The Sweet Life of Italian Food
After a long break because I couldn’t figure out why my database connection won’t work, I have sucessfully figured out why it’s giving up. My hosting service changed their DB server address so I had to do some modifications on my ws-config page.
Anyway! This was one of my guilt-free evenings where I could do whatever I want since
A) I was able to finish my task.
B) I was on a half day so I get off work at 6
C) and I was craving for good food.
There was something that peaked my curiousity since the day it opened. For the longest time, it just said, “An Italian Restaurant Will Be Opening Soon” and when it opened. I was intrigued how their Italian cuisine would fair.
Although Amicis De Don Bosco never disappoint for food quality at a very reasonable price (love, love, LOVE the gelato). It is not a place where you can drag a potential girlfriend to a first date, especially when she is picky about the ambiance that resembles a school cafeteria. Get my point?
I have been to the usual places that boasts “real” Italian food like *eherm* Italianni’s, which I think is too commercialized and too american to my taste, plus at that price range, I would just eat at Kulinarya or Burgoo. And get more value for my money. Bravo was just too damn expensive, with its itty bitty portions and champagne drinks that costs a meal at Burgoo/glass, we never went there again.
One of the more classier Italian places I’ve been to was suggested by my tard one night when I had no company and he said to take me to this little area near Banilad where the chef is real Italian and the prices weren’t as overboard as Bravo, but you get the real, fine, Italian food that wasn’t too heavy on the stomach. This is Giuseppes.
But if I were to fly my weekends to Cebu just to eat at Giuseppes, I can forget about it for now.
While I contemplate on my current foodtrip, I tossed my lunch bag in the car and crossed the little street to La Dolce Vita along the little street of Polaris Makati. An Italian phrase for “The Sweet Life”. The waiter/reception person was kind enough to seat me alfresco with the cool wind gushing and me in my double breasted coat and long-sleeved shirt sat and enjoyed the weather and the nice little tables and chairs. I wasn’t able to see interior, but it looks like a crazy mix of european cultures but what caught my eye is a big read piano. Which I read is for happy hour nights
I scanned the menu in search for something to eat (knowing I want ravioli). And my heart skipped a couple of beats to see the really expensive price range. Meals are round 300+ to 700+ . I only had 600 in cash to spare.
It took me a long time to pick, but I saw the nice dish and made up my mind.
Sir, 1 Ravioli Alla Fellini and 1 Black Coffee.
And then, I sat and waited for the verdict. Will I be impressed or just so so, or will I be deeply disappointed?
In a couple of minutes after ordering, The waiter laid on me a loaf of soft bread with two little pate plates. Looking at it makes me think of butter and some unidentifiable spread.
I drizzled balsalmic vinegar and spicy olive oil on my bread plate, sliced off a piece placed the ‘?’ spread and ate it, after some chewings I have figured it was pesto.
I spreaded a pat of the “butter” and took a bite. I tasted the hint of garlic and tried spreading pesto, butter, and dipped it in the balsalmic and olive oil mix, it had a really pleasant taste.
My coffee arrived a few minutes and it was on a big steaming cup with a hard cookie on the side. I give them props for supplying Splenda and Equal together with the mandatory white and brown sugar, and cream. Without putting anything yet, I sampled the dark coffee and was instantly pleased of the no sour aftertaste, and almost chocolatey flavor and was brewed right.
I placed two creams and a Splenda and it was almost like Alexa’s Deli’s Cafe Americano the coffee was transformed into a new flavored drink with just a hint of sugar and cream. From chocolate hint to almost Mocha.
The cookie was tough to munch, and I personally like chewy cookies. It was nothing special, tastes like oatmeal and is just your regular tough cookie, haha. Was it posing for biscotti? I don’t really know, but it did make a nice dessert.
When I had half of the bread, my main course arrived. After it was settled in my place, I took a good look in the dark light, a vegetable carved rose garnish on the side the grilled prawn was artfully placed in a bed of big ravioli pieces and the cream sauce looked really rich and buttery, because it smells like it.
I took a spoonful of cheese and sprinkled it all over my plate and to my utter surprise, the cheese melted quickly and dissolved into the sauce leaving only a few traces. And just because it was delightful, I did it 3 times. Meaning it must not be parmesan. I was being proven wrong at an alarming rate.
I was curious of the little pieces of meat scattered around and I was assuming like all seafood pasta they throw in a couple of fish pieces even if the menu said shrimp, but once again my hypothesis was thwarted. It was little shrimp pieces generously lavished around my plate. Better and better.
The little shrimps were tasty and marinated well. The ravioli pasta was handmade because you can see some uneven sizes and the cuts. Each ravioli was stuffed generously with spinach and It blended well with everything since it has almost a bland taste. The grilled prawn was cooked into the way I like, tender, and falls of the shell easily. I don’t like shrimp meat sticking on the shell it makes me very annoyed. And yes, I was trying not to scarf it down like a construction worker :D.
Bite after bite after bite and I found my plate empty, and eating left my coffee cold, which they heated for me without problems when I asked. I finished the coffee and the cookie and asked for the bill.
The menu price as I recalled was 385 for the pasta, and 42.50 for coffee, plus all the taxes and service charge is a 465.67. I remembered paying for more at Bravo, the Ravioli was 400 something and the champagne was 300 something.Yikes.
I walked out feeling in between full and craving for more. It was a really great place. And the food was great in my book, they deserve more praise. I was searching for this restaurant and I got was an intro from Our Awesome Planet and An article by The Manila Standard who gave a little bit of history to the restaurant. This is a pricey restaurant. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. But if you splurge on Italianni’s for their so called authentic food then this won’t be a problem. This is also a bar and the drinks range from 165 up + tax. But it seems more than enough alcoholic mixes is in their drink book. And I hope it gives a good impression to the readers as well as it did to me.
Here’s to La Dolce Vita! :)
