Inside, the 8-seater chef’s table has the best access to all the action in what is now, as chef Isip describes it, a “real restaurant kitchen.” This is where the team prepares the tasting menu sets that come with a choice of 5, 7 or 10 courses, as well as the family-style set. Upstairs, there are private rooms for groups as large as 20 and as small as six. The meticulously designed spaces evoke that same transportive island vibe that Balai Palma was known for, an aesthetic that brings diners to chef Isip’s beloved Palawan and to the Yucatan Peninsula, which made such an impact on him as a young adult. 

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From here or through the side entrance from the bar, guests can access the terrace where a brand new added à la carte menu is served. Completely air-conditioned, including what chef Isip calls his “jungle kitchen,” one can only marvel at the exhaust system that keeps the indoor-outdoor space smokeless and smelling nothing like a grill. The spacious kitchen is a hub of activity as everything is cooked over firewood, either over direct heat or hovering above as meats, seafood, and vegetables are given the smoky treatment.

Service is slightly more casual, with utensils served in a metal holder and Isip himself taking food orders from the counter. Their menu evolves based on the availability of their ingredients, but you can be sure that it will be prepared according to the chef’s cuisine d’auteur or author’s cuisine. This is a type of original cooking and in Isip’s case, is rooted in his learned French techniques and the Filipino, Latin, and Southeast Asian influences that he favours. 

From the blackboard, we providentially picked a winner—a sea bream crudo on a shallow pond of dragonfruit aguachile which you scoop into your mouth with an ube tapioca chip. Then again, the fine de claire oysters with green mango relish and warm bone marrow prove that you cannot lose with their cold bar. A small plate of pulpo served with blistered cherry tomatoes and yoghurt tinapa sauce is also a good place to start.

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The big plates provide a happy reunion for fans of chef Isip’s pandemic-born Gastronomade brand with the ready-to-cook gourmet meal boxes that were a huge hit with gourmands on lockdown. The jungle kitchen’s steak frites with entrecôte sauce is a classic done right and should not be missed, as is the pluma Iberico with a pineapple-longganisa barbecue sauce. Unlike in pandemic times when chef Isip would send over these dishes to our homes par-cooked with instructions on how we should finish them off in our kitchens, in Kasa Palma, we now get to enjoy them as the masterful chef designed them to be. The difference, if one chooses to experience it, is as stark as night and day.

Luckily, chef Isip had some prized amadai on hand, which he grilled naturally and then served with its deep-fried skin as they would in Japan. It got the Aaron Isip treatment with a lip-smacking shishito pepper sauce and then adorned with more shishito peppers sweetened by a kiss of fire. There was also tuna loin on the menu, and the seafood selection will surely vary according to what is freshly available. What one can count on is that there will be an assortment of grilled vegetables on the side, as well as an array of sauces that chef Isip—a maitre saucier— will always have on hand to add extra flavour and character to his dishes. You have been advised—this is not the time to be shy to ask for more sauce. 

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Like the rest of the menu, the desserts stay committed to chef Isip’s signature style of marrying classical cooking techniques with his Filipino background and his passion for Latin and Southeast Asian flavours. The stunningly baked Alaska with a cool pineapple centre is a fitting embodiment of this and makes for a truly stunning finale. However, the corn madeleine with corn ice cream topped with cornflakes was quite the scene-stealer, proving a simple grain can be transformed into something memorable when put in highly capable hands. 

Kasa Palma, under the precise orchestrations of its master and creator, spins a compelling tale in which chef Isip beguiles first-time guests and also immerses his regulars in comfortable yet beautiful surroundings. Perhaps because this is a unique case wherein the chef is also the architect, Kasa Palma is one of those few curiosities when the aesthetic and the cuisine are truly cohesive. From the mother-of-pearl accent wall to the clay jars collected from trips to the straw hanging lamps that set the mood, the design is a vivid reflection of the chef’s very strong sense of self. 

The restaurant’s food not only mirrors Isip’s strengths but also offers a peek into his life and journey. Perhaps what truly sets Isip apart from most of his peers is a certain confidence and sure-handedness from someone who knows how to utilise his combined skills and passions to present a coherent vision. He truly is the author of his own story, woven into the intricate details of his restaurant and emulsified into his intoxicating sauces. And as great stories go, we find ourselves lost in them, turning a page with every dish and every shot of mezcal, eager to see what comes next. 

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