La Cocina de Tita Moning

Alexis Sumadia Balane

4.0

Classic, sophisticated, and tasty. Love the old home and love their food. I felt like a Doña while dining in La Cocina. Dining experience starts with a tour of the old home. Service was spot on. You get to use the good old bell in calling the servers. We didn't use it though since it felt weird. Hahaha! All ingredients were fresh. It's definitely a must visit.

Rachmat Edho Soesanto Kairupan

4.0

The Legarda Mansion on San Rafael St in San Miguel marked the end of a museum tour I attended two weeks ago. The house is a beautiful relic of pre- and post-war Legarda family, filled with vintage furniture, charming dressing rooms and living rooms, as well as Dr Ramon Legarda's famous in-house clinic (I think he was an endoscopist) and his huge collection of ham radios, video, and photographic equipment. Suzette Montinola still heads the sit-down dinners in their living room, while outdoor functions are also held in the back. We sampled their pancit, chicken relleno with gravy, ginataang bilo-bilo (rice dumplings with taro, cassava, and sago in coconut cream), and a shot of beer.  The food was was well-seasoned and festive. Just like Casa Roces, it is a wonderful trip down memory lane.

Çağla Cuma Akın

5.0

I've been to this place twice now and each time, it didn't fail to awe me. Their dishes were prepared with a good balance of professionalism and hominess that you would expect from a house-turned-resto. The service and ambience were great. At the start, they gave us a tour of the manor and provided some history to give context and depth to the experience. The staff was really friendly, almost familial, in the way they regarded guests. Overall a special dining experience.

Fundadururr

4.0

What I love best about dining at San Miguel, Manila is the fact that most of the really good places to eat here are Spanish-themed. One of the more tasteful places to quench your thirst for Spanish cuisine is La Cocina de Tita Moning. It’s one of those homey places that transport you back into the 19th century. In fact, every time I come here, I feel a sense of nostalgia remembering how my grand aunt’s place looks like back in Tanjay. More than the ambience is the sumptuous food in all its savory goodness. Dive right into Classic Menu 3 and you’ll know how it feels like to die and go to Spanish cuisine heaven. Coming ot Tita Moning’s always feels like coming home to big fat family dinner.

Hanna Merliandra

4.0

Old Manila opulence combined with great-tasting food makes La Cocina de Tita Moning not just a restaurant but a dining experience.Upon arriving at the Legarda Mansion where La Cocina is located, mi amigas y yo were ushered at the sala and given complimentary drinks and pica-pica, in the same fashion one would receive guests in his home. The lemongrass iced tea was refreshing while the warm ladyfinger toasts loaded with their decadent queso de bola spread was truly appetizing that I even brought home a jar!After taking our orders, a guide gave us a tour of the mansion (which I’ll write about in a separate post). We found out that Tita Moning is actually Doña Ramona, the wife of Don Alejandro of the illustrious Legarda clan.After exploring the casa, we were seated on our designated table in the comedor. The set-up itself is already remarkable as rose petals and lit candles were attractively placed on the elegant table cloth. I was excited to use the Legardas’ antique collection of china, glassware and silverware.Adding to the experience is a personalized print-out of the menu we will be having. A small campana is also placed at the head of the table to call the staff, just like how they did back in the good old days.For our lavish multi-course meal, they first served bread and butter. Of interest is the salsa monja on the table. It is a condiment made of pickled shallots and olives made by nuns for the Spanish friars to accompany meals. It is suggested that you eat it together with the other dishes to make it more delicioso.For starters, we had two kinds of ensaladas—(1) fresh organic greens with herbs, poached egg, roasted pumpkin & davao goat cheese, and (2) salad with caramelized walnuts and cheese.Their sopa de oro (cream of pumpkin soup) is very rich, delicious and filling.Next, is whole baked lapu-lapu and grilled eggplant with homemade vinaigrette. I must say that this is the best-tasting baked lapu-lapu i had! It is oven-baked in olive oil & garlic.I noticed that the waitresses were scooping the food on our plates instead of placing the serving dish on the table. I guess this is how the “old rich” dined in the 1930s.We then had Tita Moning’s signature dish of slowly roasted pork with its own cracklings served with candied sweet camote. The candied sweet camote alone is too die for!As if it is not yet enough, we also had tender lengua cooked in white wine, sautéed fresh vegetables and their famous paella valenciana served in a dainty paellera.To cap it off, we were served with a Legarda original, the bread pudding topped with candied pili nuts. This is unlike the usual pudding that i was accustomed to because it is soft and like leche flan. And the hot choco is good for that afternoon siesta too!Though the cost of dining here is about PhP 1,000 to PhP 2,000 per person (at regular prices), it is definitely worth every centavo. Muy deliciosio food served in style is definitely priceless.

