Swiss Restaurant in Manila - Chesa Bianca

Just a week after we got back from Europe, we had lunch with some family and friends over a restaurant that I chose. My cousin ate here a week before and when I saw her Instagram uploads, I saw that the food was the exact same dish I ate when I was in Switzerland last July 2012. Having a European tour hangover, I didn't have second thoughts to choose this because the taste is so freshly embeded in my mind, I wanted to compare it.

It was a rainy Saturday and roads leading to Makati were quite packed. I'm not familiar with the area where it was so I just searched for "Chesa Bianca" in the "Maps" app on my iPad. Thankfully, it gave an accurate location on where it was.

I was actually surprised on how it looked like inside because outside, it looked like a so-so-just-eat-and-go restaurant. Inside, it has a traditional Swiss chalet feel and the warm lighting made it even cozier! The one we went to in Switzerland is a tourist-y commercialized one.I guess the high-end romantic restaurants there would look a bit like this or even better.

Our guide in Switzerland said that Swiss people love good food. Later, I found out that they also appreciate a beautifully decorated place. They love details and for them, It's not just eating. They want the overall eating experience to be good. This is why I think Chesa Bianca is a good Swiss restaurant in terms of theme and design.

We went to Stadtkeller Restaurant while we were in Switzerland. It's a very touristy restaurant but the food was good. There were performers singing and doing traditional Swiss dances, songs and yodels! There were also horn blowing and a cow roaming around (similar to the dragon dance during the Chinese new year but, using a cow).

Stadtkeller Restaurant in Lucerne Switzerland

Inside the jam packed Stadtkeller restaurant

For the Swiss diet, dairy products such as cream, butter and cheese along with pork are important parts of their meal. Sounds very good but I'm a bit skeptical if I can call it a "diet" with all the carbs in it. If it sounded good to you too, wait until you taste their dishes. One of the must-order dishes in a Swiss restaurant is the cheese fondue.

Cheese Fondue in Stadtkeller Restaurant in Switzerland

Cheese Fondue in Chesa Bianca Swiss Restaurant in Manila

The taste is VERY identical! It was a sudden rush of Swiss food memories. Eaten the same way in Switzerland, you use your long-stemmed fork to dip a piece of bread in the communal pot wherein it is filled with melted cheese. The pot is called "caquelon" and underneath it is a spirit burner to keep the cheese in an almost liquid state. They made this as the Swiss national dish in the 1930s.

My long-stemmed fork (Right side)

Traditional Fondue | Php 1,600.00

We got the traditional fondue and as per menu description,
"Traditional fondue with Gruyere and Emmental cheese, white wine, garlic and black pepper"

In the menu, it stated that this is good for 2 persons. That day, we are 7pax. We ordered one fondue and had it split to two. What you see above is just the half of it. As an appetizer, it is good for 8 people I would think. If you would eat just this, then I guess that is where you will apply the "good for two" recommendation in the menu. This dish is highly recommended and this will be one of the reasons why I want to visit Chesa Bianca again.

Yummy!!! 

Before I forget, you'll be getting complimentary appetizers as well,

Cucumber topped with shredded tuna | Php 0.00

Bread and butter | Php 0.00

You can ask for more bread and butter if you want. Almost all Swiss like bread with their meals. The outside of the bread is crunchy borderline hard. I'm used to eating soft bread so some people might not or might love this!

Veal | Php 940.00

The main reason why I visited this restaurant was for the sliced veal Zurich style! It's veal in mushroom cream sauce served with crisp Swiss rosti potatoes. The veal meat was so tasty and soft. Since the owners of Chesa Bianca is the same owners with Santis, I guess that is where they source their ingredients and meat. The crispy/meaty potatoes submerged in mushroom cream sauce is really really good too! Can't even describe it in words. Honestly, I first thought that it was expensive. But having tasted this dish and comparing it to the one I tried in Switzerland made it all worth it! No need to travel all the way to Switzerland just to try two of their famous dishes! Try it here at the comfort of your own home country, the Philippines.

We also got the beef fondue. This comes with 6 home-made sauces. They will serve it in a fondue pot with a rotating base for the sauces.

The rotating base and the burner

Six home-made sauces

Beef Fondue Bourguignonne | Php 1,900.00

The pot on top is where you will cook your beef since it will be given raw to you. Look at the upper left portion of the photo. That is the beef. You will be given another long-stemmed fork where you poke through your beef and dip it in the oil for a few minutes. Afterwards, add the sauce that suits your taste.

Here are some of the other dishes that were ordered that day. I tried some but not all,

Paprika Gulasch Puszta

If I remember it correctly, this is the beef goulash. It was part of the "menu of the week". This was just so-so for me. If you want the best goulash in town, head over to Magyar Hungarian Restaurant. This set comes with an appetizer and a coffee or tea.

Old Classic Irish Stew

Not so appetizing either and part of the "menu of the week". The lamb was soft though.

Potage Leopold Light Semolina soup with Julienne of Lettuce

The appetizer included that week. "Menu of the week"

Clochard Roschti | Php 495.00

This is the Clochard Roschti. It is crisp Swiss rosti topped with a grilled cervelat sausage, bacon, crisp onion rings and a fried egg. Looks good? haven't tried this either. This I want to try next time I visit along with the veal and the cheese fondue!

For dessert, I got the Strawberry and Mango Tea from Twinings.

That symbol you see above is what you call the "Royal Warrant". I came to know that when we visited England. These warrants are granted by the current Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales to companies who supply goods and services to the royal family. You can see them printed in products and in front of their shop doors. If you are interested to know the list of accredited suppliers of the royal family, check out this list.

Overall, had a nice experience dining in Chesa Bianca! Can't believe I can experience authentic Swiss food anytime I want here in Manila! Again, if price is not an issue, I'd go here all the time! This is also a nice place to have dates as the cozy and warm interior with matching Swiss themed-decor makes the place more romantic.

Chesa Bianca Menu:

Chesa Bianca Swiss Restaurant
7431 Yakal St., San Antonio Village
Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone Number: 815-1359
Operating Hours: Open Daily from 11:00am to 11:00pm

Chesa Bianca Facebook Page

Chesa Bianca Website

Cheftonio
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