Chef and restaurateur Jen Gerodias has turned Casa Luisa into a full-service restaurant

It would be remiss not to begin with the French onion soup that started it all, topped with a petite version of its empanada. For first-timers, it is a fitting introduction to the brand’s history as well as a flex of the kitchen’s skill level and reverence for French technique. Their proximity to farms makes it easy for Gerodias to work with them, and their salad is filled with the area’s bounty, such as fresh figs from nearby La Petite Ferme, pancit-pancitan from the property, and Laguna white cheese from local cows. 

The garlic butter crab palabok does not contain crab fat despite the appetising orange hue. Instead, the thick rice noodles are tossed in French butter and then topped with soft cooked eggs, smoked fish, lump crab meat, fish roe, fried garlic, and chicharon. This is so popular that it comes in a large party size packed into a woven basket called “tampipi”, which can be reheated safely in an oven or microwave without being removed from its container. Another bestseller, the pork sisig, is sold on their website frozen and ready to cook— an heirloom recipe from the family’s beloved secretary. 

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A Filipino family feast is not complete without its show-stoppers, and Gerodias makes sure that there are plenty in her regular menu and specials. A whole boneless chicken is marinated in leeks and lemongrass and then grilled, served in its reduced jus and parsley oil, accompanied by homemade dips and salsas. The red snapper sinigang simmers table-side in fish stock that has been cooked down like a bouillabaisse and soured with kamias, the vegetables added ceremoniously in batches to ensure proper cooking time is applied to all. Gerodias serves this with cured pork jowl bacon, a rather successful pairing she discovered growing up eating at home, then being served the leftover bacon from breakfast. Instead of patis, she offers alamang guisado as condiment simply because she feels it provides a more enjoyable experience with rice, and it truly is.

Carnivores will revel in the tender beef bourguignon kaldereta that is every bit your Lola’s beef stew in tomato sauce, but this time that sauce is cooked down with red wine, a move that Gerodias feels enhances and does not deviate from the traditional. “It is important that the dish tastes authentic even when I apply French techniques or use imported ingredients,” she stresses, “otherwise, I would have missed the mark. When the guest has a bite, it should still remind them of the food they grew up with.” She stresses this point by topping the kaldereta with grated Quick Melt— the local equivalent to Vevleeta. 

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Many restaurants promise that a visit feels like “coming home,” but very few actually deliver. Casa Luisa is actually one of those who do because, despite its chef’s finely sharpened skill set and natural knack for entertaining (the coffee table in the receiving area has a basket full of abanicos that guests can borrow in case the already cold air-conditioning is not cool enough), the food is neither too fancy nor complicated, but it still looks and tastes like it has been fussed over. For the total experience, come back and rent out the family’s vacation home for the weekend that comes complete with a pool, hot tub, and full kitchen. Between the serene surroundings and Gerodias’ refined spin on Filipino comfort food, it is easy to understand why nobody would want to leave. 

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