The Many Ways to Enjoy Gelato at Casa Italia Cafe

Summer is already over here in the Philippines, but the thing is, regardless of the season, we just enjoy to eat iced treats. And I don't know if you can relate to this, but here at home, whenever one is down with the flu, that's when cravings for something cold and icy is strong.

Personally, I cannot eat a lot of any food product with cold milk and/or cream, but that hasn't fully stopped me from trying out different ice cream parlors and gelateria. My latest escapade was at Casa Italia Cafe, located at the lower ground floor of SM North EDSA (The Block).


Founded by Fox Hardegger, Casa Italia is a modern day interpretation of the traditional Italian bar serving wholesome menu of freshly made food, Italian beers and wine, and handcrafted premium gelato in a fast casual all-day dining setting. It originated from a gelato palour in 2010 (in Singapore), expanded into specialty coffee and comfort food place, and now has opened many branches in different countries, including two here in the Philippines. I still haven't visited the one in BGC, but the one closer to my place, I visited not too long ago.

They do offer a wide array of food choices, but this post is dedicated only to what they are most known for - the gelato. The savory food I tried at Casa Italia will be shared on a different post.



Even before you enter Casa Italia, it would be impossible not to be tempted to try out their gelato. Look at those colors! They have so many flavors to choose from, but all were churned out honestly with natural ingredients and produced absolutely free of artificial flavours, chemicals, colorants, or preservatives. Though "gelato" is the Italian word for "Ice Cream," it is generally lower in calories, fat, and sugar than traditional ice cream.


I was able to taste different flavors -

• Green Mango - Full of green mango goodness; it tasted like the real fruit, it made me crave for salt and bagoong alamang!
• Guyabano (in picture) - If I didn't know this was gelato, I would think it was real guyabano flesh smashed and refrigerated. It was that delicious!
• Ube - I was hoping it would taste like Ube Halaya, but it wasn't. Of all the flavors I tried, it was the most bland, but it could also be because I tasted it after I tasted several fruit gelati.
• Pineapple - Another very close to the real thing gelato, but this was a tad sweeter than the normal pineapple fruit.
• Choco Chili - I love that it tasted mainly of dark chocolate (very dark but very good), and the kick of chili could be felt once the gelato has melted in the mouth. 
• Roasted Rice - I understood that this is an acquired taste and at first I admit I didn't like it that much, but it kept me tasting and tasting it...until I am in love with it. If you want to try something different, I highly recommend this.

Actually, I recommend every flavor they have, but I would suggest you try something seasonal or something you don't see often, to make your gelato experience more memorable.

Casa Italia Cafe don't just offer plain gelato, they also offer different kinds of gelato-based treats:


Smoothies and Frappes

• Gelatoccino - Casa Italia's gelato and coffee in one delicious drink
• Gelato Frappe - Dairy based frappe mixed with gelato (of your choice)
• Gelato Slush - made with Casa Italia gelato sorbet
• Yogurt Smoothie - made with Casa Italia yogurt gelato

If you want any of these drinks, feel free to ask the staff for recommendation.


Gelatonini. The newest way to enjoy gelato! This one is pandolce (Italian sweet bread) panini sandwich with scoops of nutella gelato. The idea of this was taken from our everyday mamang sorbetero selling sorbetes in bread buns.

If you are into a mix of savory and sweet, they also have the Ham and Cheese Gelatonini. It's basically the same (in concept) as the one in picture, but for the filling, it has real ham and Formaggi Gelato (cream cheese and cheddar cheese flavors).


Sunny Daydream. A good-for sharing dessert, this one has an apple peach cobbler base topped with mango, melon, and raspberry gelato, as well as whipped cream, almond slivers, and Peppero sticks.


Midnight Surprise. Another good-for-sharing treat... this one has chocolate lava cake base topped with nutella, raspberry, and white chocolate gelato, as well as cookie bits, almond slivers, and Peppero sticks.


Liquoratto. A combination of gelato and liquor when you need a pick-me-up. On the left is Limoncello Liquoratto - a combination of raspberry gelato and a shot of Il Limone limoncello.  On the right is the White Velvet - a combination of white chocolate gelato and a shot of Amaretto. Actually, you may also opt for two shots of liquor, but for me, a shot will do. Between the two, I loved White Velvet more.

On the next post, I will share meals I tried at Casa Italia, but if this post made you want to try out their gelati, the shop is located at the ground floor of SM North EDSA (The Block), near the Hypermarket. For more details and future offerings, like their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/CasaItaliaPh

Celebrating my 36th at Microtel by Wyndham (Mall of Asia)

This year, I had no intentions of celebrating my birthday at all. I am grateful to turn another year older, yes... but at this point, I am more of being thankful than actually celebrating it, if you get what I mean. On the day of birthday, it was pretty much an ordinary day, but I gotta give it to my mom and sister for making it more special. My mom cooked Pansit Bihon and my sister brought home KFC and a small single serve slice of cake from Bread Talk.

