Pagliacci Italian Restaurant at The Podium, Ortigas

Pagliacci Italian Restaurant located at The Podium Mall in Ortigas may be named after a clown, but a visit will introduced you to no frills, no joke, just downright authentic Italian dishes. Of the many Italian Restaurants in Manila, Pagliacci is one of those that serve Italian fares that do not just beg but demand to be savored with deep appreciation of a beautiful culture translated into palatable creation. Despite its namesake, Pagliacci Italian Restaurant could only mean serious business.

I could not unearth a valid reason why I have not visited Pagliacci before despite its impressive number of years in business. Yet, I surmise there couldn’t be any apt time to be introduced to the beauty of its dishes than my first dinner there with some friends who share the same affinity for good food. After all, good meal is meant to be savored and enjoy with people who matters.

I wouldn’t go into detail as to how the restaurant ambiance contributed to the dining experience since we were told that it will undergo a renovation (perhaps they are at it right now, I am not sure). There is one thing though that left an impression to me, the façade with all its colorful clown imagery does not reflect the rather cozy and intimate vibe of the interior. In this respect, I sincerely hope that the renovation includes a total makeover of the outdated façade.

Just like any good meal, our dinner started with servings of freshly baked homemade bread called Pane di Casa (Php 130) at Pagliacci’s menu served with assorted dips. The first dip which I hoped to be a liver pate at a glance tasted like humus more than anything else. The second dip on the other hand was a combination of tomatoes, onions, basil, luxuriously swimming on what I deem as a good quality olive oil. Between the two, I would definitely choose the latter in a heartbeat. Foolish to leave even a single drop, there couldn’t be any other form of respect you can give a last piece of bread than to mop it up against the remnants of olive oil it was served with.

Wide selection of pizza dominates an entire page of Pagliacci’s menu. Variants echo same selections offered by other legit Italian restaurants so it can only be judge in terms of ingredients use as well as execution. Such weighing of what is better I cannot dish out since we’ve only tried their Ai 4 Formaggi Pizza (Php 400), a pizza variant known for its simplicity. Combination of mozzarella, gorgonzola, scamorza, and parmigiano came ethereally light – forgivably so, since the crust was unapologetically crispy thin that I cannot imagine it supporting heavily dressed pizza for that matter. In terms of taste, it was good on its own right but I have tasted better.

I imagined guests from other tables reconsidered their orders when a pleasantly intoxicating aroma of truffle wafted through as Tagliatelle Tartufate (Php 400) was served on our table. A beautiful execution of al dente pasta was already a feat in itself, but the overall taste of this truffled pasta was what made it a stellar of a dish. No small achievement here, for the noodles made with spinach combined with the earthy flavor of mushroom echoes an abundance byproduct of a well-tended piece of land. This distinct flavor was then mellowed with cream fostering a balance well struck.

There are a lot of dishes which can be praised for its beauty in simplicity and Pagliacci’s Spaghetti alla Lorenzo (Php 330) is definitely one of them. Pasta dish lovingly dotted with broccoli, shrimps, garlic, and chili does not need a glamorous thick sauce to hold its honor. A simple olive oil for its base do wonders for it does not outshine but rather compliment all other components to create a unifying flavor.

I don’t mind people calling me risotto snob because for one I am confident that I can pull off a great tasting one, modesty aside, and two, I just know what I want in my risotto. I could spend an entire day talking about risotto but that deserve a post of its own. For now let us focus on Pagliacci’s Risotto al Funghi (Php 420). It may not be one of the best I have tried but it still earned my respect taste-wise. It held a mushroom-flavor-in-your-face kind of spunk which can either be overwhelming for some while pleasant for others. The creaminess was well executed but it fell short in terms of texture which I find tad too tough for my taste. I am not in search for a mashed potato texture in my risotto, just something that suggests that it was carefully made out of passion and respect for such a dish that even beyond its history, still deserve it.

Another stellar of a dish was Pagliacci’s Osso Buco alla Milanese (Php 550). Collective moan that only a downright respectable dish could bring ensued among our group as each of us took a bite or two of this slow-cooked beef shank dish. Each ingredient held a distinct strong character of its own, but the combination steeled an old adage about unity in diversity. Savory in flavor and succulent in texture, the meat can be easily spotted as the protagonist, but it shared the same spotlight to the red wine and the tomato sauce it was cooked with. Don’t get me started on the marrow, time is rather limited, better to visit Pagliacci and experience it on your own, because trust me, it will be worth it.

Since Pagliacci have their own line of homemade gelato, there could not be any other great way to seal our dinner than to have a cup or two. We have tried several flavors but the one that I remember liking the most was the White Toblerone gelato just because it remained true to the flavor of one of my most well-loved chocolates.

Honestly, it came as a surprise to me that tucked at one corner of The Podium Mall, there is this no non-sense Italian restaurant that dishes out authentic Italian fares. I was impressed with the variety of dishes on their menu and even more so with its decent execution. Service was thoughtful and prices were reasonable. I still have not checked if the renovation did push through but nevertheless, I will definitely revisit to try some of the items on their menu.