stir-fry: Piccolo Padre

Another great find in Clark, Pampanga! Piccolo Padre is a small, Italian restaurant tucked in Clark's major thoroughfare (quite near to C'Italia, actually). You just have to keep your eyes peeled on the string of restaurants, since it's very easy to miss, especially when you're visiting the place at night.

Piccolo Padre Facade

The restaurant itself is very small, and seats only about 30+ people. Exudes an intimate ambiance, and really nice for dates :) Better make a reservation to be sure you'll get a table. And if I remember correctly, they're only open in the evenings. It was a bit of a late dinner for us already, but they're open until 11pm.

Restaurant Interiors

As expected, prices are quite high. But really, it's worth it :) Rob had a beer and wine (I was feeling inggit since I can't have any; next time, haha!). There's complimentary bread and an olive oil dip to start off your meal, too.

Wine & Beer

Complimentary Bread

Since it was a late dinner, we just ordered Mozzarella in Kalesa for starters, a Caesar's Salad, and Mahi-Mahi. The Mozzarella in Kalesa is their version of fried mozzarella -- a mix of fresh mozzarella and anchovy bedded in bread, battered and fried, topped with tomato basil. Superb flavor and texture. A must-try! Their Caesar's Salad was okay, pretty basic. but you can taste fresh greens and the dressing was just right, not too creamy nor heavy. The toasted bread added a nice crunch to the whole package.

Mozzarella in Kalesa, P450

Caesar's Salad, P350

Their Meat and Seafood options is served with a choice of pasta, risotto, potatoes, or greens. Their risotto is supposedly one of the best sellers, so we decided on that. Our choice Mahi-Mahi was a huge slab of fish, egg-battered and served with Shiitake Lemon Butter Sauce and a side of Risotto All'Amatriciana. At first, it doesn't look like plenty, but this dish is so filling. The Mahi-Mahi was really thick, but perfectly cooked all throughout. That lemon butter sauce blended well with the fish; and that Risotto is to-die-for. Next time around, I'll make it a point to order a full Risotto dish (they have quite a lot of options).

Mahi-Mahi with Risotto All'Amatriciana, P650

And who can pass on dessert? We ordered Tiramisu, which was served in a glass, and was a splendid, sweet way to finish off our Piccolo Padre experience :)