Restaurant Review: Linguini Fini at SM Mega Fashion Hall

More and more international restaurants are finding their way to Manila, and it has easily become the most prominent food trend in our country this year. Filipinos are tend to be drawn to anything "imported", that's why most international restaurants are always sure-fire hits.

Adding to the ever growing list of foreign restaurant franchises here in Manila is Linguini Fini, an Italian restaurant from Hong Kong. 

Interesting chalkboard art at Linguini Fini

Linguini Fini operates with the concept of farm-to-table dining. This ensures that all ingredients used in their dishes are organic and fresh. To make this happen, Chef Vinny Lauria tweaked the dishes to include locally-sourced ingredients - such as kesong puti, tinapa, longganisa to a name few. And he definitely succeeds in making the food distinctly Italian yet comfortingly Filipino.

The restaurant's vibe definitely screams hip and cool. The walls are covered with artworks by local artist Dee Jae Paeste, with art pop posters, cool signages and an open kitchen to complete the hipster-chic look of the place.

Manila Caprese Pizza - cherry tomatoes, in house kesong puti, basil, olive oil

But what's equally cool are the dishes in this restaurant. The ingredients are so simple, so basic, yet incredibly delicious. Take for example the Manila Caprese pizza. Every bite is a perfect symphony of flavors from the kesong puti, tomatoes, and basil. It all tasted so clean and fresh yet rich and flavorful.

Papardelle "Nose to Tail Bolo" - pork testa, veal & oxtail ragu, Parmigiano Reggiano

The Nose to Tail Bolo is one of the most amazing dishes Linguini Fini has to offer. The ragu made from pig's head and ox tail compliments very well to the perfectly cooked papardelle, and the parmigiano reggiano just takes everything to another level. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

Porchetta - slow roasted, fennel rubbed pork belly chopped with chili mostarda, fennel, in a bed of focaccia

But the dish that made me cry from pure ecstasy is the porchetta. The fennel rub on the pork belly is superb, the skin charred beautifully, yet the meat remains moist and fall-off-your-fork soft. The chili mostarda provides the right amount of heat and tang, while the focaccia serves as an excellent neutralizer. This dish deserves a standing ovation, I swear to the food gods.

Picked chili

And be sure to ask your server for a jar of pickled chili! Sprinkle it everywhere - the pizza, the pasta, or even the porchetta. Your taste buds will forever be grateful to you, trust me.

I have high respects for restaurants who are able to create the most stunning dishes using the simplest of ingredients. It just all depends on how well you handle each and every component of your dish. And with Linguini Fini, Chef Vinny just proves how masterful his craft is.

Pros:

Value for your money food

Organic, fresh ingredients are used

Chic restaurant interiors

Helpful servers

Cons:

Can't think of one yet

Rating:

 

LINGUINI FINI, Level 3, SM Mega Fashion Hall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City 

Restaurant Review: Sarsa Kitchen + Bar by Chef JP Anglo at BGC Forum

Here's a thing about celebrity chef restaurants: they are usually over-priced.

And in this world, there is no worst feeling other than emptying the contents of your wallet just for a dish with a serving size good for a newborn baby.

Good thing there's Sarsa Kitchen + Bar. This restaurant by Chef JP Anglo promises to deliver "your favorite Filipino comfort food and then elevate it". But what's even better is that it's affordable. Really really affordable.

The interiors pretty much reflects the essence of Sarsa: simple, unassuming, homey, but still current and beautiful.

We had to wait for an hour to get a table, which is something we expect since we went there on a Saturday evening. Good thing the lovely crew serve us some peanuts and cornik to munch on, which made the waiting not so bad.

Dinuguan Chicharon Bulaklak

The dinuguan is definitely one of the most sinful dishes I've ever tried in my life. Pig's blood + deep fried pork mesentery + chopped pig's intestines = the perfect recipe for hypertension and higher cholesterol levels! But believe me, this dish is worth the pain in the neck. And is definitely perfect with a cup of steaming white rice.

Monggo-nisa (Monggo topped with longganisa bits)

Everything about this monggo dish is perfect: the cook on the beans, the seasoning on the dish, and the crispy longganisa and chopped chicharon sprinkled on top. You can even eat it on it's own, it's that good!

Inasal na Pecho ng Manok

Chef JP is a proud Ilonggo, and he definitely takes pride in his inasal. Sarsa's take on this ubiquitous chicken dish is perharps the best in the city: the meat is moist and beautifully cooked, the charring on the skin is amazing, and the flavors are spot on.

Ginamos Fried Rice

Although most of the dishes in Sarsa are best paired with plain white rice, one should definitely give the restaurant's signature ginamos fried rice a try. It has the right amount of shrimp paste flavor, enough to give your appetite a little boost (not that you really need it).


Sarsa is one of those restaurants that would leave you very very satisfied once you leave, and will definitely make you want to go back for more.


Pros:
Worth your money dishes
Simple, no fuss menu
Nice restaurant interiors

Cons:
Not all servers are attentive. Some are very warm, others looked pissed
Parking can be difficult
Very sinful dishes


Rating:

SARSA Kitchen + Bar: The Forum, 7th Avenue Corner Federacion Drive, BGC, Taguig City