I guess my sister truly is into not following requests as far as birthdays is concerned. For me, spending the day with the people dear to my heart would have been enough, but I was surprised to know my sister was cooking up a surprise. I would have never known about it if my sister had to ask me something about Agoda.

That's how I found out she was trying to book a room at Microtel by Wyndham - Mall of Asia. She asked me if I liked it, and instead of answering her, I asked if mom would agree to it. I was surprised when she told me she already talked to mom and brother. Ah huh... so I was the last one to know? Hahahaha. With the help of brother, sister was able to book hassle free.


I am not sure where sister got the idea of staying here, but I loved it instantly!


It was a little sad that only available rooms were those for smokers. We could definitely smell the cigarette smoke residue along the halls and inside the room, but it wasn't a big problem at all.

The room had two double-sized beds (as pictured), so of course mom and sister shared and I had the bed all for myself. Yipee! Since this is mainly a food blog, I decided not to share a picture of the bathroom and toilet anymore. It was nothing special, but fully functional. :)


They didn't have electric kettle, but they do have a steady supply of clean, drinking water and ice. Though guests had to get water and ice near the elevator, not having to buy bottles of water was a great relief.


The (zoomed) view from our room. So pretty!

Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria

I just realized that I have quite a lot of food trips that I still haven't shared here on the blog, so in order to catch up with the times, I will try to blog as much as I can.

Sister and I don't bring a lot of cash when we travel, basically because we don't have that much to burn anyway. Normally, whenever I travel north, I always have about three thousand to spend - including bus fares - no matter how long I am planning to stay on vacation. I am a very thrifty person and has already learned the many ways to stretch the budget, but there were times that I find myself spending mindlessly, and this food trip was a good example.


When sister and I once went to Baguio City, thinking where to eat was one of the toughest questions to be answered because there are just so many to choose from. However, since we were on a budget, we couldn't eat at the two places we had in mind - Cafe by the Ruins and PNKY. We decided to just go to SM City Baguio for our aunt also asked us to buy the latest issue of DiabetEASE Magazine, and it was there where we found a place to eat at. We knew there were Joey Pepperoni branches in Metro Manila, but because we still haven't tasted the food here, it was the best choice we could think of.


The place had a very spacious dining area, but because there were very few diners at that time, we decided to stay at the al fresco side, where some of the diners stayed at, maybe because of the natural cool breeze.

Amici Offers New Dishes in Celebration of Their 6th Year Anniversary

Amici is one of the restaurants in my foodie bucket list. For years, my sister and I have hoped of dining there, but we just couldn't find the chance to do so. Last week, I was finally able to fulfill a dining wish - when I was invited to taste the new dishes at their Venice Piazza branch.



Amici started as a humble canteen put up by Fr. Gianluigi Colombo, a Salesian Italian priest in charge of overseeing the operations of the Don Bosco Makati Printing Press. During lunch break, he noticed that employees had to leave the premises, so he put up a canteen serving Italian coffee and gelato, as well as wood-fired baked pizza and homemade pasta. In 2001, Amici di Don Bosco (meaning, "Friends of Don Bosco") was established as a business that also serves the dining needs of the students studying in Don Bosco. Word of mouth about the great tasting, authentic, and affordable Italian food spread, and soon people flock to the Hole-in-the-Wall store in Makati just to taste what Amici di Don Bosco has to offer.

In 2007, Danny Moran planned to open a business and thought about opening a gelato place. A meeting with the priests made him learn about Amici di Don Bosco, and a few meetings after, he took over the business, with the promise of partnering the food business with the Tuloy Foundation.

Today, Amici has eight establishments, one located at the Venice Piazza in McKinley Hill - Bonifacio Global City.



I love the homey ambiance of the restaurant! Decorations look posh, but I personally love the mis-matched chairs. To give the impression that the restaurant is an extension of our own home, the owners included framed pictures - which are their own personal pictures.

Amici is celebrating their sixth anniversary this week by offering ten new dishes - two of which I shared yesterday (please check my other post).


Mediterranean Blue Cheese and Walnut Salad
At first, I was apprehensive in trying this one. With ingredients having different flavors - bitter arugula leaves, tangy sweet grapes, sweet candied walnuts, and the blue cheese - I didn't know how the flavors would blend, but it did taste good! I loved how the flavors fight each other, and the red wine vinaigrette binding the ingredients together just made it such a unique salad.


Asian Chicken Salad
I did like the other salad, but if I have to make a choice between the two salad servings, I would choose this, maybe because I love that slightly tangy flavor in my salad. It was lip-smacking good, and the fried wonton strips provide more crunchy texture.


Prosciutto & Artichoke Cream Cheese Pizza Roll
Unlike the panniza, this one is already rolled and cut too pieces when served. The artichoke cream cuts the strong flavor of the prosciutto, while the reduced balsamic vinegar drizzled at the top provided an interesting kick in the flavors.


Prosciutto Portobello Pizza Roll
I wasn't able to taste this (wasn't served at our table), so I cannot make a comment about it, but this pizza roll contains prosciutto, portobello mushrooms, cream cheese, and arugula... served with roasted garlic dip.


