Late Lunch at Lola Cafe S Maison

(This is a non-sponsored honest review of Lola Cafe S Maison completely based on my paid dining in experience.)

Whenever I don’t travel, I am always on the hunt for restaurants that I can try in Manila. As someone who always wants to improve parts of herself and her personality, I take myself out on a date. I’ve been doing this inside and outside the Philippines for quite a while now. It eases my social anxiety, made me more confident and more ‘street smart’.

I’ve been wanting to explore the restaurants at S Maison. Upon checking online, several restaurants, including Lola Cafe, just opened. Honestly and ironically, I am not a fan of Filipino food and Filipino restaurants. However I wanna check if this is worth giving a try. I’m interested about the twist that they provide with the usual Filipino food.

Lola Cafe S Maison Location

Lola Cafe S Maison is located at the 2nd Floor (Level 2) of the mall. I did not have a hard time looking for Lola Cafe. Not only that S Maison is a small mall, Lola Cafe is just right on the spot where you can walk to going to the escalators and the bathroom.

The Staff and The Service

I scanned the menu at the entrance but there is no staff at the podium area attending to customers. I had no idea what to do so I decided to just go straight in.

The staff greeted me good afternoon and I noticed the restaurants was a bit packed. I am close to assuming that there is a private event going on or something. There were people coming back and forth (mostly senior citizens and families with noisy kids—I’m just not a fan of kids hehe). I asked if there are vacant seats for one. They pointed me to the outdoor seats by the corridor and the seat near the entrance. I just chose the very isolated seat by the entrance.

The seat I chose was isolated and awkward. They started getting my orders and since I already checked the menu online prior to going there, my order was a little quick. I ordered a Pork Belly Bagoong, Green Tea Lychee, and Kesong Puti Cheesecake. I think they have a good selection of coffee, but I am on a coffee break, so I’m gonna have to pass.

After a few minutes, a staff approached me and explained that instead of chicharong baboy, they will put kropek on my meal instead because they ran out of chicharon. Not everyone would accept this compromise, but I had no problems with it, so I said yes.

The Food

The orders did not take a lot of time, considering that they are (I assume) catering to a private event. The rice bowl meal tasted good at first, but I have an issue with the pork. I am not sure if it’s just me, but the pork smelled a little odd, and you could smell it when slicing it. Because of that, I just finished my meal for the sake of finishing it. I can’t taste the bagoong part in the rice either.

The green tea lychee, on the other hand, was good! It was a little expensive though, but it tastes like a non-alcoholic mojito.

I asked the cheesecake to be served, and before serving, they gave me a small plate and small spoon. On my mind, I was like “It was just a slice, right? I don’t need to transfer it on another plate.” But when the cheesecake came, It was bigger than I’m expecting, which is worth the price, I believe. The cheesecake lover in me was happy, but this particular cheesecake was made of kesong puti, which makes the cheesecake a little saltier than usual.

No problem with me, I like it, actually! It has a bukayo on top, and at first I have no problems with it, but as I eat more of it, I’m starting to think it tasted weird. But I appreciate the effort of putting a Filipino twist to a cheesecake. Overall, I still like it.

Of course, I was only able to consume a part of the cheesecake. I asked for the bill and the remaining cheesecake to be taken away, and it was a smooth and fast transaction. They charge 5% for service fee which for me is reasonable enough.

The Verdict

My overall food and service experience at La Lola S Maison was not perfect, but I want to give them a chance since they are still on their soft opening stage and they have a lot to improve. I haven’t dined in on the other two branches of La Lola (in Tomas Morato and Podium Mall) so I can’t really compare them. Next time perhaps I would try other items on their menu and their cocktails as well.

Lola Cafe Conrad Contact Information

Lola Cafe
Level 2, S Maison, Conrad Manila
Seaside Boulevard corner Coral Way, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City
+63 9171083370; 02 88057649
https://www.facebook.com/lolacafe.ph
https://www.instagram.com/lolacafe

Accommodation Near Lola Cafe S Maison: Conrad Manila

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