Chef Aaron Isip and his Kása Palma, situated on Palma Street near Rockwell Center, have been home to astounding kitchen wizardry for some time now. His tasting menus highlight his provenance in French culinary techniques and gastronomy, blended with his Filipino soul and global imagination. Drawing from Asia, Europe and Latin America, and rooted in seasonality and our being an archipelago, the Cuisine d’Auteur that characterizes Isip’s approach features the freshest seafood from Philippine waters and choice vegetables and fruits grown in our soil.

The new Kása Palma eight-course Menu Dégustation is highly personal and inventive. On one level, Chef Aaron takes into account the classic French dishes he trained in Paris for over 15 years to master, but he then reinterprets them with whimsy, emotion and a fine penchant for innovation. The menu transforms into a canvas for storytelling — and it’s a story, a journey, that we are happy to entrust to Chef Aaron and his well-trained staff. Along with sommelier Seb, they all become part of the Kása Palma experience that we treasure and won’t forget anytime soon.

First up is a trio of hors d’oeuvres that offers a portent of the great food to come throughout the dinner. There’s a Cornet (cone) of Aklan oyster ice cream with horseradish and seaweed. The horseradish carries this bevy of textures, from the creamy oyster to the crisp cone. The Rillette (chunky, shredded meat or fish) is made with sea cucumber, Pacific halibut and a unique kamias tartare. It’s one of those things you just pop in your mouth and let the different flavors come into play. The Chausson (puff pastry turnover) comes as an empanadita of sea mantis and prawn with papada iberica, the premium pork jowl. So here, we already have Chef Aaron combining seafood with meat ingredients. I could have watched a movie while reaching for these empanaditas until the film’s end — they were that good!

Crudo is striped jack with pumpkin leche de tigre (the famous citrus marinade for ceviche) and sikil paak, the creamy Mayan dip from the Yucatán Peninsula. While *crudo* literally translates to raw and uncooked, this dish was almost like a cold soup dish — and I have a weakness for cold soups. It was flavorful to the max, with a hint of spice that lingered. One of my immediate favorites of the evening!

The Croque Madame is Chef Aaron being playful, with layers of yellowtail tuna and sea urchin, uni mornay, all on house sourdough shokupan toast and topped with caviar. Our waiter suggested we down it in one bite, but to be honest, it is on the tall side. I inwardly laughed because croques are such staples of French bistro fare, and here was Chef Aaron elevating the concept and making it so much fun.

The Crème Brûlée is a concoction of blue swimmer crab with a crab fossil chip, set beside a crab consommé gelée. It’s like two different dishes united by crab. I thought it was like Chef Aaron’s version of a chawan-mushi, with the fossil chips providing the crisp accompaniment to the brûlée. It was a traditional dessert made savory, and the crab gelée was like an added bonus.

À la Basquaise traditionally refers to comfort food, such as stews, that originates from southwestern France. Here, Chef Aaron gifted us with coral trout, sinamak pil-pil sauce (spiced vinegar from Western Visayas), and a piperade — the rustic Gascon or Basque dish of peppers and tomatoes. Visually, this would be the most traditional in presentation, but don’t be fooled, as there are surprises in the flavor profile.

The Cordon Bleu consists of secreto iberico, jamon Serrano, a Manchego béchamel, ube puff, and a local mulberry gastrique. In form, it reminded me of a giant taro puff floating on a deep, nutty dark sauce. I loved the texture, but honestly, I felt there may have been too many things at play in this dish. The parts seemed to outweigh the sum, and I felt intent and execution were better matched in the previous courses — but that’s just my one reservation.

The sorbet was so different that it revived me and had me smiling from ear to ear again. It’s java plum (duhat) sorbet with a kamias granita and cashew polvoron. The three blend masterfully, refreshing and deeply satisfying.

Tarte Tatin was the second dessert, and this was a favorite of my late mother. Chef Aaron’s version features chayote cinnamon ice cream, moringa flan and crumble, with caramelized chicken skin. It’s a unique interpretation, and I know my mother would have found it very interesting, as it adds new dimensions to the traditional French dessert.

Kása Palma also has its Firewood Grill, where diners can opt for the à la carte selections and forgo the dégustation menu. I love this versatility and how it makes dining at Kása so much more accessible and affordable. As my title says, “No Bad Thoughts,” which one can translate to “Walang Masamang Isip.” And I’m guessing Aaron would agree with me!