Mesa welcomes its new Brand Ambassador

Mesa Filipino Moderne welcomed its newest brand ambassador Dingdong Dantes, the popular star of GMA 7,  with a buffet spread of best selling  and iconic Mesa dishes at the Food Hall  SM Aura yesterday afternoon.

With an efficient and gorgeous Host Mara Aquino , the festivities commenced  with the introduction of the bigwigs of Foodee Global Concept followed by the main man himself Dingdong Dantes,  and ended with the formal signing of the contract and an open forum to the media.

#RoadTo100 with Dingdong Dantes

Asked what the hashtag means and why Dingdong Dantes was chosen to be its newest Brand Ambassador, Eric  had this to say...

"This year will end  with 65  stores.  Vision is to have 100 stores by 2021.  With Dingdong, much sooner hopefully and who knows internationally as well..."

"Mesa needed a push or an accelerator...."

"Mesa embodies wholesome modern family man..  needed a modern Filipino  family man who is wholesome. So that's why we chose Dingdong and he fits  the  bill well and represents the Mesa brand  to the fullest"

- Eric Dee , COO Foodee Global Concept

Awards

As Mesa celebrates its 10th year, it also looks back and is thankful for awards won . 

The prestigious Food Retailer of the Year bestowed by the Philippine Retailers Association and the T. Dining Best Restaurants  Guide Award  were testimonies to the hard work and  the visionary leadership of  Mr. Ricky and Eric Dee.

The Food

"Authentic, Regional, Filipino recipes in a modern, stylized and unique way"

Mesa is one among notable brands under FOODEE GLOBAL CONCEPTS which is also home to Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan and Hawker Chan, The Food Hall, Tsuta Ramen, Kam's Roast, Foo'd, Pound, Flatterie, Llao Llao, Sunnies Cafe and Bench Cafe, to name a few

Earlier the buffet spread  included ...

Baby Squid in Olive Oil

A stand out among all dishes served earlier, I just loved how tender and flavorful the baby squids were. The crunchy slivers  of garlic where a delight, providing a contrast in texture which made the dish  more interesting.   It was a bit on  the salty side when eaten by itself  but when paired with steamed rice,  a balance of flavors is achieved.

Crispchon .  Think  chopped cracklings of suckling pig enveloped by malunggay wrap then dip in  chili garlic, lechon sauce or hoisin sauce (?). You can also have it stir fried or eat it as is.

I tried the crispchon  wrap expecting the crunch following  a bite  of the green-lumpia-like food. Sadly what I got was a bubble gum texture from a sorry looking piece of  lechon  skin. I was luckier with the second "lumpia" I got  though

Perfectly balanced  notes of sweet and savory, the Mesa Braised Beef , Mesa's version of Beef Rendang,  was soft, tender, and flavorful.   A result no doubt of several hours simmering  with the delicious gata or coconut cream. Two cups of rice please

Crispy Catfish Salad

Tinapa Roll

I love lumpia in general so an addition of tinapa  or smoked fish into the filling was something of a delightful surprise. Though nothing new, it was still something I always look forward to eating as starter or even main course!

Salted Egg Prawns

A current addiction of mine, anything salted egg gets my vote especially Mesa's Salted Egg Prawns. Like the baby squid, this dish needed to marry cups of steamed plain rice to tone down the saltiness a bit. But once wedded,  a perfect balance of flavors results.

Overall,   a wonderful afternoon witnessing the  formal welcoming of   the new Brand Ambassador of Mesa and enjoying its Pinoy cuisine. Congratulations MESA , Foodee Global Concepts and Dingdong Dantes.

"Dingdong is the best representation of where we want to take MESA as a brand. He is a modern Filipino family man who puts his family first and settles with nothing but the best for his family . In the same way, MESA treats its guests as its own family - nothing but the best in food, service and ambiance for them here at MESA' 

-Ricky Dee, CEO Foodee Global Concepts

"Through this collaboration with Dingdong and his team, MESA will be institutionalized as your go-to Filipino restaurant serving you authentic classic flavors served with a modern twist,"

Eric Dee , COO Foodee Global Concepts

photo by @johnbunag

photo by @johnbunag