Buon Giorno!

Tried Buon Giorno! with the family last weekend at The Cliffhouse in Tagaytay. I liked the place, and if it wasn't rainy and windy, we probably would've stayed outside, overlooking Taal lake. I was actually surprised that there were a lot of interesting restaurants at the place, might also try them out next time. 

Restaurant Interiors are bright, but cozy:

Loved the Tarragon tea, perfect for the weather :)

We had the Pollo e Funghi (Chicken and Mushroom) Risotto, Vegetarian and New York Pizzas, and Eggplant Parmigiana. Prices weren't bad, especially for the serving size.

Food was okay. I liked the Risotto and the New York pizza; the flavors work well together. However, Piccolo Padre's risotto still tops my list. 

Chicken and mushroom Risotto, P310 :

Eggplant Parmigiana, P310 :

Vegetarian Pizza P270 :

New York Pizza, P300 :

Of course, dessert was in order. The Chocolate Pistachio Sansrival was good, not too sweet, and a good mix of chocolate and pistachios :)

Buon Giorno would be a good place to hang out in when in Tagaytay. When the weather cooperates, better get that table overlooking the lake.

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 :)

Tiramisu, P250

Managed to get a photo with the Chef too :) I like their personal touch of asking the customers how the food was :)

Here's me and Rob after all that yummy food :)

Highly recommend this place, a must-visit when you're in Clark :) I'll definitely be back!

Focaccia

Found ourselves at A.Venue Makati for a birthday celebration in Attica. We grabbed late dinner at Focaccia. Good thing we made it since it was just about 30 minutes before they close, good thing too that the place was empty and felt quite private.

I liked their interiors, clean and simple with a splash of color. Heard that their panizza was close enough to C'Italia, which happens to have the best ones :)

Interiors

They provide complimentary bread and dip; and since it was already pretty late, we just ordered a panizza and a soup sampler. The bread was hot and crunchy, which was a great start :) Soups we're just okay; among the three, I liked their tomato soup the best. The Panizza, though, was indeed reminiscent of C'Italia -- and at a more competitive price at that! Good job, Focaccia :) The pizza was thin and crunchy, but still full of flavor. I loved it! 

Complimentary Bread

Soup Trio: Squash, Tomato, and Mushroom (P150)

Milano Panizza (P375)

If you want to get a taste of the infamous C'Italia but don't want to go on a long drive or there's a budget constraint, just grab a pizza at Focaccia :) Close enough to the real thing.

C' Italia

Got the chance to visit C' Italia again! Yipee! And it's still as great as my first visit. Just love Panizzas :) We got St. Jacques Panizza this time (Scallops, Shrimp, Sundried Tomatoes, Chili Flakes). Yummy to the last bite :)

Penne Roberto was also super good! :) Cheese, cream & herbs, chicken, and sundried tomatoes perfectly blended together to create one sumptuous cream-based pasta :)

Fruit flavored soda -- my sole soda fix for the last few months!

Greens and arugula for the panizza

St. Jacques Panizza, P835

Pasta Roberto, ~P800

Colorful open dining

You have to shell out a bit more than usual when you visit C', but it sure is worth your every peso :)

Jamie's Italian

Of course, Jamie's Italian was a must-try in London! :) Managed to grab early dinner at the place before Les Miserables (thanks Rob for setting up a great birthday celebration for moi!). It was good that we were there early, and the place was not as packed yet. Interestingly, Jamie Oliver's restaurant was reasonably-priced. We definitely had a great dinner :)




Fresh ingredients at the counter! Plus, a wide array of meat and bread made us super excited to order :)


We had tea and a bottle of Elderflower, which was so refreshing...

Bottlegreen, L2.65

...And Assorted Bread with Olive Oil, plus Sweet Mini Chili Peppers for starters :) Loved the different bread textures. The Chili Peppers were stuffed with tuna, capers, and anchovies; it had a great blend of savory and sweet at the same time, too bad we finished it off almost as soon as the waiter placed the plate down!

