On Valentine’s Day, before heading out to SM Mall of Asia for our family’s celebration, we visited SM Jazz Mall to check out an investment. At lunch hour, we browsed through the menus of restaurants on the ground floor and loved what we found at COCA Café.
COCA Café in SM Jazz Mall (across Beauty and Butter) has more than just a few signature dishes that make it worthwhile, offering a great variety of Thai-Chinese food. It’s one of those places where I can just close my eyes, blindly point to an item on the menu, and feel comfortable to eat whatever will end up on the table. We have tried dining at COCA Restaurant in SM Aura, Taguig last year and we liked everything that was served. How would COCA Café’s food compare?
Review of COCA Café Thai-Chinese Food (SM Jazz Mall, Makati City)
Ambiance: ★★★★☆
COCA Café looked cozy and inviting, with natural sunlight beaming from one side of the room. This café showcases a style that oozes sophistication, elegance, and crisp straight lines that adds character and unique personality to the minimal space. Lots of the open walking areas in between tables bring in a sense of uncluttered ambiance and airiness, which is for me, a visual treat. The designs and furniture are perfect for an intimate date or business meeting.
Service: ★★★★★
Customer service was really fast and smooth. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable on the menu. I was quite surprised that our orders were conveniently served in less than 10 minutes during a busy lunch, so we enjoyed a quick cook and good food in a time-sensitive and team-oriented environment.
Food: ★★★☆☆
Appearing as a riot of colors, the Crispy Noodles with Seafood (PhP 250) came with a generous serving of seafood and just the right level of crispiness to the noodles without being too oily. This must be a classic savory Chinese comfort food that’s rich, robust, and flavorsome.
The Grilled Tuna Belly with Rice (PhP 250) was just average at best. For the most part, it tasted like smoke on the outside. Maybe it was grilled too much that the charring added more to the non-enjoyment of the entree. Since we thought the tuna belly was overcooked, it was also dry and we could not taste any juiciness inside.
The Sweet and Sour Fish with Rice (PhP 200) was fairly good, although it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. The tender and lightly fried pieces of fish did neither tasted but nor overly sweet. This dish would be more appetizing if they could increase the sourness.
Price for Value: ★★★☆☆
There were hits and misses but we had a good time after all. I loved the clean dining area most. The service team deserves an award for being nice accommodating. Budget did not waiver, however, for the quality of food we had this time, price for value could be better.
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