July 31, 2019

Sobre Mesa in Shangri-La Plaza: A Food Cradle for the ’90s Kids

Update: This restaurant is already closed as of May 2019.

Feeling the tito (uncle) or tita (auntie) in you? For millennials looking for the perfect dining spot to catch up with friends while munching on timeless favorite dishes, Sobre Mesa is the place to be.

Sobre Mesa in Shangri-La Plaza Mall offers a stellar dining experience paired with the undying ’90s vibe suitable for groups of friends who want to reminisce about the good old days.

This restaurant was established in 2015 with its first branch located at Sapphire Bloc Ortigas Center. They used to serve South American cuisine.

Now that they have rebranded with a new concept, new target diners, and a new menu, they are set to bring together the memories of the ’90s generation and the familiar flavors the young titos and titas of Manila grew to love.

“Since the owners are titos and titas, we created a menu based on what the titos and titas like to eat… something familiar, something that we loved through the years, nothing too different. We didn’t want to experiment too much but we want to bank on something that is close to the Filipino palate, so it is not exactly authentic Spanish but is curated with Filipino flavors,” said The Menu Group President Harvard Uy de Baron.

The term sobremesa is a known Spanish tradition of having delightful conversations during mealtime. Here, customers can dine in a vibrant interior with cushioned seats made for long talks while indulging in classic European dishes.

Also, if you pay attention to the restaurant’s interior, you’ll see posters of popular ’90s bands and TV shows at the bar, which will give you a bit of a flashback to the legendary generation of millennials, who know fondly call themselves as titos and titas.

“Here at Sobre Mesa, we embrace the value of preparing a warm atmosphere that leads you to hang out with ease over classic, heart-warming, and well-cooked Spanish and European dishes,” said Chef Benjo Tuason.

Diners should ready their stomachs for the great choices of food Sobre Mesa has in their newly curated menu.

Start off with Sobre Mesa’s signature Sangria (Php 155) that comes in two kinds, the alcoholic version and the virgin non-alcoholic for diners who don’t drink. The exciting catch here is every diner is given overflowing Sangria for free every day starting at 5 pm!

Sangria (Php 155)

Complementing the Sangria is their Prosciutto and Melon Salad (Php 280), a plate of Romaine lettuce, sliced melon, and prosciutto or Italian dry-cured ham dressed in mint and parmesan cheese.

Prosciutto and Melon Salad (Php 280)

They have two popular rice dishes in their menu, namely the Arroz con Pollo y Chorizo or Chicken and Chorizo Rice (Php 490) and Arroz Negra (Php 520). Both are a gratifying pair of Spanish staple dishes for titos and titas.

[L-R] Arroz con Pollo y Chorizo or Chicken and Chorizo Rice (Php 490) and Arroz Negra (Php 520)

Next is Tito Jap’s Bulalo Estofado (Php 490), which came from Chef Benjo’s family recipe. It is a slow braised beef shank in soy sauce and citrus sauce that has a sweet yet tangy taste.

Tito Jap’s Bulalo Estofado (Php 490)

One of the top picks by Chef Benjo is the bestselling Sobre Mesa’s Chicken and Steak Combo (Php 1,600). This dish will give you the best of both worlds with the tender roasted chicken and steak served with salad, mashed potato, sweet fritter bombs, and banana on the side.

Sobre Mesa’s Chicken and Steak Combo (Php 1,600)

Tito Harvard’s Osso Buco (Php 580) is an Italian specialty of braised veal shanks complimented with seasonal crisp vegetables and fluffy mashed potatoes.

Tito Harvard’s Osso Buco (Php 580)

The most exciting part of the meal is, of course, the dessert!

You can choose from two of their cheesecake entrees: Salted Caramel and Banana Cheesecake (Php 230) and Tito Agusto’s Mango Coconut and Almond Cheesecake (Php 230), which are drizzled with thick caramel sauce.

(L-R) Salted Caramel and Banana Cheesecake (Php 230) and Tito Agusto’s Mango Coconut and Almond Cheesecake (Php 230)

What diners should look out for is their exciting promos like the Titos and Titas Day where people born from 1975 to 1990 will get a pre-senior discount of 16% every Wednesday. The Shangri-la branch will also have Unlimited Tapas every Saturday for Php 450 only.

Bring your friends at Sobre Mesa and embark on a nostalgic round of meals and unlimited conversations like the titos and titas of Manila!

How to get here:

By car: From Makati, enter EDSA through Kalayaan Flyover and drive straight ahead until you reach Shaw Boulevard. Make a right turn at the Shangri-la Plaza entrance. Sobre Mesa is located at Level 4 East Wing of Shangri-la Plaza.
Parking rates at Shangri-La Plaza start at Php 55 for the first 3 hours and Php 20 every hour on weekdays. On weekends and holidays, the fixed parking rate is Php 55.

Written by Deneca Ordinanza