This is a story about long distance relationship. Well, sort of.
It was an hour before lunch time when we arrived at Amoroma Ristorante Italiano. We could have been starving for skipping breakfast that day but we were still flooded with adrenalin after enjoying ourselves at the Tagaytay Zip Line. It was the last day of our vacation and although we were scheduled to go back to Manila before sunset, a sip of Amoroma’s Limonada made us feel comforted for the best things that are yet to come.
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| Inside Amoroma Ristorante Italiano |
At first, I was a little apprehensive about the place, judging from the steep stairs and poorly lit back door we used as entrance. Parking area is located at the back of the restaurant where empty bottles of wine and chopped woods used for the restaurant’s wood fired brick oven will greet you. It was nothing like an Italian Restaurant that I had in mind, but as we enter the place, I knew right then that there is more to this place than what meets the eye. The aroma of aged cheese, wine, and truffle wafted through the air in rapid succession alluring us to take part of the good things in life they can offer.
It was a rather warm day and the Ice Cold Limonada was refreshing enough to get us through the waiting time before our food were served. Everything was freshly cooked thus, an understandable waiting time. After minutes before we were seated, we were served with freshly baked unleavened bread as a restaurant’s courtesy. Seasoned with cracked pepper, Italian seasoning, and sesame seeds, the unleavened bread was surprisingly tasty.
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| Freshly baked Unleavened Bread |
We were almost done with the bread when Cozze Gratinate was served for our appetizer. It’s a baked mussel with Parmesan cheese, Italian tomato sauce, and onions. Although the mussels were small, its taste is still apparent in the midst of exploration of flavors among the other ingredients. As expected, the sour component of the sauce goes perfectly well with the Parmesan cheese, while the tiny chunks of onions gave the dish further character in terms of texture and flavor.
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| Cozze Gratinate (165 Php) |
Next dish we were served was the Fusili in Contadina. It’s Fusili pasta with bacon and sun-dried tomato in creamy vegetable sauce. Suffice it to say, it is one of the best pasta I have tasted so far. Bacon and sun-dried tomato were pretty much the usual thing in a pasta dish, but the creamy vegetable sauce is what makes this dish extra special. It tasted nothing like all the things I hate about vegetable, rather it reminded me of the glorious harvest time in a beautiful farm where everything was fresh and nurturing. Yes, there’s a hint of vegetable taste but it was tempered by the creamy component of the dish, and that was the flavor that lingers.
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| Fusili in Contadina (310 Php) |
Ravioli Ricotta e Spinachi is spinach and ricotta cheese stuffed pasta in meat sauce. You can opt for herb sauce if you want to skip the meaty taste of the dish, but for me, meat sauce was perfect. I love that the raviolis they used were freshly made, giving it a substantial character in every bite. Not to mention that the spinach and ricotta cheese stuffing were very generous.
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| Ravioli Ricotta e Spinachi (280 Php) |
We also had Amoroma con Tartufo Pizza. Combination of oregano, mushroom, and black truffles on a freshly brick oven baked thin pizza dough. Shavings of black truffles and succulent slices of mushroom blend perfectly with the cheese and the distinct taste of oregano. I am a sucker for thin crust pizza and Amoroma’s version of it is perfect to my liking. I love having it with chili olive oil sauce for an added kick.
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| Wood Fire Brick Oven |
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| Amoroma con Tartufo Pizza (400+ Php) |
After the visit at Amoroma our next stop was Bag Of Beans for some Alamid Coffee and Cheesecakes, but their Panna Cotta Cioccolato and Mango Tiramisu were too hard to resist.
The Mango Tiramisu was good compare to the one I have tasted in some restaurants here in Manila. Thick slices of mango were surprisingly fresh tasting while the creaminess of mascarpone cheese and cream were haunting.
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| Mango Tiramisu (155 Php) |
Their Panna Cotta Cioccolato was nothing like the usual panna cotta I have ever tasted. It was thick, dense, and unapologetically rich and creamy it made me cry! It screams of the finest ingredients that were used in making such a splendid dessert that will take me a lifetime to forget.
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| Panna Cotta Cioccolato (130 Php) |
The ambiance inside Amoroma exudes a comforting elegance. It does not intimidate but rather, it invites. The Italian songs that constantly plays in the background, the aroma of the entire place, the gentleness of the people, and the authenticity of Italian food made me realized that no wonder it is included in Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant’s Secrets. Amoroma is also Bed and Breakfast which has 8 room with a stunning view of Taal Lake.
After the splendor of such a wonderful meal that Amoroma provided for us, I fell madly in love with it. And I wouldn’t mind falling madly in love all over again, if only to experience the same lovely satisfaction it gave me.
In every morsel of food that was served, I established a relationship, leaving a promise that I will come back for them. And I will definitely come back for many others left not yet tasted for another gastronomical unraveling.
Despite the distance, I would cultivate the love I have for it, because I know that each mile I travel to have a taste of authentic Italian food that Amoroma can offer, will always be worth it.
Amoroma Ristorante Italiano
3575 Calamba Rd., National Highway, Brgy. Tolentino East
Tagaytay City, Cavite
Philippines
Contact No. (046)6963582 / 0929-2690370
Facebook page here
3575 Calamba Rd., National Highway, Brgy. Tolentino East
Tagaytay City, Cavite
Philippines
Contact No. (046)6963582 / 0929-2690370
Facebook page here
