Sunday, May 30, 2010

casa feliz cakes

a sweet place in marikina by vena samson

chef jv of casa feliz is the brain of their pastry and menu list. he finished his course on culinary arts at the university of cebu. his favorite chef's anthony bourdain of the travel program called "no reservation." though he became popular in this restaurant, being praised for his creations, he's generous enough to even extend his assistance by also being a waiter that served the meals to the customer's table. in spite of this, he didn't want his face to be the first image to get recognized in their restaurant. he wanted it to be known without needing his name to be associated to it. after our great meal at casa feliz, we could say that whether you're a spanish or a filipino, it is guaranteed that a visit to this place would be a happy eating experience.
chef jv started off with the star of the house, a slice of their famous "vida verde tea" or the green tea pistachio sans rival cake. he said that he's inspired by his friend that once said "eat desserts first". though he didn't elaborate it that much, personally, i thought it meant that the best things should not be kept waiting. with just the right amount of texture and sweetness on the icing, crunchiness of pistachio nuts, and the slight chewiness when you bite the layers of its crust, this is truly a mouth-watering dessert. and not just all that. atop of it were fresh slices of kiwi fruit, a seasonal and imported fruit that proved that it's their masterpiece. their pistachio nuts were supplied by a known company in the country. it's best served during breakfast and it's perfectly matched with a cup of hot espresso or cappuccino. aside from this, their bakeshop's also offering the delicious banana crema pie and their own version of cheese cakes (quezo real) with several toppings to choose from.

the casa burger was served along with crispy french fries. a very great afternoon snack. chef jv told us that even the bread (whole-wheat) used for the burger was baked fresh in their bakeshop. he made the bread unique by combining the familiar sesame seed characteristics of a hamburger bun with a pandesal's rough powdery crumbs on top of it. the patty used for the burger had a bit of sweetness like that of chorizo blended evenly with the peppery taste. the crunchy veggies also complement well with the special dressing. this dish will be best enjoyed by teenagers and also kids. there were also some other varieties of sandwiches to choose from.
the casa dillas (quesadillas) and the nachos salad were the newest addition to casa feliz's menu. aside from the casa dilla's smoked effect on its tortilla, you can really taste the richness of its tomato filling and toned down with the strong flavor of the sprinkled romano cheese. it was deliciously paired with salsa and tartar sauce dips. the nachos salad's also a winner with its delicious chili con carne, a generous drizzle of cheese sauce with sprinkles of fresh tomato bits. the nachos were placed on fresh lettuce to make it a healthier salad snack.

chef jv created a wide variety of pasta dishes, one of which was the pesto aligue. and when you say spanish, it meant you'd have to have arroz (rice). rice meals with tapa (beef), chicken, and even barbecue were also available at reasonable prices. and most importantly, aside from being delicious, all dishes were presented nicely with quite impressive garnishing and art. as a customer, you can feel that your meal was truly made with knowledge and effort.


casa feliz opened its doors to the public on january 2008. it is currently owned and managed by chef jv villareal and his sister, ms. janet villareal. they came from a family with a spanish origin, which explains the concept of their restaurant. their brother's both deaf and mute. it's the main reason why their restaurant employed deaf and mute people, one way to show their support to their physically challenged friends. related posters and guide to basic sign language (a to z) were displayed on their walls and on top of the tables to inform the customers. you may recognize one of them by checking if he/she is carrying a writing board. this is truly something to be proud of.

visit them at 95 rainbow st., hacienda heights, concepcion dos, marikina city
. email them at casafelizcakesnpastries@gmail.com.  so you want more photos?

3 comments:

dreams and glimpses events said...

I love casa feliz!

mike said...

I love casa feliz!!! sinagot ako ng nililigawan ko dahil sa cheesecake nya!!! hehehe, many thanks to chef JV!!!

sketch said...

i loved the vida verde cake.. and the staffs are nice.. especially ensoy.. ☺