclusion that Casa Verde may not exactly be as impressive as it seems.
There interior of Casa Verde here in The Walk is modern and slightly "American". It has this similar feel with that of Friday's. It's a bit laid-back but comfy. Anyway, when we arrived there, the restaurant was running in full capacity, so we needed to wait for about 10 minutes before we got seated inside.
Let's now proceed with the dishes we were able to try.
Best Sampler || P290
A collection of golden fried cheese, potato skins and buffalo wings served with sides of marinara sauce, sour cream and bleu cheese dip
The sweet and spicy buffalo has a potent taste that was delish. It goes well with the sour cream dip. The mozzarella was chewy and stretchy making it lovable. However, the baked potatoes were just okay. Overall, I find this starter a good one.
Steak ala John Paul || P245
USDA beef tenderloin cooked in bacon and mushrooms with a side of mashed potatoes and salad
David Dean's Tenderloin || P235
Single USDA steak on top of mashed potatoes and topped with cheese . Served with brown sauce and garnished with onions and roasted almonds
Both of the steaks of David Dean and John Paul were "okay", but I found them not tender enough to be quite enjoyable. I came up with this conclusion when we found ourselves having a hard time slicing the meat. Well, I admit that after chewing up a slice, it started to become sufficiently tender. Anyway, overall, it was okay, and since it was affordable, I give them a positive remark.
Brian's Ribs || P228
Baked pork ribs in a sweet, tangy piquet sauce served with white rice and corn and carrots
The ribs was okay, but I found that of Byron's in Bacolod (read more) more attention-grabbing. Yes it was sweet, but I sensed that it was not smokey enough. I guess it didn't seeped in much. If we disregard that benchmark, I would say that this dish was good! Come to think of it, I prefer this over the two other dishes above.
Casa Verde - Overall Ratings and Summary
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars. The ratings apply solely to this dining experience.
Place ★★★☆
Taste ★★★
Service ★★★
Value for Money ★★★
Budget: at least P350 each for a filling lunch or dinner for a group of at least 3
Overall, I would say that I was not greatly impressed by the dish. Well, of course, it's just my opinion, and I'm not discouraging you at all to give this place a try. It was perhaps because my expectations were built up over these years, and that these "ideals" didn't materialize. I guess what didn't help much was the waiters/waitresses who seemed to be not happy that we were around.
Unfortunately, with this kind of experience, it's now included in my list of "good for trying only" restaurants. You may not totally agree with me, but I'm just thrashing out a piece of my mind. Do drop a comment and share your thoughts. I'd be happy to hear your insights.
Casa Verde
Location: G/F, The Walk, Abad St. Cebu City, Cebu
Service Charge: None
