An Authentic Italian Dining Experience with Carpaccio Ristorante Italiano

 

I found myself once again in Makati for a meeting last Thursday June 2 2016. I decided that I wanted to try another restaurant that I have never been to. Italian food has always been close to my heart, and although there are a lot of Italian restaurants here, there are only a few that stays true to the cuisine and which you can really call authentic. Fortunately, Carpaccio, the restaurant in Yakal that I visited is definitely one of those. My dining experience in this place is certainly a pleasant one. Read my review below if you wish to know the details.

Ambiance – Carpaccio Ristorante Italiano is not exactly a themed restaurant like Chesa Bianca. It has a very modern appeal that I think is perfect for business meetings. Actually, it can certainly be a dating spot as well. However, since I visited around 1PM the people that were dining were mostly on their corporate attires that is why the place had a business vibe in it. The moment I arrived at the door, I was greeted by a waiter and led to my seat. The manager approached me as well, helped me with my table napkin and asked if I cared for some drinks.  It was exactly as you would expect in a fine dining restaurant. Italian classical music was playing in the background with just enough volume for you to notice it but not really disrupt your conversation. Right after I ordered, a complimentary bread was served to me with vinaigrette topped with grated parmesan cheese.

Price Range – Carpaccio offers a lunch set menu that already includes appetizer, main course, and coffee for only 670+ Pesos. If you want to include one dessert as well the price for your meal will be P765. The waiter told me that their lunch set menu changes every week. This price is quite good as a salad and a main course in this restaurant will roughly cost you around 1000 Pesos.

Service – As I have explained earlier I was not only greeted by a waiter but by the restaurant manager as well. They were able to attend to me quite well with regards to my inquiries and the ever so important WiFi password. I also noticed that once I finished my salad, the waiter immediately noticed it and told the kitchen that I was ready for my main course.

Food

Appetizer:

Insalata Caprese – Tomatoes, Buffalo Mozarella, and Basil. Doused with extra virgin olive oil and black pepper. The combination of these ingredients makes a very refreshing salad appetizer. I absolutely love the quality of the tomatoes that they have used as it reminded me so much of my stay in Italy. The cheese has a mild flavor which goes well with the slight bitterness of the basil leaves and the strong taste of olive oil.

Main Course

Risotto Ai Porcini E Dadolata Di Pollo – Saffron Rissoto, Funghi Procini, grilled Chicken Breast, Tomatoes and Parmesan. At first sight, you would think that you are looking at a plate that you can easily eat by yourself. I have forgotten however how heavy risotto can be. If you are dining with a friend, I would suggest that you consider sharing this particular course. The chicken had beautiful grill marks on it and was satisfyingly tender.  The first thing that I noticed about the risotto was that it was perfectly al dente. They have certainly done this right and I was pleased to know that I have now found a place to go to whenever I am craving for a riso meal. The flavor of the stock that they used is quite prominent and can be tasted with your every bite. As a matter of fact, it has been more than a couple of days now since I have dined in Carpaccio, but I can still clearly remember how this risotto taste like (which is actually making me hungry at this moment).

Dessert

Tiramisu Classico- Mascarpone cheese, coffee liquor, Amaretto. I decided to try this for dessert as this actually the national favorite in Italy. I wanted to know if Carpaccio serves an authentic Tiramisu, or if they altered it as well to suit the Filipino taste like what most restaurants here have done. I am glad to find out that they did not dumb it down at all. Their Tiramisu isn’t a very sweet one and has a very strong coffee flavor just like the Italian original. The taste was on point. My only problem was that the bottom part of my dessert was a bit soggy. This is quite a common issue though when it comes to Tiramisu as it is soaked in coffee liquor. What most people don’t know is that Tiramisu translated in English means “Wake me up”. As such, my measurement for a good one is whether or not it can indeed have that effect on you. I have to admit, I made a mistake. I actually ordered coffee together with this dessert. A couple of minutes after having this, and drinking my coffee I felt my heart palpitating. It was as if I ran for 30 minutes and my heart was racing. I had to order a glass wine just to calm myself.  

Pros:

Makati Italian Restaurant that has sufficient amount of parking space

Price is very reasonable for business meetings and dating

Service is very good

Modern ambiance with classical Italian music

Food is authentic and stays true to their Italian roots

A wide variety of wine selections

Cons:

Not exactly affordable for casual dining but that’s because this restaurant is semi fine-dine.

I have to honestly say, I didn’t exactly find a lot of cons for this particular restaurant.

Final Thoughts and Rating:

While there are certainly a lot of Italian Restaurants in Metro Manila there are only perhaps a handful that I can consider truly authentic. Carpaccio Ristorante Italiano is one of them. This place is certainly worth it if you are craving for risotto or any Italian dish for that matter. I would rate it 9 out 10 perfect for business meetings and dating at night.