Italian cuisine is both familiar and tricky. Restaurant owners who vie for a place in the Italian restaurant niche are in for a very compelling contender. Da Gianni Manila is a product of love, family, tradition and passion. It is the second branch put up by the Guidicelli family, the first one being Trattoria Da Gianni in their hometown of Cebu. Named after Gianni Guidicelli, Matteo Guidicelli's grandfather, or Nonno as he was lovingly called by his grandchildren, focused on providing homegrown Italian classics to his family, making sure his wife's recipes were enjoyed by their offsprings and even the next generation. Nonno loved movies, photos and has a penchant for collecting all types of beer and liquer that he enjoyed.
We were fortunate enough to meet Matteo himself, who showed passion in explaining the dishes.
He says his favorite was the Porcini Mushroom Risotto while Sarah's was the Gamberi Linguini.
For appetizers, we had the following:
Ā°Frittura Mista Di Mare
These were beer-battered and deep fried assorted seafood and vegetables. These were the perfect starters. Not too oily. Not sure what beer was used though.
Ā°Formaggio Tomini
This looks like a burrata wrapped in bacon. Upon closer inspection, and further education from the Italian guy himself, this was grilled Tomino cheese wrapped in prosciutto and served with arugula and cherry tomatoes. The tomino cheese used is imported from Italy. It has a slight pungency to it, tastes sweet and has nuances of mushrooms, which makes it a perfect pair to the prosciutto.
Ā°Wild Mushroom Puff
Enveloped in a soft puffed pastry, you can definitely taste the 2 kinds of mushrooms, with the minced onions cooked in cream sauce. I can't get enough of this!
Ā°Polpo Salad
Polpo in Italian means octopus. You get all kinds of freshness from this salad. There's grilled octopus, mango, potato, olived, red raddish, arugula drenched in a zesty lemon vinaigrette dressing.
Ā°Eggplant Salad
Another refreshing salad of grilled eggplant, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, cherry tomatoes and Burrata in balsamic dressing. Make sure to get a bit of everything, specially that delicate burrata.
Of course, if it's Italian, you have to taste their Pizza and Pasta. I lile that their pizza has a fairly thin crust, but it is filled to the brim with their prized toppings. The Ā°Quattro Formaggi really got me. It looks simple but is actually topped with 4 decadent cheeses and huge helpings of truffle paste. They don't scrimp on truffle here! And they use the real thing too! The Ā°Carnevale, on the other hand, is the meatier pizza. With pieces of Salami Milano, bacon, salsiccia, meatballs, prosciutto cotto, and angus striploin, you can'tgo wrong with this one! Have a protein-packed bite!
Their pasta dishes are of course on point. The Ā°Porcini Risotto is made from delicately cooked arborio risotto, perfect to the bite, is teeming with earthy porcini mushrooms. That lovely delicious taste of mushrooms linger in the mouth, and makes you want to take a few more bites. Matteo mentions this as one of his favorites.
The Ā°Gnocchi Ragu is a wonderful dish too. The homemade potato pasta comes with a filling meat sauce.
There was also a Ā°Papardelle with Truffle Cream. The homemade broad pasta noodles were served with black truffle cream sauce, again, the delicious smell of truffle and cream wafting in the air and making everyone hungry for more dishes.
A pasta dish that really caught my tastebuds was this Ā°Gamberi Linguini. Al dente Gragnnano pasta with garlic and shrimp is wonderfully punctuated with a hint of chili for that unexpected kick.
And you think the food stops here. No! Italians are known for their Secondi Piatti, mainly composed of the protein. And a delicious Ā°Porchetta, oven-baked pork belly seasoned with herbs and spices, is the first meaty dish from the Da Gianni menu that we get to try. This was followed by Ā°Grilled Tenderloin, proudly from the Bolzico beef fame! Organic, grass-fed and 21-day wet aged beef served with grilled vegetables. Definitely give me a medium well!
Lastly, some Ā°Slow-cooked Short Ribs that's been oven-cooked for
8 hours for that tender fall of the bone quality. This was served with mashed potatoes and carrots. Better with rice!
To polish off the meal, we were presented with several sweet options. This proved to be my undoing! Hahahaha
Ā°Tiramisu Espresso
Savoyardi ladyfingers, coffee, mascarpone cream, and cacao prepared at your table
Ā°Coppa Tri Cioccilati
Combination of silky dark, milk and white chocolate mousse with hazelnut crunch
Ā°Apple Crumble
Stewed apples, torched crumble and vanilla ice cream
Ā°Macedonia di Frutta
Seasonal fruits, mango cream, and merengue
The restaurant is indeed a fervent and compelling tribute to a beloved head of the family and to the equally beloved Italian family recipes. They provide a sort of upscale family dining experience. With the current price point, I kind of see this place as a special anniversary or date destination, or a sort of a treat for a promotion or celebration. The restaurant has a private room as well, which can be reserved for small private functions, meetings or dinners. The private room boasts of the family's mini Gianni museum, with a mural of the Guidicelli forefather looking a matinee idol himself. Several photos and memorabilias line the shelves and walls, giving you a glimpse of history for Matteo's family. It's like an open invitation to the Guidicelli home!
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes