Cafe Juanita, Pasig

Cafe Juanita, Pasig

2 United St. cor. West Capitol Drive, Barrio Kapitolyo

Pasig City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 632-0357

http://www.munchpunch.com/restaurants/branch/4318.aspx
3.8 14 14
Overall Rating - 3.75 - 3.75 - 3.75 - 3.75 - 3.7514 reviews
Food - 3.7857142857142857142857142857 - 3.7857142857142857142857142857 - 3.7857142857142857142857142857 - 3.7857142857142857142857142857 - 3.7857142857142857142857142857
Service - 3.5714285714285714285714285714 - 3.5714285714285714285714285714 - 3.5714285714285714285714285714 - 3.5714285714285714285714285714 - 3.5714285714285714285714285714
Ambiance - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4
Value - 3.6428571428571428571428571429 - 3.6428571428571428571428571429 - 3.6428571428571428571428571429 - 3.6428571428571428571428571429 - 3.6428571428571428571428571429

~ Reviews ~

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Showing 1 - 10 of 14 reviews

  • good eats
    by 1983, 3 months ago (other reviews by 1983)
    Rating - 3.25 - 3.25 - 3.25 - 3.25 - 3.25
    Food - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4
    Service - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    Ambiance - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    Value - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    the buffet was great and most of the food was tasteful.... music was fine and the definition of eclectic is this place

    wash rooms need work though     Cafe Juanita, Pasig
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  • 1 of 2 people found this helpful:
    What's in a name?
    by Picky, 9 months ago (other reviews by Picky)
    Rating - 2.75 - 2.75 - 2.75 - 2.75 - 2.75
    Food - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    Service - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    Ambiance - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    Value - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2
    Is deep-fried pork liempo bearing no resemblance to the darker Ilocano kind still classifiable as bagnet so long as it's crispy and tastes good? This resto's version comes in a bowl of fresh tomatoes spiced with chili flakes and both the pork and the salsa are good, but I think this is good lechong kawali, not bagnet. Based on the decor and the repeat customers, I doubt if the owner cares. I do however, because traditional bagnet has the flavor that go so well with pakbet and not well at all with lechon sauce. I would have been disappointed had I ordered their bagnet with their pinakbet.

    I also tried their tinuktok which tasted ok except that I couldn't distinguish the taste of the buko or the crab. I'm as adventurous as the next person when it comes to eating, but I must say I have to rein in my analytical tendencies when it comes to this place. The place offers pleasant surprises but it may make pairing dishes based on preconceptions difficult.

    Interestingly, with the multitude of dishes they offer, the only soup they have that's good enough for a group is sinigang. Every other soup such as pancit molo and tom yung is for individual orders. Still, I suppose the resto is in a niche of it's own, justifiable by sheer food quality and decor quantity. It's a hard to define niche but good enough to require reservations for weekday dinner. Definitely worth trying once and probably good enough to return to again.     Cafe Juanita, Pasig
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  • 1 of 2 people found this helpful:
    Eclectic, indeed.
    by shimmerie, more than 1 year ago (other reviews by shimmerie)
    Rating - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    Food - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    Service - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2
    Ambiance - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4
    Value - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    Cafe Juanita is... well, different.

    It is unlike the other restaurants I've been to. But it is different in a good way, because the uniqueness becomes part (a large part at that) of its appeal.

    I went there with a couple of friends last day of July. I say it's a must that you call in to reserve as the place can get pretty crowded.

    Anyway, we ordered the following:

    • Bagnet Salad (which was my favorite of the dishes we had)
    • Pan-grilled Fish Fillet in Kare-kare Sauce
    • Pan-broiled Prawns (has a sweet & sour sauce)
    • sticky toffee pudding (dessert)

    Overall, the food was just okay -- could've been better considering the prices.

    The service needs to be improved because many of the crew members didn't appear happy to serve the diners. They weren't very attentive either. One has to catch their attention a couple of times or so before they'd come to you.

    Parking space is almost non-existent.

    If you prefer to dine in peace and quiet, then this is not the place for you.

    Although some of the decors could get downright creepy (particularly the hanging masks), I still like the design and the concept of the whole place.     Cafe Juanita, Pasig
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  • 2 of 3 people found this helpful:
    A Melange of Colors and Flavors
    by Islandhopper, more than 1 year ago (other reviews by Islandhopper)
    Rating - 3.5 - 3.5 - 3.5 - 3.5 - 3.5
    Food - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4
    Service - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    Ambiance - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4
    Value - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    Category: Restaurants
    Cuisine: Eclectic
    Location: No. 2 United cor. West Capitol, Bo. Kapitolyo, Pasig City
    The Bait: Good reviews from friends and media
    The Line: Eclectically Romantic (according to Awesome Planet)
    The Hook: Simply good cooking
    The Sinker: Less than stellar service
    The Catch: P400++ per person

    This is the opposite of zen. The beyond-kitsch, bordello-like decor is a minimalist's nightmare. Gordon Ramsay would have a fit with the fusion-confusion of its ultra eclectic menu, which mixes Mediterranean with Asian. Cafe Juanita is a visual melee but a gustatory delight.

    The Sinigang na Corned Beef with Chorizo (P389) is interesting. What's great about the dish is that before they serve it, the server comes out with a little cup of the broth and ask you to sample it the way they'd ask you to sample the wine before serving. You can ask them to adjust the acidity or the sourness.

    The soup they delivered was just perfect. As sour as we wanted it. We rarely have this kind of sinigang broth, thickened by gabi. Really good, or it also could be that we were very hungry when we got there. There was nothing extraordinary with the corned beef, but the chorizo gave it a unique twist.

    My favorite dish was the Tinuktok (P199). I suspect a lot of diner miss this as it is on the bottom of the comprehensive menu. Imagine this: crabmeat and buco wrapped in taro leaves topped by two sauces -- coconut and crab fat. Something I would definitely order when I go back.

    My Cafe Juanita experience was capped by the famous Sticky Toffee Pudding (P89). This affirms what I've always known -- giving up dessert for life is just wrong. The pudding was very moist. The caramel sauce could be too sweet for others, but for me the combination of pudding, caramel sauce, and vanilla ice cream was just, uhm, I'm struggling to articulate how good it is. It has an old-fashioned, homemade appeal to it, but it is exceptionally good.

    The one serving us was very pleasant and helpful, but she still needed a bit of training answering some of our questions. In fairness to her, I was inquisitive and my husband was determined to charm her with his corny jokes. She was very patient with both of us.

    More on Cafe Juanita at: http://islandhopper.blogspot.com/2009/03/cafe-juanita-melange-of-colors-and.html     Cafe Juanita, Pasig
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  • 1 of 2 people found this helpful:
    specially normal
    by fatboy, more than 1 year ago (other reviews by fatboy)
    Rating - 3.75 - 3.75 - 3.75 - 3.75 - 3.75
    Food - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    Service - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4
    Ambiance - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
    Value - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    we went there one night with no plans and expecting a good meal, from all the good reviews with the place.
    parking was horrific, so much so that i had to get out of my car using the passenger door.
    the ambience was conveniently freaky with a dose of mystery. we had some moments of "oohs and aahs".
    Then came the ordering, i told the waiter that it was my first time and I wanted to eat the best.
    *lapu-lapu/kare-kare/bagnet/ some i forgot
    So we went for bagnet(stank) laguna fish(fancy name for tilapia with diced tomatoes, wala lang deep fried lang) and ratatoy(pinoy version ng tomato and eggplant combo)/creme brule
    *frankly speaking its normal food, we were both not impressed with the food. however the dark horse for me was the ratatoy, i loved it like i wanted to marry it.