Harun Eren

4.0

A very good place to celebrate anniversaries and special dates. This place was so amazing. I really enjoyed the history of the house. Even the old things that were used by the owner and her daughters were well-preserved. I experienced special anniversary date with my boyfriend here at La Cocina de Tita Moning.

Hazel Melanie Ramos

5.0

This restaurant is still one of my favorites to date. A dining experience like no other, guests instantly get transported back in time when you get inside the old house turned restaurant.Upon entrance, guests are served lemongrass iced tea, and yummy queso de bola toasts. After that, a server will come and guide you around the tour of the house. I love the charm of the ancestral home, filled with personal belongings maintained well and in good condition. Before any meal was served, they brought out bread and butter, and a unique condiment, the salsa monja. We were told that salsa monja is made of pickled shallots and olives made by nuns for the Spanish friars to accompany meals in the Spanish era. They highly suggest that you add the salsa monja to everythingserved that night for extra flavor. I personally think it is an aquired taste, but good with bread nonetheless.For starters, we got to try a sampler, gambas and chorizo, almond pili milk shots, and gazpacho shots. I like the cold gazpacho shots, very flavorful for a shot. the gambas worked well with the chorizo, with a little spice. the almond pili was a welcome surprise to me because I have never tried almond pili as a starter, only as a dessert from previous experience.The Roasted Beet Salad with Organic Greens, Torched Davao Goat Cheese and Caramelized Walnuts is also good. you can really never go wrong with caramelized walnuts done perfectly. It was also my first time trying goat cheese that is torched, and surprisingly, the smokiness went well with the sharp tangy taste of the cheese.Then for our mains, my favorite has to be the Lamb. Tita Uko's Lamb Shank on Mashed Potatoes is so so so good. Cooked to perfection, really tender, fall off the bone goodness without that malansa flavor associated with lamb. I love that it reminds me of beef bourguignon, with the generous amount of gravy and side of vegetables. The lamb shank is also big and can really stuff you full. This dish is best with red wine, so order up!Another main is the Seafood potpourri on Saffron Nage, Julienne of Vegetables. It's basically a version of the seafood chowder, except the flavors are lighter, and more soupy. I like how the crouton is this one big slice thatcan also serve as your spoon. This dish is best paired with white wine.For dessert we had a sample platter of Tita Moning's Bread Pudding, Homemade nut cake with Citrus Ice Cream, Fresh Mango Crumble, and homemade fritters. I loved the bread puding the most. It's a cross between the usual bread pudding and creme brulee, so it comes out as a sort of leche flan texture. It's the best dessert to end the wonderful meal with.Then you have the option to pick between herbed tea, coffee or hot chocolate. I picked the hot chocolate and love how it isn't too sweet, with the marshmallows slowly melting and the cinnamon stick as the stirrer. Service is highly commendable, dining here makes you feel like a VIP, with a bell on every table for use to call on a server. When I felt a bit cold, the server actually placed a clean scarf over my shoulders. I was told that they really do have scarves prepared for guests. I swear, I really felt like a VIP when dining there.Overall, I loved the experience. The set meals are actually customizable depending on what you guys want. The stunning lavish interiors, intimate dining settings, beautiful cutlery and personal touches make this place a must visit in old Manila.Note that this set meal good for two can actually stuff you both really really full, so be prepared for a heavy but scrumptious meal. This set costs around 1700 per head, but considering the whole experience, it was worth every peso spent.P.S. It was my birthday then and my friend requested for a birthday cake for me. What came out was this cute and yummy cheesecake.

Nikita Nitura

5.0

Nothing compares to an original family recipe that is passed from generations to be enjoyed

Rovie Manansala

3.0

La Cocina de Tita Moning a restaurant perfect for large scale family reunions and the menu is so unique. Wish that you could make it affordable.On the other hand the interior design of the restaurant is beautiful it resembles like an Old Spanish House.

Roxanne Ang

5.0

Heads up! This resto is by reservation, and you should order beforehand since service is very personalized and seats are very limited.Food is amazing, service is just the best!, and you get a tour of the whole place- which has an old library, a clinic (with ancient x ray and skeleton! Very instagram worthy haha), dressing/powder room, and radio room.Our tour guide was very friendly, efficient, and the servers absolutely know what they're doing!❤️Meals come in sets, though you can also order ala carte. I highly suggest you go for the set meal, its cost efficient and you get the whole dining experience the servers have been training for their whole lives.❤️