Karlo Pacana
Where to Eat in Cebu: Casa Verde in SM Seaside City
Looking for a value for money dining experience at SM Seaside City Cebu? Craving for homestyle comfort food in a laid-back atmosphere? Want to catch up with your friends over good food without the need to dress up for the occasion?
Facade of Casa Verde SM Seaside City
The King of Sinulog is off to Casa Verde SM Seaside City located in SRP Mambaling, the newest branch of the family-owned chain of restaurants that started out as a dormitory canteen in Ramos and now a favorite of the Cebuanos especially when Brian’s Ribs come to mind. Read on as I share to you what this ‘green house’ has to offer for their ravenous patrons.
Getting there
Assuming you’re in Cebu City, SM Seaside City in SRP Mambaling is just 30 minutes away by taxi from the Capitol. If you’re planning on taking the Jeepney, you can drop off at the skywalk at Mambaling Elementary School and ride a motorcycle from there and pay PHP15 per person. If you’re coming from SM City Cebu, you may also ride the MyBus for PHP25 per person. The restaurant is on the mall’s 3rd Level at the Sky Park among other dining destinations with a spectacular view of the metro.
Ambiance
Everything looks modern at first glance with the green and yellow Case Verde logo out front. Upon entering the glass doors with hardwood frames, you’ll notice a Spanish-inspired centerpiece compartment lighted with eight antique lamps on the sides atop beautifully-patterned tiled floors. The overhead lamps at the back end also have remarkable designs. The restaurant is perfect for casual dining with workmates, friends and family and could accommodate about 50 people in one setting.
Food
Casa Verde is known for its American-inspired dishes. Sorry to disappoint you our dear readers but we decided with heavy hearts not to include the crowd favorite Brian’s Ribs on the table since we were on a mission to taste the other side of Casa Verde. What’s life without surprises, right?
Without further ado, here are the dishes we’ve tasted for the first time but surely won’t be the last time.
For our appetizers, we had the sampler at PHP315, Chicken Quesadillas at PHP223, Green Bites at PHP178 and Southwest Eggrolls at PHP198.
Everything is indeed better with bacon and cheese which were main ingredients of the potato skins and the green bites. The flour tortillas were also a standout with its stuffed chicken strips and ingredients perfectly paired with sour cream. The winger sauce of the hot wings was the bomb with just the right amount of sweetness that it was gone in seconds.
For our main course, we had Raffitas at PHP230, The Dax at PHP338 and The Count of Monte Cristo at PHP288.
At first look, the Raffitas were not that inviting. However, when we tried combining the beef, chicken and other ingredients and stuffed them inside warm tortillas, more or less the same concept as the shawarma, we were stunned as their flavors burst in our mouths. My favorite would be the Monte Cristo, crisp on the outside and cheesy with ham and turkey on the inside with raspberry preserves as dip which felt like I was transported at a sandwich bar in the States.
For our pasta, we had the Southwest Pasta at PHP188 and Seafood Carbonara at PHP198. Among the two, I was instantly hooked with the one with shrimps and squid cooked in a rich creamy white sauce.
On my side, I had the milky choco-banana smoothie as a buffer in between dishes. Indeed, Casa Verde is more than just Brian’s Ribs, not that we’re complaining.
Price
A typical meal for two would cost around PHP600. If you’d ask me price and value wise, you’re getting more than what you pay for in terms of food quality, variety and location.
Service
By the time we were at the branch at SM Seaside, the Casa Verde staff members were all smiles. The food was thoughtfully prepared, well-presented and delivered at a reasonable time. They were able to keep up with patrons flooding in at lunch time which In comparison with the other branches, was not yet that crowded with crazy long queues. Better take this opportunity to check out this branch before everybody from the south side discovers its existence.
Overall
If you’re looking for a dining experience that truly exceeds expectations, then Casa Verde at SM Seaside is perfect for you. Later!
Contact Information
Casa Verde SM Seaside City is located on Level 3 Sky Park at SM Seaside City Cebu in SRP Mambaling. For promos and updates, you may check out their Facebook page.
