Ready to let loose the foodie wanderlust in you? We take you all around the world (and a hypothetical universe)—from whimsical Manila, sweet Japan, little Italy, to planet vegan. No need to brush up on your basic foreign languages, for the only one you’d have to speak is of hunger and curiosity. Rest assured that no matter where you go, digestive satisfaction is guaranteed.
Bellini’s Italian Restaurant
Not many people would leave behind the glitz and glamour lifestyle of a paparazzo in one of the world’s most beautiful countries to set up an Italian restaurant in Metro Manila. But Roberto Bellini did just that.
What spurred him to stow away his camera and don oven mitts was his affection for Filipina Maria Luisa while covering the EDSA revolution for his hometown’s newspaper. He then proposed that same day—paving the way to Bellini’s beginnings.
Bellini’s is Cubao Expo’s own parcel of everything that’s authentic Italian—hand-painted murals and miniature versions of Italy’s most precious landmarks. “If Michelangelo can [do] this, even I want to [do] it,” Roberto says, referring to his attempt at imitating the Renaissance artist’s famed ceiling paintings.
Boasting of having concocted 365 sauces, customers are treated to dishes always prepared fresh—complemented with warm bread sticks and an ample portion of sweet red wine to clear the palate. In between ravioli with tinapa and seafood pizza, Roberto applies his philosophy—making people feel truly at home.
“We think of what we can invent, what we can do for the people who do not want to find the same [menu] every day,” he smiles proudly.
Ten years in the business, Bellini’s remains one of Manila’s hidden culinary treasures. From the diverse Italian cuisine to servers who can speak Italian, each customer is in for an appetizing adventure, all thanks to a former paparazzo-turned-culinary celebrity and his bizarre dream.
Blissful Belly
Establishing its roots in 1973 in a little hole-in-a-wall in Cubao, Blissful Belly brings a haven for vegans to a corner in Katipunan. It has come a long way from being a mere idea of 15 college friends who wanted to transform the way we perceive food—the reign of vegan delights makes its imminent return.
In the true spirit of gastronomic adventure, Blissful Belly is a haven for every vegetarian, while not leaving out those who may want to feed their curiosity. With dishes like sisig, curry, estofado, and eggless cake made from organic materials—everything is absolutely meat-free.
Owner Dr. Omar Arabia, an integrative oncologist, says Blissful Belly caters to everyone. “We get all kinds of customers here—from bona fide vegetarians to occasional ones.” Make no mistake though, for what they lack in (meat) authenticity they make up for in taste and quality—and a dining experience that is anything but lackluster and uninspired.
Blissful Belly is not only a restaurant, but also a carefully calculated and medically-supervised facility. With Omar’s clinic just next door, it also exists as a sanctuary for his patients. “This is a way to support patients, more than anything else,” he says.
And for those who suffer from meatless phobia, Omar has spared some food for thought, pun intended. “It’s just not what we’re eating,” he says. “It’s also what’s eating us.”
Dezato Café
A different twist to Japanese desserts right in the heart of the metro rests on a café within a home along Hemady Street, New Manila. Dezato Café greets with its Zen-inspired ambiance—setting the mood with its linear architecture, Asian themed portraits on the walls, and the warmly-lit space perfect for chilly Christmas nights.
“Dezato means ‘dessert’ in Japanese.” Maria Gorre, owner and founder of Dezato Café, explains. To complete the equation, it is only fitting to have mochi, a traditional Japanese dessert, to be the primary specialty.
Behind the curiosity that one may encounter after first seeing a mochi lies a certain edge no dessert could confidently claim. Think of it as the common buchi, only with cocoa powder or crushed almonds, a soft texture of glutinous rice dough, and center filled with delectable chocolate.
But it doesn’t end there. “Why not mochi ice cream?” Jonalyn Belmonte, a staff of Dezato, says. Mochi ice cream comes in an array of flavors, wrapped in velvety mochi dough with exquisite chocolate sauce. By this time, patrons would be definitely on the verge of a saccharine nirvana.
While mochi takes the limelight, Dezato also provides a range of pastries. Not shying away from variety, their other products, especially their freshly baked banana cake, deliver without fail.
With its fairly priced, mouthwatering, and unique mochi creations, paired with excellent service and superb ambiance, Dezato has definitely the equation down pat.
Café Juanita
It’s hardly a surprise if you miss Café Juanita on the first go. An inconspicuous sign on a ramshackle structure, an almost-hidden door set far back from the street—but you’d be hard-pressed to find another place as quaint.
Swags of fabric sheathe the windows, glass lamps hang from the ceiling, and a giant Venetian mask dominates the back alcove—it’s every minimalist’s nightmare. When it comes to his café, Dr. Efren Vasquez designs it his way: a pastiche of trinkets and curios. “These were things I used to see when I was small, and I just appreciated them and dreamed they will be mine someday,” he says. “Each and every piece is my personal pick.”
Nothing in this bordello shack ideally goes together, but envisioning it another way would just not make sense. “It’s the place first that is different that people would like to see. Café Juanita will not be Café Juanita if the design is different.”
Try Pinoy Ratatoy, a play on ratatouille. The quirky names and scents might throw you off at first, but the food’s flavors pitch you back to familiarity. As with the café’s cuisine, Efren concocts the dishes with his personal philosophy. “The taste buds get used to a certain taste, and that’s what I don’t want to veer away from,” he says,though he does place a personal spin to his dishes. Crispy pata and bagoong, anyone?
Café Juanita remains decidedly, refreshingly original, and it’s improbable to leave with a bad taste. But what does Efren say that’s the ticket to a truly great meal? “Something soupy, saucy, something dry…”
