a bite of brownie

Soon after the arrival of our dearest mother, we came here one night to visit the newest branch of Italliani's at Ayala Center Cebu. Of course, I had class during that time so by the time I got there my mom and sis were already there.

As customary in every Italliani's branch, we were given a fresh basket of bread to be paired with a mixture of balsamic vinegar and olive oil as well as a few minutes to review the menu before we were attended to by someone from the staff. We ordered a pan of Quatro Staggiani (four seasons pizza: cheese, tomato, ham and vegetable) and a Country Combo platter comprised of a heap of smoked salmon spaghetti, roasted chicken, and roast pork (the package was supposed to be roast beef, but they ran out of beef, so we were asked if we'd like to opt for pork instead.) Before she left to relay our order, we were given another basket of fresh bread to pair with the dressing from earlier.
From what I read online and heard from people, Italliani's is known for its fresh food, their pasta and pizza, and last but not least, their steaks.


The four seasons pizza was delicious. Everything was freshly baked and the dough was no exception. The toppings didn't feel awkward unlike some haphazard pizza recipe out there. The smoked salmon could have been done better, though. The salmon was overcooked and became flaky as soon as we started dividing it among ourselves. The roasted fowl could have been done better too, something about makes me wish it could have done better. A little dry, maybe? Finally, the roast pork had its sauce interchanged with the chicken, who had its gravy placed beside the pork.




Italliani's
Ayala Center Cebu


Verdict:
A: 3.5/5.

Quite pricey. Service could still be improved. Food can be done better.

"Finally!" I exclaimed as we were walking by the top floor area of Ayala's new wing. Before us was a brightly lit store named Pepper Lunch, with all its shining glory and bright lights. I remember it like it was yesterday, the memories of our first dining experience back in Makati. Aaaaah, after so long a time that we set our taste buds on a quest to rediscover the delicious taste of thinly sliced beef (of course, Yoshinoya still takes the top spot in my heart :) ).

We ordered teriyaki beef pepper steak and a plate of sizzling pepper steak and then we were seated by the corner of the restaurant. The place was fairly new, and it was pleasant to the eyes. The air conditioning was just right and the ambiance felt cozy.

A few minutes later, our order arrived and we were reminded that we should stir the meat immediately on the still sizzling hot plate before us. We were also given the option to use two of their sauces on the table, soy garlic and honey brown (which, i think were both salty-ish.) It was kind of strange to see the amount of meat on our plates though, since we upgraded our meals to the next size, we somehow feel that it feels... lacking.

But otherwise, I felt content with the food we had here. It'd be nice to come back to this restaurant to check how much exactly the upgraded meals look like compared to the regular ones.




Pepper Lunch
Ayala Center Cebu



Verdict:
A: 3.5/5 A restaurant worth revisiting once its soft opening is finished.

 One of the more daring additions to the Casa Verde business is The Suite Room in Ayala's newest wing. Just across several other newly established restaurants there, The Suite Room boasts its calm, relaxed ambiance for the business-casual appointments and meetings complete with rhythm and blues music as well as other favorites from the golden ages. Fortunately enough, we were able to secure a seat at one of the very comfortable couches available for our after-lunch hang out with my sister's friend who's just come home for a break as well as the upcoming local festival, Sinulog.






 


It was a relaxed place with courteous and attentive waiters, easy going music, and delicious food just within the budget. Our group had a steak sandwich, a serving of tenderloin steak with half a slab of rock lobster, and a serving of green tea ice cream cake, while I had an appetizing apple cinnamon ice cream cake for myself.

The desserts taste appetizing at least, and I have yet to sample their steak dishes.






The Suite Room
Ayala Center Cebu


Verdict:
A: 3.5/5

I like the ambiance and the price seems to be affordable enough. Some dishes were slightly more pricey, but it was definitely cheaper than David's Steakhouse.

Situated on the 19th floor of Apple One building within walking distance from Ayala, Blue Elephant Sky Lounge is one of the more recent happenings especially for the opening for the  year 2014. This restaurant-bar is said to be a nightly extension of the parent company located in IT Park; it opens at 5 pm and closes at 2 am. Moreover, due to its recent rise to popularity, it is recommended to secure a reservation beforehand to make sure you don't run out of tables.


Access to the restaurant is granted at exactly 5pm, and it even has its own dedicated lift for patrons and staff. The restaurant itself is pretty barren at opening hours, but life starts to flourish as soon as the sun hits the the sack and the moon rises in its place. This sky lounge's true worth lies in dusk where lights start to shine and a beautiful cityscape roars to life  with a variety of colors and sounds.


 Even if we came here at exactly 5pm, we were informed that the kitchen opens at 6pm, so the staff attending us told us to order ahead to avoid the rush of customers coming later. We ordered stuffed squid, seafood curry, bangkok express, sisig and crispy pata. For refreshments, my brother had a bottle of light beer, my sister got a glass of Thai iced tea, while I had a refreshing glass of frozen iced tea.



Our orders arrived one by one at around 630, when people have started claiming their seat reservations. The staff were slowly going around and placing light fixtures and these nifty changing lights on every table to provide a colorful display for the diners.                                       

I find it weird that the food served here tastes different from the main branch, like a clear deviation from the traditional taste that Blue Elephant was known for. The sizzling squid was saucy and we couldn't taste the stuffing so well. The seafood curry tasted sweet and had a very subtle taste of curry in it, as if the curry was added late. The sisig was tasted different, and wasn't sizzling as advertized. It did have unusual ingredients that regular  restaurants don't use: pork ears and liver. The crispy pata also paled in comparison to the one from IT park (which had softer meat and crispier skin, served with three types of sauces).           
                                                                                                   


A: 3/5

The crispy pata almost didn't arrive, and it tasted different from the usual taste I was so used to. The staff were courteous enough though, and very attentive. The drinks tasted too sweet, as if the barista wanted us to catch diabetes.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Among the number of restaurants in the newly renovated Ayala mall as of yet, Seafood island has got to be one of the better places to grab a meal with your friends looking to experience their first hand experience in native filipino dining.