20090416

first look: meskla bistro.

meskla interior

not a review, just a quick look at meskla bistro in agaña, chef peter dueñas's new venture. he used to be the chef at sam choy, and was responsible for creating the local portion of the menu, the backyard kitchen. he's also the outdoor chef, lol. meskla, i think, means "mix" in chamoru; the cuisine is described as chamoru fusion. there are two menus--one for lunch, another for dinner, with a few items duplicated. we had lunch there today, but i look forward to checking out the dinner menu, which has more seafood and vegetarian options.

meskla shrimp kelaguen

lunchtime kelaguen--the guam version of ceviche--changes, so ask your server. today was uhang (shrimp/prawn), served with fried titiyas (the local flatbread). light, fresh, lots of flavour, with a good onion, citrus, pepper ratio. excellent titiyas.

meskla crab cakes

local-style crab cakes. i'm not a crab cake fan, so i only found these acceptable. crab is canned, finely shred, so the seasonings and (albeit modest) filler overpowered any flavour of seafood. i will say they taste like something aunty would have made.

meskla eggplant caesar salad

caesar salad with fried eggplant. (this is the third menu on which i've seen this item, is this the new chicken caesar??) i was curious. good romaine, lightly dressed (kudos for that, i hate too much dressing). a dusting of parmesan cheese. the dressing is very good--light, distinct flavour of anchovy. fried eggplant was good, but doesn't contribute much to the overall salad.

meskla grilled pork chops

grilled pork chops topped with a hot pepper paste, served on a bed of the local red rice, sautéed veggies, and a mushroom cream sauce. expertly grilled meat, all the flavours came out well. one look in the open kitchen and you see a bunch of big guys who look like they all know their way around a grill and a carcass. you probably can't go wrong with a meat entree here.

**

the menu is familiar but there are a lot of unexpected touches to keep it exciting. the entrées seem hearty and filling, but there are a few salads and a surprisingly light touch to the appetizers for those looking for a less heavy meal. prices are reasonable for guam, which means it's a little pricy, but you are paying for quality, nen. the interior is inviting, and the service was brisk but very congenial. despite being completely slammed, everything came out in a timely manner. a promising start.


meskla bistro
j+g building, kitty corner from the paseo
agaña.
479.BOKA (2652)


6 comments:

Really gorgeous dishes. Wish I could walk right in the door. Best from Santa Barbara, California.

Thank you for this post. Seeing good Chammoru food is a delight! I especially enjoyed the pictures of the fried eggplant. I made some for my kids the other day and they all gave me a big thumbs down. I thought being Micronesian they would all love it just cuz it was fried!

There was a great Cham-fusion resturant in Saipan 10+ years ago (that made a lasagia style thing out of breadfruit. Unreal!) and seeing this post has brought back fantastic memories! Thanks for getting my day off to a great start...

I'm so happy to see you blogging here again, this place looks fantastic. I'll have to go here someday!

I'm going to have to check this one out! Thanks for the review! I had lunch at Proa this week and it was too fabulous! Yum!

hello s.stockwell, thanks for stopping by! i hope the weather in santa barbara is better than los angeles right now.

hello greears! what! your children said no to fried eggplant?! aw, i hope they give it a second chance.

do you remember the name of the restaurant in saipan? i love the idea of breadfruit lasagna.

hi bninja! come on over anytime!

hey ablykins, chef dueñas is a very good cook, i look forward to trying more things from the menu!

I see it wonderful