Garlic Chorizo Spaghetti
I love oil based spaghetti, and the aglio olio has got to be my favorite! I was so happy when this was served, but I found it a little salty for my taste.


Penne Rosa & Bacon
A combination of pomodoro and bechamel sauces were enough to make this a winner for me. Adding bacon and mushroom to the mix, it was one of the nicest pasta dishes I have tasted.


Pork Marsala
Such a tasty dish - I loved that the pork was cut thinly and rolled with ham and cheese, making it easy to eat. The reduce marsala wine was a little overpowering, but I liked it.


Chicken Parmigiana
The chicken in the image looked dry, but in reality it was tender and juicy. The contrast between the crunchy breading and the juicy chicken meat combined with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce made this dish my overall favorite among the dishes I tasted.



Amici offers desserts, but to complete the Italian fare, we were served gelato! We were given three flavors to choose from - Sans Rival, Ferrero, and Pistachio, and we decided to get one of each so we could taste and compare. What I loved about their gelato was that it tasted the same as what the flavor was. Sure it was cold and had the ice cream feel in the mouth, but if you are to eat a Ferrero Rocher chocolate and have a taste of the Ferrero gelato after... you wouldn't taste the difference in the flavor.

Amici is all about celebrating good food and good friendships, as well as good family ties. If you fancy to eat some Italian cuisine, please do visit one of their eight branches - Don Bosco, Tomas Morato, SM Megamall, Greenhills, Alabang Town Center, Ayala Triangle Gardens, Venice Piazza, and UP Ayala Technohub.

Buy One Take One on Amici Pizzas on July 27!

Weekends are considered a day to spend with family and friends, that's why on Saturday - 27 July 2013, in celebration of Amici's anniversary, they are having a Buy 1 Take 1 offering. For every pizza ordered, you get a free pizza among Amici's bestsellers - Tutta Carne (Italian sausage, ham and pepperoni) or Margherita (mozzarella cheese and fresh basil).

Pizzas on Amici's menu:

• Sausage & Three-Cheese - Italian sausage, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, cheese sauce topped with roasted bell peppers
• Meat Ragu -  Amici's signature meaty Ragu sauce, pepperoni, provolone cheese, parmesan and mushrooms
• Walnut, Arugula & Parmesan -  walnuts, arugula, blue cheese and shaved parmesan
• Spinach and Chorizo Top-Crust Pizza -  spinach cream, horizo and mozzarella embedded in a rosemary herbed pizza crust
• Chorizo Portobello - chorizo, Italian sausage and portobello mushrooms 
• Sausage Pesto Pizza -  pesto sauce, Italian sausage, mushrooms and roasted garlic cloves
• Bacon & Cream Cheese -  crispy bacon bits, caramelized onions, mushrooms and cream cheese
• Quattro Verdure -  zucchini, eggplant, mixed bell peppers and broccoli 
• Capricciosa - ham, Italian sausage, black olives
• Napoletana -  anchovies and olives
• Al Quattro Formaggi - mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan and blue cheese
• Prosciutto e Funghi -  savory prosciutto with scrumptious mushrooms
• Quattro Stagioni - ham, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and black olives
• Frutti di Mare - squid, shrimp, mussels and clams
• Chorizo e Spinaci - Spanish chorizo and spinach in white sauce

If those choices are still not enough, Amici now has two pizzas on their menu:


Truffle Mushroom Pizza (430 pesos)
A luxe choice pizza with portobello, shiitake, and porcini mushrooms mixed with truffle oil, mozzarella cheese, and topped with arugula leaves.

Tomatoes, cheese, and mushroom sure go well together, and this one is a great alternative for people who would like to lessen their meat intake because the mushroom seems to give the taste and texture of meat. The arugula leaves provide a different flavor, but don't forget to drizzle a lot of hot sauce... this tastes better spicy!


Smoked Salmon Top-Crust Pizza (395 pesos)
An innovative pizza variety with smoked salmon, capers, black olives, tomatoes, bechamel sauce, and mozzarella cheese embedded in a crispy pizza crust.

At first glance, I exclaimed it looked like quesadilla, but unlike the quesadilla, this doesn't use tortilla bread, but two thin pizza crusts. Having two thin crusts sandwiching the fillings with intense flavors, this was a winner pizza in my books!

Amici's pizza crust is something I love. I always mention that I am not a big fan of thin crust pizzas, but this I liked because it is not oily and it has the chewy texture I prefer.

The Buy 1 Take 1 pizza offer on July 27th is available on all Amici branches - Don Bosco, Tomas Morato, SM Megamall, Greenhills, Alabang Town Center, Ayala Triangle Gardens, Venice Piazza, and UP Ayala Technohub - but can only be availed thru dine-in or take out transactions. Deliveries aren't included. Also, one can only avail of two pizzas (with two free pizzas) per transaction, so if you want to have more free pizzas, have separate transactions. :)

For updates and more details, please head on to the Amici Website and/or like their Facebook Page.