Unabashed Pagliacci groupie 17 August 2007

After thoroughly enjoying the oh-so-inspiring Ratatouille one weekend, we decided to follow it up with a great meal at Pagliacci at the Podium. French, Italian … ok, maybe I’ve got my cuisines mixed up. (Oh, We prefer the cinema there, as it feels more cozy, not too many people, more like a private home … with a very big screen! And I loved the film, gives so much hope that anyone can cook! Ok, hope for me!)

I’d only tried Pagliacci once, and it was a take home pizza. A very good one albeit cold. We knew straight off that they’d used the real Italian mozzarella - the white ones bought in small balls - not the blocks of cheaper mozzarella from Australia.

Except of course for that enticing gelato stand at the entrance of store. At 100 pesos per cup, each spoonful is heaven. The flavors are true and natural. We often share a cup before going to watch a movie.

Everything I had heard about Pagliacci screamed authentic Italian cuisine. Was the food as good as the hype? A resounding YES. Yeng, Dui and I have decided that though our bill is about a third more than our usual bills as Banana Leaf or Italianni’s, Pagliacci has definitely won our heart, and it well worth the extra!

The restaurant is very low-key, very comfortable, and sparsely yet tastefully decorated with murals and Venetian masks. The servers very hospitable and quick on their toes. You’ll notice that the bar figures quite prominently and they have an extensive wine list … all the better for serious diners!

Our meal started off with some freshly baked foccacia, nice and soft, and fruity with extra virgin olive oil. The dips were fantastic - a fresh salsa, and an aubergine (eggplant) dip.

Followed this with their Insalata Saporita or arugula salad (something like 70% arugula), some crunchy green and red romaines, pine nuts and crabsticks, dressed with lemon juice (P370). A straightforward and very good salad.

Had to have a pizza, of course - a Margherita (P350)- nice crunchy crust and our beloved Italian mozzarella. Piping hot. Yum.

We also tried the risotto, in my opinion a true test of a true Italian restaurant. We got the special, Risotto Fumo (P460), which was the smoked mozzarella and salmon risotto. It was cooked to perfection, heaped up on a simple white bowl … hot, oozing, and absolutely delicious. Dui loved it!

Dui also had qualms about getting a shake, so I ended up ordering a strawberry shake (P140)… but she finished it off. She has a thing about anything strawberry-flavored; I think it reminds her of her medicines.

In short, there is nothing pretentious about the food. The ingredients are true-blue and fresh, tasting exactly like if we ourselves had bought them at Santi’s (or the grocer’s). The servings are good for sharing. And while the prices are heftier, it is well worth to try authentic Italian once in a while.

While I’ve heard that Italian Chef Maurizio usually comes out to chat with diners, we didn’t see a sign of him. Maybe we’ll run into him when we go there again … definitely will be paying a visit!

Read more about Pagliacci c/o Lori, Ajay and Joysweet.

Pagliacci
The Podium
18 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center
Mandaluyong City
Tel: 687-1514