Kafe Batwan: Sarsa’s Classier Sibling

The success of Sarsa was heavily built on Chef JP Anglo latching on the Filipinos’ affinity for sauces as its dishes such as the Sizzling Kansi and the Sinigang Fried Chicken became signature hits and personal favorites. Sarsa has a warm and communal atmosphere that makes it perfect for a gathering of friends and family.

Kafe Batwan channels this warm atmosphere in a slightly different manner. Situating itself on the ground floor of Joya Lofts and Towers in Rockwell, Kafe Batwan’s sunlit and bright interiors provide a more sophisticated ambiance. Its atmosphere is still welcoming; but it feels more like a ‘brunch’ restaurant such as Apartment 1B or Breakfast at Antonio’s; rather than a Filipino restaurant.

Its menu may be different; but it still marries classic Filipino dishes with the perfect sarsa or sauce. You’d see slightly different versions of Sarsa favorites in the lineup as well.

CRISPY TAWILIS (P250)

The Crispy Tawilis is a great starter to the meal featuring deep fried crispy tawilis paired with vinegar and topped with shaved Queso de Bola for that twist in flavor. Of course it pales in comparison to those served in Tagaytay; but it’s a decent substitute.

INASAL TOFU (P195)

Seeing the Inasal Tofu on the menu made me curious so I decided to get an order of it. The dish looked gorgeously appetizing with its golden brown tofu cubes neatly skewered and plated. Unfortunately, it failed to deliver on taste as it remained to be bland despite dousing the cubes in the sauce. In contrast, the Liempo Q (P280) may not look that special; but boy, they sure were tasty!

PANCIT PALABOK (P320)

Whenever I crave for palabok, often times, Jollibee’s dependable palabok is always within reach. However, Kafe Batwan reminds us of how much more a Pancit Palabok can be; and how good it should actually taste. Adorned by tasty baby squid, crablets, chicharon, and soft boiled egg; this Pancit Palabok was so tasty; it will win you over after just a bite!

SAUTEED PRAWNS (P495)

If you want the perfect accompaniment to a warm cup of rice, the Sauteed Prawns cooked in a lovely spicy-sweet Sambal bean sauce would definitely deliver. It comes with an extra serving of the sauce in case you want to increase the spice level (and yummy level) of the dish!

SINIGANG FRIED CHICKEN (P320)

Sarsa’s Sinigang Fried Chicken was a revelation for me. Who knew that sour fried chicken was a recipe made in heaven? It was the dish that made me want to keep on coming back to Sarsa. Thus, I was excited to see Kafe Batwan’s take on this dish. I was a bit taken aback when I saw that the serving size of the dish only consisted of a quarter leg. Sure, it was a humungous quarter leg; however, it definitely made sharing the dish a bit more complicated. The upside to this would be that it was served with delicious deep fried cassava fries; and a gata based dipping sauce. Biting into the chicken though, the sour tinge was undeniably present; however, seemed to fall short of my expectations. The same goes for the taste of the chicken meat itself. It was undoubtedly seasoned and marinated; but not enough. Perhaps the downfall of this dish is that it would always be compared against the Sinigang Fried Chicken of Sarsa; and not on its own merits.

KANSI CORNED BEEF (P375)

The Kansi Corned Beef innovates on Sarsa’s signature dish, the Sizzling Kansi. Instead of tender beef chunks sizzled in a sour gravy; Kafe Batwan opts to serve this dish through a familiar breakfast format, good old corned beef. The plate comes complete with a cup of garlic coconut rice, scrambled egg, and atchara. This was quite a struggle to eat through as the beef strips were too dry and too overcooked. Instead of the crunch I expected, I got tough meat. Since the succulent droolworthy gravy was served in the form of a dipping sauce, the meat itself was wanting in flavor and moisture.

I guess we just have to accept the fact that some stellar dishes from Sarsa become lackluster in Kafe Batwan; and perhaps, vice versa. At the end of the day, we just have to recognize that Sarsa and Kafe Batwan would have their own hits and misses.

Droolworthy Dishes: Pancit Palabok, Sauteed Prawns

Kafe Batwan

122 Joya Lifts and Tower, Amorsolo Drive, Rockwell, Makati City

Date of Visit: November 29, 2015 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, and Jared Chua