    *good place, good service, bad parking, ok food. maybe i just ordered the wrong food.
    oh and i paid around 1100, for 3 ulam 3 rice 2 drinks and 1 dessert.     Cafe Juanita, Pasig
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  • 3 of 4 people found this helpful:
    Tastes good, looks great
    by blarmey, more than 1 year ago (other reviews by blarmey)
    Rating - 3.5 - 3.5 - 3.5 - 3.5 - 3.5
    Food - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    Service - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4
    Ambiance - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4
    Value - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    I liked this restaurant a lot, although more for the ambience and the nature of the hanging lamps and the furniture more than for the food.

    My visiting girlfriend and I had the Bulaklak to start which was fine and light, so okay.

    Then we had the Bicol Express and the Deep Fried Lapulapu (which was unfortunately battered, but the sauce was good). However, it was nothing special. I would go again to try and find something that really stands out, however, I think this is more of a place to pass the time or order a no-fuss meal more than anything.

    You will still love it, I'm sure, for many other reasons.     Cafe Juanita, Pasig
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  • 3 of 4 people found this helpful:
    A Pleasant Surprise Awaits in Pasig
    by m&j, more than 1 year ago (other reviews by m&j)
    Rating - 3.5 - 3.5 - 3.5 - 3.5 - 3.5
    Food - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
    Service - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    Ambiance - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    Value - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
    I spent my 4 years of college in Ortigas, but I've never heard of this place. Only recently have I constantly hear the many raves about how great Cafe Juanita is. As usual, hearing all these tickled my curiosity. And finally, last night, I was able to experience what the fuss is all about.

    Even at night, Cafe Juanita is not hard to find in the Pasig area because it has a big sign outside. The best landmarks I'd have to say, is that it's near Goodyear and Chinabank in Kapitolyo. It's easy to notice because it's the only place where many cars are parked outside and you'll get a glimpse of the colorful interior of the place.

    At first you'll think that it's just a tiny restaurant because you'll only see a small door outside. But once you step inside, it's surprisingly big, that they even have a second floor. But what catches your eyes right away are the many antique decorations - china wares, figurines, lamps, etc. Plus almost everything you see here are for sale. Actually it was a bit too much for my eyes at first because the place was a bit dark and there's just too much going on. Then again, the more you stay in there, the more you'll feel the ambiance. You'll eventually feel relaxed and comfortable in this unique dining experience. Not to mention, they also have a piano player who plays old songs which makes the experience even more meaningful.

    Their menu had all sorts of food, from Japanese, to Vietnamese, to Italian, to Filipino. But what I've tried was the Two Way Pork Adobo Ribs, the Kare Kare, the Ceasar Salad, and the Iloilo Sea Bass.

    Among all of the food we ordered, my favorite was the Sea Bass and the Ceasar Salad. The salad dressing was so good, it actually reminds me of the one in Sonya's Garden. The Sea Bass didn't have that 'malansa' taste and it tastes well with the capers and olives, as well as the mashed potato it was served with.

    The adobo was also great but I guess I'm just not a big fan of it. But unlike other adobos, its taste was just right - not too salty, not too sour from the vinegar. The kare kare on the other hand didn't impress me that much. I hope the sauce was a bit thicker and the bagoong they served with it wasn't too salty because it overpowered the taste of the peanut sauce. One thing I like about it though is that the banana heart in it was really soft and fresh that I barely touched the meat and ate more of it instead.

    For dessert, we tried their famous Sticky Toffee Pudding and their Mama's Manga Pinsec. The pudding was so good, now I know why it's so famous. A slice of it was served on a plate, drizzled with caramel sauce, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. If you don't have a sweet tooth, however, I won't recommend this since the caramel might be too sweet for you. As for the pinsec, I wasn't that impressed with it. At first it looked like 3 pieces of dumplings served with mango syrup and vanilla ice cream. It just had a little (what seemed like) mango jam inside. Not really something special.

