Thursday, December 5, 2013

House of Lasagna by Chef Erick Congmon

Whenever I visit a restaurant and see lasagna on their menu, I immediately think of the words "expensive" and "small servings." It's quite unfortunate because I've loved pasta ever since I can remember, but I can't recall the last time I had a plate of lasagna and actually felt like I got what I paid for.

So when I laid eyes on House of Lasagna at J. Abad Santos last year, I just knew I had to try it out. I mean, there are a lot of restaurants that serve lasagna, but none that actually specializes in it (and offers more than five different kinds) until now. So when Mike and I finally found the time to dine there AND meet the person behind it, I was excited, to say the least.

Their best-selling Beef Lasagna (P250) House of Lasagna



Taken from their Facebook page: "House of Lasagna is an Italian-inspired restaurant which first opened in J. Abad Santos Street, Little Baguio, San Juan City on February 5, 2009. It was established by Chef Erick Congmon, a young and passionate chef who hails from the prominent Congmon clan of Cebu – owner of the Sunburst Fried Chicken restaurant chain in Visayas and Mindanao."

It was definitely a pleasure to have met Chef Erick and learn more about how it all started. Not a lot of people know this, but prior to opening his restaurant, Chef Erick has long been offering his catering services from home. At one point, he even turned his living room into a private dining area for parties and small gatherings. He has already been making lasagna for 8 years before he finally decided to go into the restaurant business, making his winning lasagna recipe 12-years old to date!
House of LasagnaHouse of Lasagna
The first thing you'll probably notice when they serve you your lasagna is that it's huge! Unlike in most restaurants, you'll only get half of this for the same price. Grabe, for P250, sobrang sulit na! Plus check out all that cheese!! This is an example of a restaurant that doesn't lie or exaggerate their menu - when it says "oozing cheeses," oozing talaga! Even my meat-and-rice-lover boyfriend Mike couldn't resist this and even called it the PERFECT Beef Lasagna. (Read his review here.)

Chef Erick makes sure that each layer of pasta is filled with sauce and meat so you enjoy every bite.
House of Lasagna
P.S. Their lasagnas come with unlimited garlic bread on the side.

If you love white sauce, go for their Carbonara Lasagna (P250)!House of Lasagna
We were told that some customers would prefer to have their Carbonara/white sauce with fettuccini rather than lasagna sheets, and would you believe, House of Lasagna actually accommodates those kinds of requests? This just shows how dedicated they are to making their customers happy.

Speaking of happy, Chef Erick made Mike really happy when he had us try their Southern Fried Chicken Skin (P150).
House of Lasagna
They took out the fat and the membrane, and it wasn't oily at all. It's easily the best chicken skin I've ever tasted. ;)

Aside from lasagna, they also offer soup, salads and rice meals which you can check out here. A must-try is their Southern Fried Chicken because they use the same chicken recipe as Sunburst Chicken.

To end our visit, Mike and I shared a slice of their Blueberry Cheesecake (P110). House of Lasagna
I swear I've never seen a restaurant give a slice this big, with this many blueberries. It's super creamy and melts in your mouth! I can die now!!! <3
House of Lasagna
Last year, they opened their second branch at Eton Centris along Edsa, and just a few months ago, their third branch at the Greenhills Shopping Center.

Despite the restaurant's simple concept and design, House of Lasagna is frequented by young and old alike. Why? Because of the quality of the food that they serve. Chef Erick makes sure that every dish is freshly made/baked. According to him, everything - from their ingredients to the toothpicks and tissue - is fresh and imported! It also helps that their staff is accommodating and each branch is kept clean and neat at all times.
House of Lasagna
Oh, and before I forget - did you know that House of Lasagna was awarded #1 on SPOT.ph's Top 10 Meat Lasagnas in 2012? That's another reason to head on over there ASAP. ;)

You can also order their lasagnas for your parties this Christmas! Contact them on Facebook or send them an email at houseoflasagnaph@yahoo.com.
House of Lasagna
Thank you so much, Chef Erick! We'll be back soon! :)