Bistro Ravioli: Affordable Fine Dining in Manila

Just a few weeks ago, I had dinner with some of my friends at Bistro Ravioli (thanks Arpee for the invite!). I was with Nix since I promised to treat her to pizza and pasta after which, I hopped down to MoA for whaddya know, another pizza and pasta. I was thinking to skip the pizza and go to the ravioli instead. Since Arpee was gonna be there later, I was at MoA first before they did.

Since the mall was humongous, I needed to know how to get there and what route to take so the first stop I had was the concierge. Apparently, since the restaurant was pretty new, it wasn't in the map yet, so I looked for where Oris was, since that was the nearest store to the resto. I found it. It's located at the second floor of the main mall near Asian Eye Institute, on the right side of the mall. When I got there, I saw Kel already there, which means I'm not alone. Yay, (since I'm shy to dine alone in a nice restaurant).

Do not touch the chicken wings before me, do not touch them. If you don't want to get hurt.

When I got the menu, I of course, tried the specialty, the ravioli. I went for the Salmon Ravioli in Saffron Cream Sauce. I just told them to lessen the cream a bit. Why that choice? Well, it was seafood! I love the smoked flavor of the salmon. I also found that my plate was good for two but a person with a big appetite for seafood could wolf it down.

Kel loves his Spinach and Feta Cheese Ravioli in Pesto (cheese is good, right Kel?)

All ravioli dishes cost Php 190.00 . For the "normal" unstuffed pasta though, if you do not get hives or blow up like a balloon upon contact or ingestion with anything aquatic, you have to try the garlic seafood spaghetti, which won me down. By the way, before I forget, all pastas are fresh and hand-pulled, meaning they do not come from the pack or box but it's handmade the traditional Italian way.

Seafood I love you. I love you I love you I love you. Mix you with garlic and pasta and I'm in heaven. Being affordable at Php160.00 I will dine here tomorrow alone. :P

Pizza is also oven-baked in a brick oven. Cheese lovers would love the Quatro Formaggio pizza (Php325.00). Size is 12 inches and the crust is thin, so no bloat (models, if you are reading this, you can have this beofre your go-see).

As time came for dessert, we had our Panna Cottas and tiramisu. Originally, all of us had Panna Cotta and Arpee had a tiramisu but he told us we could share since the slice is quite big. however, one bite and he changed his mind. So Kel and I opted to share one big slice since we were both stuffed and we already had our Strawberry and Kiwi Panna Cotta beforehand. When our tiramisu came though however, it was quite a struggle to obtain property.

It was fight for the slice.

Soft sponge cake + light creamy filling + juxtapositioning of chocolate and coffee liqueur = heaven. Oh and chocolate shavings too. Yes, I had to resist getting stabbed here.

The crowd here is on weekdays, it's usually SM executives. Weekends are for the family and friends (Give the kids Kiddie Spaghetti, if the pastas are still too grownup for them). The prices are also affordable, and roughly around Php500 per person could get you really stuffed. And yes, you must try the tiramisu.

Tutti Frutti: The DIY Frozen Yogurt Treat

Ever since I had frozen yogurt, I hardly ever looked back. I'm a fan, a lover, and a promoter of frozen yogurt I have at least two every week. I love it because it gives me excuse to be healthy while eating something sweet. It fills in my calcium needs without my lactose-intolerant stomach complaining. The tart taste has grown on me, I guess.

The soft opening of Tutti Frutti made me go wild and mad with flavors that didnt cause me to pump them out of my digestive tract. Yes. The heavens have heard me this time. Gluttony without consequences. Going DIY fuses my creativity with my ultimate katakawan.

Tutti Frutti (at least the branch I visited) is located in Glorietta 4 near the food court. This is different from all frozen yogurt stations since not only does it boast more flavors (lychee, green apple, kiwi, peanut butter, taro, banana, chocolate, pineapple, and the original tart flavor), it also gives us the ultimate liberty to choose our own flavor combinations, size, and toppings (as much as we want) until we pay the tab.

So what's the price? This sign tells it all.

The style of this place is DIY and self-serve, meaning the attendants are just there to guide. You pick your yogurt combination and toppings yourself.

First the cup....

Small, medium, or large it's up to you.

Then go pick a flavor or flavors:

Yay! I get to make my own yogurt combination. I chose first a twist of Death By Chocolate (oooohhh deadly) and original tart. Plus I squirted on some peanut butter since I wanted something sweet. I just watched Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs so I wanted something fun and sweet. Besides, I never tasted chocolate yogurt before. EVER.

Onto the toppings bar, there was absence of my favorite topping: mochi balls, so I piled on mangoes, cherries, graham crackers, coffee jelly (I told you I was crazy) and caramel syrup. After that, they weigh your cup and tell you how much it costs. Since it's DIY and by the ounce, allow a bit of allowance from your estimated cost.

So here's my after-movie dessert:

The caramel syrup freezes upon contact with yogurt so it's more of a candy. kinda like the caramel-covered ice cream bars before. Speaking of ice cream bars, my flavor combination is perfect for those who aren't too keen on yogurt's tart taste. It's sweet, I didn't think I was eating yogurt. It's a bit soft though, but the toppings added variety to what I'm eating. The cost for my cup was roughly Php130.00. I'm not actually a fan of chocolate ice cream but chocolate yogurt and I bonded really well.

Do I like this? I sure do. I probably will go back there tomorrow during my break and try a different combination this time.

Anyone try this yet? Do share your combination.