    All in all, for the food, the ambiance, and the service, I'll give Cafe Juanita a thumbs up. It's a good place to hang out with friends or family, or for a date. Because unlike other restaurants, the place is surprisingly not noisy even if there are lots of people. I was thinking it's maybe because the interiors are not wholly made of concrete so the sound doesn't bounce off easily that's why the noise is more subtle.

    Cafe Juanita is definitely worth a try, and more visits after! Just make sure that when you visit here, you're not starved yet because it takes them a while to serve your orders.     Cafe Juanita, Pasig
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  • 3 of 5 people found this helpful:
    a colorful dining experience
    by panna.cotta, more than 1 year ago (other reviews by panna.cotta)
    Rating - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
    Food - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
    Service - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
    Ambiance - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
    Value - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
    Before I set foot in Cafe Juanita, I read the reviews here so I knew what to expect. And yet I was so pleasantly surprised with the place - the colorful lamps and chandeliers, the many porcelain statues, a huge door facade that encompassed a wall - I was rather captivated. Enchanted. My girlfriends and I took pictures of each other because of the colorful background :) We noticed later that the table behind me had a fortune teller, laying out tarot cards but when done with the client, both of them joined a larger group so I'm not sure if she was part of the 'decor'. We neglected to ask our food server about her.

    The place wasn't full since it was a tuesday evening but I still made sure and called to reserve the week before. We had the very saucy and tender kare-kare, deep fried lapu-lapu with tamarind sauce and my precious Crispy Pork Binagoongan - I just had to finish the entire bowl! Simot! One of my girlfriends had to order another cup of rice! For dessert we had the mini-turon - they weren't kidding - it's really mini haha :) ; and the crème brûlée looked rather pale but at first bite, looks are forgiven. It was to die for! I couldn't help myself - simot again!

    Service was quick. A bell hung over our table beside the colorful, overdressed chandelier and with the slightest ting, a server would materialise beside our table.
    Ambiance - you must go to experience it. Despite the many furnishings and the feel of it looking crowded, one is able to move around easily.
    Value - was worth MY money so its worth yours :)

    Cafe Juanita IS a great date place. And I can't wait to bring my hubby there! I can't wait to bring more friends and my family there too! I'm sure the senior citizens would love the place and the food.     Cafe Juanita, Pasig
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  • 3 of 4 people found this helpful:
    great food, great ambience..perfect
    by flicph, more than 1 year ago (other reviews by flicph)
    Rating - 4.5 - 4.5 - 4.5 - 4.5 - 4.5
    Food - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
    Service - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4
    Ambiance - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
    Value - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4
    went here last night to have dinner with wife and daughter...actually it was our wedding anniversary...at first we thought it was just an ordinary resto/cafe coz from the outside all you an see is a small door but whoa and behold once you are inside you'd think you're in another place....just like in harry potter movie wherein they have entered a tent but once they are inside it was a huge place...but not exactly hahaha all i can say is that "I LOVE" very much what they have done inside....mediterranean baby....and the food it was just fantastic...even my 6 year old daughter told me "dad, can we dine here everyday," hahaha....definitely we'll be coming back..... Cafe Juanita, Pasig
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  • 3 of 5 people found this helpful:
    Awesome local food
    by delta, more than 2 year ago (other reviews by delta)
    Rating - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
    Food - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
    Service - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
    Ambiance - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
    Value - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
    Oh, i just love this restaurant. I am a Delta flt attendant and was visiting loved ones in Manila. THe minute I landed in MNL, my cousins picked me up and off we went to Cafe Juanita. The Sunday lunch buffet was to die for. I had three plates and met the owner of the restaurant who is a retired physician whom my cousin knows as he is also a doctor. I would go back to that restaurant the next time I visit MNL. That place will be my first stop....again! I would have wanted ube ice cream on their halo halo...but the ginataan was just awesome.....!!!! christine from orlando Cafe Juanita, Pasig
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