A tale told on a plate at Mita Kitchen + Lounge

Alabang's new dining room blends European finesse, Asian comfort, and a lounge that shifts with the day

- FELICIANO RODRIGUEZ III

The first thing you notice is the light. Warm, golden, caught in woven pendants that hang low above tables.

Shell chandeliers shimmer as if they belong by the sea, scattering reflections across terracotta floors. The room is modern but softened by texture: rattan shades, earth tones, and furniture that asks you to stay. It feels polished yet human, designed for both coffee in daylight and cocktails long past midnight.

This is Mita Kitchen + Lounge, the newest tenant in Molito Lifestyle Center. For Alabang's steady dining crowd, it arrives as something different: neither just a café, nor a straight-up fine dining room, but a hybrid space that stretches from brunch to bar.

At the heart of it is chef Marco Legasto, a man who has moved through kitchens for more than two decades. His journey has taken him across Southeast Asia, into embassy dinners, and through high-profile restaurants in Manila. What he carries into Molito is not a single cuisine but a collection of experiences, distilled into food that feels both familiar and daring.