Casa Luisa by Chef Jen Gerodias is one of the best home-dining experiences in San Pedro, Laguna—a hidden gem tucked inside a heritage house near the San Pedro Exit. Just an easy escape from Makati, it serves Filipino cuisine elevated with French culinary techniques, making familiar flavors feel special. The restaurant is named after Chef Jen’s mom, Luisa, whom we were fortunate to meet during our visit. It was also the perfect setting to celebrate our mom’s 85th birthday, surrounded by family, heritage, and thoughtfully prepared food.
Here are our must-try dishes and recommendations for your next family celebration at Casa Luisa!
Tungkol sa Casa Luisa (About)
Casa Luisa in San Pedro, Laguna, is a heritage home and kitchen serving Filipino-inspired family favorites made the slow, old-fashioned way, using carefully prepared ingredients and time-honored techniques. Its menu combines comforting Filipino flavors with creative culinary influences, from its signature flaky empanadas to homemade desserts, frozen ready-to-cook specialties, and generous fiesta bilaos for family gatherings.
Located along Magsaysay Road in Barangay San Antonio, Casa Luisa brings together the warmth of home cooking, heritage, and thoughtful craftsmanship—making it a destination for special celebrations and food worth sharing.
CASA LUISA
Welcome to Casa Luisa! We offer Filipino inspired family favorites.
🏠 Heritage House, San Pedro, Laguna
⏱️ Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00AM – 7:30PM
📞 +63 918 963 1233
📸 @casa_luisa
♾️ Casa Luisa
🌐 https://casaluisa.ph
Panimula (Appetizer)
Crispy Ukoy
Savory shrimp crackers from Binan, Laguna
Even my mom raved about the Okoy, a seasonal special with whole small shrimp and legs fried to a perfect crunch without being spiny. Dip it in spicy vinegar for a delicious Filipino classic done right!
Local Asian Sea Bass Fishballs
Housemade apahap fishballs served with Manong’s sauce
Ang shala ng fishball, made with apahap meat and served skewered, is an elevated take on Pinoy street food, best enjoyed with their Manong’s sauce—sarap!
Fresh Green Salad with Burrata 750
From our local partner farms in Lipa, Batangas and San Pedro, Laguna.
Local burrata cheese and fresh greens served with crema de balsamico dressing. Serves 2-3 persons.
The vegetables are crisp and fresh, lightly dressed, with creamy burrata as the centerpiece—mix and enjoy!
Best Empanada
EMPANADA CLASSIC | 1,120 box of 6 | 2,250 box of 12
This is hands down the best empanada we’ve tasted in Manila—a Casa Luisa signature! We tried all six classic flavors and loved them all, so we recommend sampling every flavor for the ultimate empanada experience.
Beef Rendang | Beef brisket slow cooked in house-made paste with shallots, turmeric, galangal, ginger and spices. Enjoy with house-made sambal.
If you try just one, go for Beef Rendang—tender, rendang-spiced beef brisket made even better with their sambal!
French Onion Soup | 12-hour roasted beef marrow bone broth reduced with red wine into a rich glaze with caramelized onions, thyme and Gruyere cheese.
Imagine French onion soup reduced with caramelized onions and delicious gruyère, stuffed into an empanada.
Spinach Feta Bacon | Sautéed spinach, mornay, and feta cheese, crispy smoked bacon lardons.
Loaded with spinach, feta cheese, creamy white sauce, with bacon lardons for contrast, all wrapped in a flaky crust.
Pizza alla Diavola | Our version of a pepperoni pizza pocket. Salami, a rich pomodoro made with extra virgin olive oil, Roma tomatoes, onions, carrots and pumpkin puree, garlic, basil, mozzarella.
A pocket-pizza-inspired empanada filled with salami, tomato sauce, and mozzarella.
Ham and Cheese | Smoked ham folded into creamy mornay and Gruyere cheese.
A classic ham-and-cheese empanada elevated with smoked ham, Gruyère cheese, and creamy sauce.
Chorizo Fundido | House-made chorizo, creamy mornay, mozzarella cheese.
Masarap at malasa ang chorizo nila, at bagay na bagay sa empanada!
Pangunahing Ulam (Main Course)
Garlic Butter Crab Palabok | 490 (1 serving) | 1,900 (Bilao)
Rice noodles tossed in a garlic butter crab sauce, topped with soft cooked eggs, smoked tinapa, lump crab meat, tobiko (fish roe), fried garlic, chicharon.
The umami-loaded Crab Palabok comes with a rich garlic butter crab sauce, smoked tinapa, crab meat, and plenty of fried garlic and chicharon for crunch. Mix in the soft-cooked eggs for extra creaminess—masarap, and we loved it!
The kare-kare is exciting to watch as it’s prepared tableside, making your mouth water. The oxtail is crafted into a terrine and placed at the center of a heated ceramic bowl, surrounded by their rich, peanuty curry sauce.
Oxtail Terrine Kare-Kare 3,000
Braised Oxtail Terrine with vegetables rich Kare Kare sauce, and alamang guisado.
