Amici (Amici de Don Bosco)

Almost every occasion my sisters, who are  working in Makati bring cakes and pastries coming from Amici. I thought it was franchised Italian restaurant. Usually when we would go out  or  on tour, if we couldn’t think of what to eat, we would look for Italian restaurants. For me with Italian foods, I will not go wrong.  Don’t get me wrong I love any different cuisines. It’s just when I couldn’t think of what to eat, I would prefer Italian food instead. My sisters told me that Amici serves authentic Italian food in an affordable prices or should I say a bit higher from the prices of the fast food. Like last Valentine my sister gave a box of Lemon bar. I liked the blend of sour and sweetness taste of it that I didn’t  notice I almost finished half of it in one sitting.   

Two weeks ago our nephew was going to celebrate his 20^th birthday, so we decided to dine in Amici. We went to its branch in Venice Piazza, Mc Kinley Hill Rd., Mc Kinely Hills, Taguig. As we waited for our food, I read their humble beginning, got amazed how this restaurant started as a cafeteria for the company workers of a printing press that eventually catered to the students then open its door to public. Read in here how this restaurant  got in the main stream of restaurants. It was first called as Amici de Don Bosco which means Friends of Don bosco.

We ordered the Amici Group Meal Famiglia, it composed of Margherita, Aglio Olio e Pepperoncino, Spaghetti alla Carbonara, Italian Sausage with 1 Pitcher of Iced Tea, Nocciola Blend, Choco Sans Rival and Pistaccio Almond Gelato Shake. Then we took out a whole of Caramella Premia for the birthday celebrant, who unfortunately missed the outing. LOL sorry for him.

For the most pop of all the food we ordered was the Pasta Aglio Olio e Pepperoncino. I loved the taste of the garlic and oil in the tender spaghetti noodles with ample  parmesan cheese and bits of anchovies. That made me look for a recipe on line to try it in our house.

The spaghetti alla Carbonara has creamy taste. Italian food is flavorful because of its huge amount of parmesan. That’s their secret to make their food tasty.

I am not into sausage except if it’s in a bread. Although in Amici it is served with steamed veggies that balance the taste of the meat so its fine.

Margherita Pizza was fine, mozzarella with fresh basil leaves. Love to eat pizza while hot.    

Choco Sans Rival is an ice cream cake, flavored chocolate ice cream with meringue wafer. And it was plated on a white plate with chocolate and jelly as decoration.

Nocciola Blend  a hazelnut ice cream  with chocolate flakes and cherry on top bedded on lady finger cookies. It’s part of the affogato selection. I was thinking the scoop of ice cream will be served with hot espresso like in other Italian restaurants but in Amici the espresso served was not.  For me this dessert  is overpriced. Much better to try dessert than this.

According to the waiter the best seller for gelato shake is the Pistachio Almond Gelato Shake. It has a taste of creamy and nutty shake. The tiny bits of the nuts make it flavorful.

Caramella Premia is a caramel flavored chiffon cake with cashew nuts and caramel icing. The cake and icing are both were smooth, heavenly spongy cake with nuts. We went home late because we watched a concert and this what the cake looked like, lol but the taste still the same.

Italian Food at its best in Amici.

Amici

Mc Kinly Rd.

Mc Kinley Hills, Taguig.

555-1000

Calea Pastries and Coffee "Sweet life in Bacolod City" - Bacolod City, Negros Occidental

  

On our second day in Bacolod City “the city of smile”, I noticed that when in this city it’s more on food trip. They have many restaurants and café, almost every corner you can find them. That’s why for me it should be the “city of sweet life”. It shouldn’t be the “city of smile” because most of the people that deal with the supposed to be “customer service” don’t usually smile. My hubby is more convinced that it’s the city of sweet life.    

After our dinner in Bob’s Restaurant we went to Calea pastries and coffee. It’s a pastry shop obviously. I heard about this pastry shop several times because my sisters studied in Iloilo and sometimes they went to Bacolod City. They tried Calea cakes several times. They said their cakes are superb, yummy, and creamy and so on and so forth. Actually on our first night we wanted to try it but it was already closed when we went there. On our second night we didn’t want to miss it.

It’s a cozy café with wide selections of cakes, pastries and cookies. There are pasalubong items in there too. I asked what the best seller for ice cream cake is, the stoned face waitress replied “mud pie”. Lol it’s really the city of frown este city of smile. I just told my hubby it was almost 10pm that’s why the waitress was super tired.

We ordered cappuccino, choco mud pie and mouse cake with chocolate and white chocolate.

Choco Mud pie, is an ice cream cake. The ice cream is extra soft and creamy, top with chocolate fudge, chocolate cookies powder and cashew flakes. It was a pop for me, because the chocolate and the cashew made the taste so good.  

Mouse cake with chocolate and white chocolate has a smooth and creamy texture. My sister’s favorite, she indulge herself even chocolate is not good for her.

It’s a must to visit Calea pastries and coffee because it’s the café that has no branch outside Bacolod City. A rare shop that can only be found only here in Bacolod City. 

Doors 1-4, Balay Quince Commercial Building.

Corner 15th Lacson Street, Bacolod City

(034)4358413