Sweet Mini Chili Peppers, L3.50

Italian Bread Selection, L3.25

For our main course, we ordered Wild Truffle Tagliatelle and Grilled Chicken. The truffles were a bit strong for my taste, but good thing a hint of nutmeg slightly balanced the strong flavor. We definitely loved the Chicken -- chargrilled goodness in tomato, olive, and caper sauce! A real treat!

Wild Truffle Tagliatelle, L5.95

Grilled Chicken, L12.85

And of course, dessert is always in order :) We topped a great dining experience with an even more sinful Chocolate and Amaretto Brownie, with Vanilla ice cream on the side! :) Super yum!

Chocolate & Amaretto Brownie, L4.95

Rob & Celine:

Prezzo

Contrary to what we popularly believe, not all European food is that good. As Pinoys, we're usually accustomed to rich flavors, but European meals are sometimes bland to my taste. That's why I will just be writing on a few of my great food experiences [count in the fact that Europe is quite an expensive place to dine] :)

For my birthday (London-time), we had early dinner at Prezzo, this recommended restaurant near the theatres (we were catching Wicked that night). Good thing we went there early, since the place became packed when it reached 7pm.





Prezzo was just strted in 2000, but we heard of this place from a Filipino couple we met on our way back from Scotland. Highly recommended, price was just right, food was good, and near the theatre.

Raspberry Fruitiser & Peroni

I loved the Raspberry drink and wouldn't mind seeing it here in Manila. And of course, beer went well with the Pizza we ordered.

Prosciutto e Funghi (L8.15)

Loved the pizza! Mix of Prosciutto ham, field mushrooms, olives, rosemary, tomato & mozzarella. Although the classic Marinara pizza we had at Rome for 4euro takes the cake! But what's pizza without toppings?

Pollo Siciliana (L11.65)

And what's dinner without my fave chicken and potatoes? Chargrilled chicken breast, prosciutto ham, and tomato, baked with cheese. Yummy, especially with a side of potatoes and cheese! :)

Choco Banana Cheesecake

And of course dessert is always in order :) What a way to top off dinner before a show :)

C' Italia

I absolutely love C'! It was great that I was able to grab dinner at this Italian resto that is commonly part of conversations when talking about Italian dining. Their signature Panizzas and Pasta is always the talk of town. Though it is true that dining at C’ is a bit pricey, it’s definitely worth it.

C’ serves complimentary Bread and a Spinach - Olive Oil dip, which was delicious. Don’t get too stuffed with the bread and save space for your main meal! C’ also offers flavored Soda, and we had Kiwi & Strawberry Sodas. Drinks were good as well.

Complimentary Bread & Dip

Lemonade, Strawberry & Kiwi Soda


We had Antonio Miguel Panizza and Marinara [Seafood] Pasta, and both were as great as I heard it would be! If you know of Yellow Cab’s Dear Darla pizza (pizza served with greens and arugula), C’ originally introduced the concept. At C’, it’s called Panizza, and all are served with greens and arugula, ready for rolling. Trust me, the Panizza tasted greeeat. Just the right kind of crust, not oily, and the arugula gave the flavor just the right kick.

Antonio Miguel Panizza


The Seafood Pasta tasted superb. Pasta was al dente, pasta sauce was perfect, tasty and spiced just right. There was also a healthy serving of seafood in the dish – fish, shrimp, and mussels.

Seafood Pasta

After an excellent meal, we managed to squeeze in Pistachio gelato for dessert. Their gelato was home-made, mixed with nuts, and the texture was a bit more creamy (similar to ice cream) than the typical gelato. Regardless, the creamy texture and the nuts did not spoil our dessert one bit, but gave us the seamless end to a great dining experience.

Pistachio Gelato


C’ will always be on top of my list when in Angeles, Pampanga :)