The vegetables are added toward the end to keep them crisp and avoid overcooking, while the Kare-Kare is served with alamang guisado. The vegetables are just as delicious dipped in the rich peanut sauce—we loved this!
Beef Bourguignon Caldereta 1,880
Slow-cooked bone-in beef short ribs in a rich sauce made with red wine, bone broth, tomatoes, liver pâté, ground peanuts, and cheese. Serves 3 persons.
The short ribs are slow-cooked Bourguignon-style in red wine, bone broth, rich tomato sauce, and liver pâté—deeply flavorful, delicious and shala!
Yellow Ginger Fish 1,050
Fish of the day sizzling in turmeric oil, onion leeks, dill served with bagoong balayan citrus sauce, peanuts, fresh chilis. Serves 3 persons.
This looked dry on the outside but still juicy inside when you taste it. There are limited fish options and balance the bagoong balayan with the kalamansi. This got mixed reviews from Momsy.
Panghimagas (Dessert)
Homemade Halo-Halo 300
Gatas ng kalabaw shaved ice and all homemade pinipig, ube halaya, macapuno, coconut crème brûlée, langka, pandan & hibiscus gulaman, sago, red beans, white beans, nata de coco, kaong.
Mango Sago | 300
Ripe Zambales mangoes, mango purée, gatas ng kalabaw shaved ice.
The kids loved this mango sago-inspired drink with fresh mango slices, mango purée, and gatas ng kalabaw for extra creaminess! The halo-halo is served the classic way, perfect for an afternoon merienda.
Ginumis 300
Pandan & hibiscus gulaman, macapuno, sago, pinipig on shaved ice, served with coconut milk and arnibal
The Ginumis was just OK—a good alternative to halo-halo, served over shaved ice with hints of pandan & arnibal.
Sticky Date Rhum Pudding with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream | 350
A rich, indulgent dessert featuring warm sticky date pudding infused with aged Don Papa Rhum in a velvety butterscotch sauce. Served with a scoop of creamy vanilla bean ice cream
Loved the solo serving of this pudding, with hints of Don Papa rum in the sauce and topped à la mode with vanilla ice cream!
Macapuno Dayap Napoleones 85/piece, 1,000/ box of 12
Homemade minatamis na macapuno, dayap coconut curtard, Don Papa Rhum
syrup, in layers of our flaky butter pastry with a crystalized glaze
Napoleons filled with macapuno and dayap coconut custard, infused with Don Papa rum for an extra kick.
Ube Palitaw | 110/pc / 650 box of 6
Sweet glutinous rice cake filled with house made Ube Halaya covered in grated cocomeat
The palitaw rice with ube halaya and shredded coconut was just OK.
Mango Sampaguita Cheese Pie | 180/piece, 1,000/ box of 6
We crafted this delightful fruit pie dedicated to our city of San Pedro, Laguna. Mango sampaguita jam, mango pieces, a cheese mousse, all cradled within our signature flaky, buttery crust, and finished with grated queso de bola and fresh kesong puti.
I like this better like your mango cheese pie but in tart form with queso de bola and kesong puti.
Bibingka Financier | 220/pc, 1,300 box of 6
Our version of bibingka galapong using a combination of rice, glutinous rice, and almond flour with coconut milk, topped with kesong puti, itlog na maalat and queso de bola
Bibingka was surprisingly good, reimagined as a financier with melted kesong puti, salted egg, and queso de bola.
Pangwakas na Pagninilay (Final Thoughts)
Casa Luisa is perfect for special family celebrations, serving comforting Filipino flavors elevated with French culinary techniques. Our standouts were the Crispy Okoy, the six flavors of Empanada, Garlic Butter Crab Palabok, tableside Oxtail Terrine Kare-Kare, and Short Ribs Bourguignon Caldereta. For dessert, don’t miss the Macapuno-Dayap Napoleons, Bibingka Financier, and the Mango Sago-inspired drink.
Make sure to reserve ahead so the team can prepare your table and food. Casa Luisa closes early for dinner to prepare for the next day, so it’s best to visit for lunch or a special merienda. Service is warm and friendly, with that unmistakable San Pedro, Laguna hospitality.
We loved the nostalgic ambiance of dining in a heritage home while enjoying modern comforts and thoughtful service. Prices are on the higher side, but the quality of ingredients and careful preparation are evident in the dishes. Expect some waiting time, as the kitchen takes its time to prepare the food without cutting corners.
For a memorable family and friends gathering this holiday season, Casa Luisa is worth considering.
CASA LUISA
Welcome to Casa Luisa! We offer Filipino inspired family favorites.
🏠 Heritage House, San Pedro, Laguna
⏱️ Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00AM – 7:30PM
📞 +63 918 963 1233
📸 @casa_luisa
♾️ Casa Luisa
🌐 https://casaluisa.ph
Live an Awesome Life with Christ,
Founder & Digital Creator, Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: This article was written entirely by a human—reflecting my own biases, opinions, and insights—with grammar and clarity checked using AI assistance. Thank you to our friends from Casa Luisa for hosting us.
p.s. the restroom is the original toilet and bath of the heritage house’s master bedroom
