Mona Lisa's Panizza and Four Cheese Ravioli will surely make you smile

Since I have lived in the North all my life, I am not at all familiar with the hidden food gems of the South. Just recently, a couple of office mates of mine who hail from the South recommended an Italian restaurant called Mona Lisa Ristorante that President Noynoy himself frequents for lunch with his family. 

Apparently, Mona Lisa serves really great Panizzas, even better than the ones found in the ever so famous C! Italian restaurant in Pampanga. Of course, C and I wouldn't let ourselves be left behind. And so we headed down South to discover what Mona Lisa has to offer.

You wouldn't mistake Mona Lisa for any restaurant other than Italian because of its interiors beautifully inspired by Renaissance Italy. The ceiling featured lovely paintings that give you a taste of Renaissance art. I also loved the booths located around the perimeter of the restaurant, which offered a more private dining experience. Even the servers wore neckties with Mona Lisa's face as design on the fabric :)

I wish I could have these in my room

C and I were seated in one of those booths

The view was exquisite from where we were seated.

While waiting for our order, we were served some crostini with pesto, butter and pasta as dip -- compliments of the house of course. As shallow as it may sound, I love it when restaurants serve complimentary bread :)

Free bread!

C and I decided to share a panizza and a pasta. Their panizzas come in big servings good for about three to four persons. I appreciated the fact that our server offered to give us half of the panizza we wanted (5 big strips), at half the price! We went for none other than the Mona Lisa Special. I think the trick to making a really good panizza is to not overdo the toppings to make way for the distinct taste of the arugula and alfalfa. The Mona Lisa Special was simply topped with tomato sauce, cheese, some shrimp, laid on a thin, crispy crust. I added in some fresh arugula leaves, alfalfa sprouts, chili oil and chili flakes -- and I almost melted because of the delicious flavors I could taste in my mouth.

Was it better than C! Italian? They're both excellent and so it's hard to compare, really. So I'd say they're on the same level.

Half serving of the Mona Lisa Special (P 355)

With arugula leaves and alfalfa sprouts

C's choice for our pasta was the Ravioli Formaggi. This was the first time I got to try ravioli in red sauce and I have to say, it's fast becoming a favorite of mine. This dish had a generous amount of creamy garlic tomato sauce, which was just slightly sour to add a subtle kick. Each ravioli piece was filled with a delicious mixture of four cheeses in the center, and it kept tasting better with every bite.

Ravioli Formaggi (P 475)

To cap off an enjoyable meal, C and I made friends with this very cute and adorable little boy named Jacob, who reminded me of my lovely little nephew because of his hair. Jacob hung around our table for a while as he posed enthusiastically for the camera.

Jacob, such an adorable little boy :)

He insisted on this pose :)

When C and I were done, we said a quick goodbye to Jacob and gave him a soft pat on the head. He followed us to the door, as if sending us off, and before we could completely step out of the restaurant, he shouted out excitedly, "Come back soon, okay?"

C and I had such a wonderful time in Mona Lisa, and we will definitely be back soon :)

THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 5 out of 5 - Delicious Italian food that will surely make you smile

Mona Lisa is located at the 2nd Floor of The Commerce Center, Commerce Avenue, Alabang. For reservations, call 556-0708

Bawai's Kitchen: A True Taste of Vietnam

Amidst the tranquility and cool breeze of Tagaytay during the Ber months lies a humble home that offers an experience of the true taste of Vietnamese cuisine. Upon arrival, C and I were greeted by their very courteous staff who assisted our car into their garage. In a shy voice, the girl confirmed our reservation and led us through a wooden door, up towards the restaurant.

The entrance door

Bawai's interiors looked rather modern, with some paintings showing Vietnamese women doing their daily tasks as accents. The mostly wooden furniture and neutral also added to the homey ambiance.

Now on to the delicious food. We started off with Cha Gio (Vietnamese fried lumpia) for our appetizer. The spring rolls were fried well to make the wrap very crispy but not overcooked. Inside was a combination of fresh ingredients such as ground pork, vegetable bits and glass noodles. This was served with their signature dip made of fish sauce, coconut oil and garlic, which really added more flavor to the dish. This could be the Vietnamese version of our toyo-suka-calamansi-sili dip that goes well with almost everything.

Cha Gio (P 165)

Looks so fresh inside, and tastes so fresh, too!

For our entree, we had one of their bestsellers, the Com Suon Cha (Grilled pork rib with omelet and rice). I liked how this dish looked colorful with greens and yellows contrasting with the pork. The pork meat was so tender that both C and I devoured it all the way to the skin. On its own, it had a smoky and slightly woody taste. The flavor of the pork was brought out even more by the fish sauce-coconut oil-garlic dip that also did it for the spring rolls. The creamy omelet provided a nice complement to the  pork as well.

Com Suon Cha (P 295)

And of course, this Vietnamese experience wouldn't be complete without authentic Vietnamese noodles. We went for the Bun Bo Hue (Spicy beef and pork soup). It was served in a big bowl, with a size that's good for two. It had that distinct scent of fresh herbs and spices that was characteristic of Vietnamese food. Because of the chili, it had a beautiful red-orange color, but the spiciness was very mild. It had generous slices of beef and pork, deliciously firm noodles and different kinds of vegetables. The different flavors coming from the herbs were all in moderation and so it was not at all overpowering to the tongue. This is definitely what I'd remember most about this entire meal. :)

Bun Bo Hue (P 245)

After a little less than an hour (we didn't realize we ate everything so quickly), C and I were more than satisfied and we were both smiling as we recalled the taste of the delicious dishes that were now sitting happily in our tummies.  The quiet environment provided a romantic setting for C and I to have a meaningful conversation and simply enjoy the moment. C put it perfectly when he said that Bawai's dishes offered nothing fancy. Its charm stemmed from the simplicity of its purely authentic Vietnamese cuisine.

THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 5 out of 5 - Simply-made but delicious Vietnamese cuisine

Bawai's Kitchen is located in Hernandez Street, Purok 5, Silang Cavite. It comes right before Chateau Hestia. For reservations, call 09209722924.

A so-so experience with UCC's Tonkotsu Ramen

Cool, drizzly evenings call for nice, hot, flavorful soup. In moments like this, C and I crave for a delicious bowl of wanton soup or a good serving of ramen. On the last day of the previous 4-day weekend, we decided to go for ramen. I heard that the one from UCC was worth visiting, and so we headed towards the Petron Gas Station along EDSA-Pasay to get our hot bowl of ramen.

UCC's Tonkotsu Ramen describes itself as "noodle with a pork bone broth". There were three flavor options (the text below is taken from the poster on their wall):

Shio ("salt") - it is the lightest ramen, a pale, clear, yellowish broth using salt and any combination of chicken, vegetables, fish and seaweed.

Shoyu ("soy sauce") - typically has a brown and clear color broth, based on a chicken and vegetable (or sometimes fish or beef) stock with plenty of soy sauce resulting in a soup that's tangy, salty, and savory yet still fairly light on the palate.

Miso ("soybean paste") - this uniquely Japanese flavor, which was developed in Hokkaido, features a broth that combines copious amounts of miso and is blended with tonkotsu to create a thick, nutty, slightly sweet and very hearty soup. Miso ramen broth tends to have a robust, tangy flavor.

Our server said Shoyu was the best seller, and so that became our choice.

When the bowl arrived, C and I thought it looked very appetizing. The soup was thick and looked very tasty. I thought it had generous portions of pork (3 slices), vegetables and noodles. I particularly liked the taste and the texture of the egg. I liked chewing on the soft but firm noodles as well.

Tonkotsu Ramen (P359)

What disappointed me though was the actual taste of the soup. It was just way too porky. It literally tasted like melted pork. And while most of the time this should taste great, it didn't quite pull through with this ramen. C thought it was okay, but for me it was unsatisfactory. Maybe I should've tried the other flavors? I don't know. But I've definitely had better ones.

Nevertheless, UCC still has great coffee, which is what they're known for anyway. But I do hope they can do something to improve on their ramen, especially when people make the effort to visit them to satisfy a ramen craving.

THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 2.5 out of 5 - Just way to porky for me.

Click here for the complete location of this Petron Gas Station, as well as to read my review of a very good Italian restaurant in the same location.

Simply Thai is simply the closest to authentic Thai cuisine

 

One of the many things that C and I have in common is that we have a special place in our hearts for anything Thai. He spent his younger years living in Thailand with his family, while I spent two years of high school in Bangkok with my family as well. And so it's no coincidence that we both absolutely love Thai cuisine. I find it rather difficult to closely replicate the authentic flavor of Thai dishes, with all its spices and distinct flavors. Thankfully, Simply Thai was able to come very close, and minus the very European looking ambience, it felt (or should I say tasted?) like C and I were both back in our second home.

Simply Thai's interiors were carried over from The Terrace, which used to be in this spot

I liked the light feel and soft light green theme of the inside

First things first. We were starving, and we needed our staple Thai dish, Pad Thai, on our table first. Simply Thai's Pad Thai was served very creatively. The noodles were wrapped inside a mesh made of egg. The other ingredients were placed on the corners of the plate, such that we had to break through the mesh and mix everything before having a taste. It added a bit more to the whole experience. The noodles were perfect and I tasted a mixture of smoky and slightly tangy flavors, with the nuts adding some texture. I think this Pad Thai is really the closest to the ones I've tried in Bangkok. I will definitely come back for this.

Pad Thai

A closer look

C wanted some hot soup, and of course Tom Yum Goong was the only choice. A lot of the kinds I've tasted are either too sour that it hurts my cheeks, or too spicy that it almost scalds my tongue. Simply Thai's Tom Yum was just the right balance. We had ours with fair servings of shrimp.

Tom Yum Goong

Next came our Beef Curry. This had a strong curry flavor, and not the creamy, less powerful curry dishes you usually find in other Thai restaurants. While I prefer my curry this way, I think most people would prefer theirs to be more on the creamy side. Like the Pad Thai, it was also served quite creatively and you'd know it's delicious just by looking at it.

Beef Curry

We complemented our curry with the Black Pepper Soft Shell Crab. The crablets were very crunchy and again, was served beautifully with even a flower on the side. This was a good balance to the strong flavor of the curry.

Black Pepper Soft Shell Crab

A few months ago, my family and I celebrated my mom's birthday in Simply Thai and I just really have to include this in this post. Simply Thai offers Dungeness Crab, which is a huge crab flown from Thailand served in their delicious garlic butter sauce. It was enough for the seven of us to share. So if ever you're dining here in a big group, I highly suggest ordering this. Let the photos speak for themselves.

Dungeness Crab

 

The creativity in this restaurant never stops. Their takeout bags are made from the paper they use as placemats. :)

It's been almost 7 years since I last visited Thailand, and I really do miss its busy streets and wonderful, friendly people. But it's a comfort to know that without leaving Manila, I can be a little nostalgic and relive my authentic experience of this delicious cuisine in restaurants like Simply Thai.

THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 5 out 5