Casa Manila

TL;DR: Visited Casa Manila a few weeks ago, excited to try a new cuisine. Staff assured me dishes were gluten-free — they weren’t. I got sick. When I raised it, management dismissed my concerns and showed no accountability. They also spoiled my birthday surprise by mentioning the expected cake with candle. Extremely disappointing. If you have dietary restrictions, avoid this place. ----- I visited Casa Manila for the first time and was excited to try a new cuisine. I appreciated the time and care they seemed to put into maintaining a well-labelled menu. My sister arrived before I did and arranged for a candle to be added to the free birthday ice cream for me. The server told me about the surprise ahead of time, spoiling it, but I was still looking forward to the experience. Unfortunately, the staff misguided me on what was gluten-free. Server 1 said they could accommodate vegetarian and gluten-free and that the adobo could be made gluten-free, after confirming with the kitchen. Server 2 said everything was fine except the jasmine rice, which was odd, but he confirmed after checking that the rice vermicelli could be made gluten-free. After eating, I started feeling off and asked whether the dishes used soy sauce. Server 2 admitted they did, and I had to explain that regular soy sauce contains gluten unless a gluten-free version is used. He clearly didn’t know what he was talking about, so I requested the chef come out. A lady came and instead of addressing the issue seriously, asked if I was just feeling "guilty" for eating gluten. I explained it’s a medical issue and that I was misled despite asking directly. She said customers are responsible for reading labels, but servers should not confidently recommend unsafe options. She admitted they had never dealt with this situation before. I asked what they could do for me, but she offered no solution. I told her I wouldn’t be paying and left. I cradled a bad stomachache and prepared for the onset of hives. Extremely disappointed. If you have any dietary restrictions, be very careful — or better yet, go somewhere else.

We really enjoyed our dinner here. The food was great and the attentiveness of the staff was wonderful. We had mentioned among ourselves that we don’t think we have been at a place where the staff was this attentive and genuinely friendly. The owner was very hospitable and came around quite often to ask if we had any questions, and to check up on us. And she really helped my friend out with regards to her gluten allergy which we appreciated. thanks again for the lovely dining experience, we will definitely be back.