Learn and Dine at Gotti’s Ristorante

Do you know that most authentic Italian dishes only have four to eight ingredients? And that cheese and wine are the primary ingredients of their cuisine? I didn’t know about that not until last Saturday when we had our lunch at one of Italian restaurants inside the Mall of Asia Complex, Gotti’s Ristorante. Guess what else I’ve learned from this food trip, you better read more!

Before our 4 PM movie schedule for "The Maze Runner" last weekend with my sister (who just arrived from Mindanao after a year of vacation), we wander around the ground floor of South Wing in MOA to find an on-the-budget yet decent eatery where we can relax and chat for a while. Surrounded with local fast food chains is a small and pretty much secluded restaurant with classic Italian food choices i.e. Gotti’s Ristorante. And since we are avoiding the big crowd inside the mall, we gave this restaurant a try.

Caesar Salad

  
For our appetizer, we opted to order the Classic Italian Caesar Salad (PHP 160) consisting of lettuce and crouton tossed in Gotti’s homemade zesty dressing. It tasted okay but the vegetables seemed not refrigerated and I’m used to eat salad when it is served cold so it didn’t really hit the mark for me. Anyway, based on my research, Caesar salad was named after an Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini who operated restaurants in Mexico and United States. His daughter Rosa recounted that her father invented the dish when a Fourth of July 1924 rush depleted the kitchen’s supplies. However, a number of Cardini’s staff claimed that they were the one who invented the salad. (He said, she said)

Tuscan Steak

  
For the main course, we tried their Tuscan Steak (PHP 280) which is surprisingly served in a half-plate where the beef cuts are spread at the top of the rice. And as I tasted the dish, the steak lacks a little seasoning for my liking so I was not that impressed however my sister seemed to appreciate its sweet-smelling scent from the rosemary leaves and olive oil. They said in Italian style, simplicity rules the day so the typical Tuscan steak is just made of porterhouse steak, fresh rosemary, olive oil and salt.

Frutti di Mare

  

So far, the first two dishes were not looking good for us so we decided to order one more dish which we think could change our impression about their food. Thankfully, our last order of Frutti di Mare (PHP 210) kinda saved our day. For those who don't know, Fruitti di Mare in English means "Fruits of the Sea" hence, it's a linguine form of pasta normally served with mussels, shrimp and squid. The thing about this food is that it has an odd mixture of rich tomato and fresh seafood but surprisingly tasted good together. Also, looking at the recipe, this is a low-fat food that's perfect for anyone who's into healthy diet like me.

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Conclusion. If only we had focused more on the choices of pasta, we could probably have a better food experience at the restaurant. But taken as whole, it wasn't bad at all. The ambiance of the restaurant is cool despite of its minimal space. Also, I have to thank the crew who took care of us so warmly and served our orders the fastest way possible.  I love all Italian food but I just hope the restaurant will focus more on quality and food presentation.

"Arrivederci e ci torneremo di nuovo" 

(Goodbye and we will be back again)