Helmed by chef Marco Legasto, this Euro-Asian restaurant makes going to Alabang worth the drive.
Like Kipling once said, “The twain shall never meet.” Or to be more dramatic about it, the north and south of Metro Manila are like distant cousins—aware of each other’s existence, but rarely in the same room. Though they live parallel lives, they have totally separate weekend plans, separate dining scenes, separate worlds.
A friend from Quezon City would rather cancel plans than cross the Skyway; a southerner from Alabang would decline an invite “up north” with the excuse that they have to take their dog to the vet (even if they have no dog).
Living in the south myself, when someone mentions QC, I feel like Paul Giamatti in Sideways, stomping his feet and yelling, “I will not drink Merlot!”
But in the past few years, restaurateurs have given these distant cousins more reasons to be in each other’s lives—the one-off restaurants that are so convincingly good people would cross Ortigas, the middle ground for both ends.
Molito Lifestyle Center in Alabang, the strip mall that feels like a rebellious child in a family full of malls, has in the past years been bridging this divide. I’ve had a few friends from QC and Makati who’d willingly go to Molito on weekends for dinner and drinks.
The latest restaurant is Mita Kitchen + Lounge in the new wing. Helmed by chef Marco Legasto, who has over two decades of culinary experience across the Philippines and Southeast Asia, the menu is Euro-Asian. Mita is the culmination of his experiences, from serving as guest chef at the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia to leading high-profile kitchens such as Prime101 and Le Gastro, he has consistently introduced fine degustation menus, wine pairings, and inspired concepts.
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Shared stories
For Mita, Marco Legasto didn’t just create a menu, he built a table that brings people together. Drawing from his travels and years in international kitchens, he crafted dishes that feel like shared stories: comforting, creative, familiar.
Each plate carries a sense of place, meant to spark conversation as much as satisfy the palate. “We wanted the food to feel elevated but never intimidating,” Marco says. “Every dish was chosen not just for taste, but to create a narrative that unfolds as you explore the menu—something you can enjoy together.”
That narrative comes to life through dishes designed to be passed around, lingered over, and paired with good company. Only a few weeks into its opening, Mita’s crowd favorites—as evidenced during the press preview—are the Truffle Smoked Salmon Roll, which comes with truffle cheese, caviar, smoked salmon and finished with truffle honey on brioche; Mita’s Signature Steak with bone marrow foie gras butter, made for sharing; the Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi with foie gras duxelles from the day’s freshest catch; the Mango Tuna Ceviche, with the freshest taste of the sea and tropics; and my favorite, Quezo de Bola Cheesecake, a rich but just-sweet-enough dessert.
The same spirit of togetherness runs through the bar, where cocktails are made to match the food’s energy and warmth. The lunch was made even more special, being with colleagues I’ve known for many years sampling the cocktails, like the citrusy Mita’s Mojito, the fruity Paloma de Mita, and the herbaceous Last Word.
South through and through
Co-owner and real estate agent Mita Garlan first opened Mita Kitchen in BF Homes, Parañaque, a stone’s throw away from Molito. Her love of food stemmed from her travels around the Philippines and abroad selling condominium properties.
She was such a foodie and a lover of a particular samgyupsal restaurant in Angeles City that she would recreate the dish at home on weekends. From that small experience, the idea of becoming a restaurateur grew. But first, she encouraged her daughter Nikki and husband Rodney Ynchausti to open their own food concept, which they did with Shabunoki Healthy Shabu-Shabu.
So they closed Mita in BF to open a larger one and, this time, the place would turn into a bar at night. “BF will always be about the comfort of a neighborhood café, but Molito lets us explore a chef-driven lounge concept. It’s a new chapter, but our commitment to coffee remains a pillar of the MITA experience,” says Nikki.
For that, they needed a design that would make slip into effortlessly into the evening. Conceptualized by Zero One Design under Isa Pulvinar, the interiors “strike harmony between modern refinement and warm approachability. Earthy textures, terracotta tiles, and rattan-inspired lighting soften the sleek lounge atmosphere, while layered lighting sets the mood from sunny brunches to chic evenings.”
During the day, the woven pendants and cascading shell chandeliers set the mood the moment you walk in; at night, they cast a golden warmth across the room. At the center, a striking bar serves as both the heart of the space and its visual anchor. With its mix of playful furniture and textured walls, the lounge invites you to stay awhile—whether for a quick coffee, a crafted cocktail, or a long, lingering dinner that stretches into the night.
That’s another thing about Mita at Molito: the mood is unhurried, relaxed. It reminds you that being with friends is its own right reason to go.
Mita Kitchen + Lounge is located in the new building of Molito Lifestyle Center; open on weekdays from 11 am to 11 pm; weekends from 11 am to 2 am. Follow them on Instagram @mitakitchenxlounge.
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