⌛ Italia Restaurant - Pizza construction Dumaguete

Like Robinsons Dumaguete good things will take a while.

Finally Iatalia - Restaurant has the building permit for their brick-oven. The construction is going on 24/7 ...

The brick-oven will be finished (according to chef Fabrizio) by the end of the week. Than it has to be fired for a day or so and than Rhoody will be there to test a free Pizza. :p

The pictires don't show the size of the oven, but it is huge, I would say it covers a 2,5 x 2,5 meter area. I had a look at the menu and can tell you that it will be a "must-try" ... I will write about my "test-pizza" as soon it hit my stormach...

cheers

Rhoody

 

Whilst in Duma for my first time I had the pleasure of meating with Frank, Ben, Bryan and several others at McDonalds. One evening we went to the Italia restraunt. Very good food and service. A must try.


Cheers,


Darren
Still in Cebu

 

... and growing... I almost can smell it...

Rhoody

 

We went to Italia two days ago and were surprised that the restaurant was almost empty as we could not find any space in 2 other restaurants before. The place has potential but for our stay now we will avoid it.
...and here is why:

• The strange colors from the Restaurant before are changed into white and dark red. Now it is sterile like in a surgery, has absolutely no ambiance. We were Italy several times and have warm inviting places in our memories, but maybe this is the new Italian style and I am sure other guests like it, for us a bit too cold.
• The food we ordered was OK, but not really outstanding.
• good cold-cut-platter
• Very good pasta-dishes, (but why does an Italian place has no Lasagna ??? do you need a lasagna-permit too ???)
• the beef-tenderloin is not chewable (other places in Dumaguete are able to prepare the local beef in an eatable way or they mention it and just don't serve it)
• The portions are way to small for that price, just to put a bit more than a mouthful on a plate does not qualify as a high-standard restaurant.
• If the big man with angry face and dirty cloth like a construction worker is the cook than there is a need of either new cloth or a new cook. He even acted like a construction worker. Came in, took a beer out of the fridge and walked out again, just past lunch-time.
• Very nice aware waitresses who seemed to be scared when the big man entered the restaurant. They had some problems to explain dishes but we guess it is because the place opened just recently, all in all one of the better services in Dumaguete restaurants.

Please don't get me wrong as it sounds very negative. If some serious adjustments are done it can be a great place. Maybe the Pizza will help and we really hope so because Dumaguete needs a good variety and Italia can be one of the top addresses. We will give it another try in 4 month when we come back for a few weeks and hopefully I can see it still open and improved. As of now there is not really a big difference to the Italian restaurant which was there before.

Maryfee

 

Lasagna

Hi Maryfee, i am Italian professional chef i work in manila 5 stars htl; i was in Dumagute many times during 2008 and i try a lot place, including Italia restaurant & Bar. What you mean outstanding food? As you say the cold cuts platters was good, the pasta very good. You are questioning because was not lasagne in the menu. Which lasagna you expect find? Just for you know we have more that 40 different type of lasagna, more that 3000 different recipes of pasta plate alone and more that 100 different shape of pasta, and you expect that all are in 1 menu? No sense. You know lasagna is typical home made plate if you like i can give you the address of the 100 top restaurant in Italy that not serve lasagna.
The big man that you talk is the executive chef. When i was there last time 2 week of July 2008 he was follow the construction of the pizza oven. Me to when i must have some job inside a 5 stars Htl. i put my construction clothes, because if you do not show to the workers what must do no one knows to build such oven. What you expect that after lunch times his wearing Chef uniform? Al the times i was there and he do not know i am a professional chef like him i see him always in chef uniform sometimes black or white. You say that was not difference between the previous restaurant before. You are the only has this opinion and you are free, but i assure you is big difference.
Best Regards
Angelo Luzzi

 

Hello Angelo,

to be honest, your post sounds that you are a friend of this guy or maybe you are the man.

You want to tell me that it is normal that you run beer-drinking through the restaurant in dirty cloth when guests are there. A executive chef under the influence of alcohol at 1:30 pm ??? shows real class... you also drink in your 5 star Hotel during your working duty ?
OK, might be real Italian professional style. You guys better make a flyer to explain Italian culture to guests. (drinking, angry, dirty)

I am a guest who pays a lot of money. I am NOT interested Why things are not working and why there is no oven and why the chef is drinking. If you are not ready, don't open !!!

I can assure you that we are NOT the only ones with this opinion. We are in Dumaguete now since almost 2 weeks and eating in restaurants at least once each day. We meet many people AND talk to them. The day we before we went to Italia we heard from the owner of a resort where we went snorkeling that that executive chef was talking to him while he was there, explaining how bad the food in other places is....
If this is also Italian professional style you guys should think about your attitude, the country you are in and adjust a little bit... This are the Philippines and NOT Italy.

So make a summary. A Italian restaurant without Lasagna, Pizza, but local beef, American black Angus and Norwegian Salmon... Yes, that sounds REAL Italian to me.

I repeat myself, the place has big potential but some serious adjustment need to be done. We will try it again in a few month when we return.


Maryfee

PS: I would like to accept your offer. Please send me the list with the addresses of the 100 Top Italian restaurants as a private mail here. I am always happy to try recommended places when traveling to foreign counties.

 

OK ladies and gentlemen, before it turns out into a bar-brawl, just take some deep breath and

RELAX​

reading both posts it is very clear that they both are over the top. I have been in Italia as many times since it is open as i have been in many other restaurants.

I don't see it bad like Maryfee. I had good dishes there, I like the staff, had some good chats with Fabrizio and can't wait until the brick-oven runs on 500 degree.

If I take out the "emotion" of Maryfee I can see that her critics are not that bad and using her words (just to make it in a different way for the always "high-blood-Italian-chefs :p ) I make the following summary:

A nice place with big potential and good location, great waitress-staff, basically good or very good dishes. Knowing it is a new place it takes a bit more time, that why they will return.

Missing a bit ambiance, chef or waitresses should communicate with guests when dishes are not available or not good quality (like the beef mentioned in her post).

The other things are personal and I can't judge if true or not.
I passed there yesterday evening quickly to make a construction site survey and it looks good. Below the pictures I took, sorry the chef is too Gwapo that my camera was irritated and could not focus. I still post it that you can see the dimension of the oven... only the chimney is missing

cheers and PEACE

Rhoody

 

Maryfee is just giving her impression and i like it the way she does.
Because she gives a lot of room for improvements of a potenialy good restaurant. Remember the first commenst to Casablanca ?
Also there was ventilated some disappointment by others, about the same as Maryfee did here.
The reaction from the Italian chef coock in Manila is a bit strange.
After Maryfee's comment I surely have not skipped Italia from my list.
Thanks Maryfee.

 

Chef, start firing the oven!
I am coming on Saturday and I am graving for a good Pizza yummy

 

Do you know where they bought the bricks?
K