Pizza Morena, Makati Philippines

Pizza Morena has been around since 2012, serving their humble pie at Salcedo Saturday Market and Legaspi Sunday Market.

Very foolishly, I have been ignoring this stall for over 2 years because I have often been disappointed by many a pizzeria around the metropolis.  

After a friend swore to me that their pizza was worth a try, I decided to give it a go. 

All their pizzas were 10 inches in diameter and they had half a dozen or so types of pizza available on that day.

Chorizo Pizza

I chose one of their most popular, their Chorizo Pizza,  this was a "bianca" or white pizza(no tomato sauce) but was so deliciously good I did not even realise it until I had finished the entire box. :) 

It comes topped with home-made chorizo, organic arugula, roasted bell peppers and lotsa mozza!

I am kicking myself for not having tried their pizza earlier.  

I will be back for more!


facebook : https://www.facebook.com/PizzaMorena?fref=ts

Balboa-Greenbelt 3 Makati, Philippines

This one is a puzzle for me...

I can't figure this restaurant out...

THE GOOD

The Porterhouse
I ordered the porterhouse medium-rare which was well cooked and well seasoned. But honestly this looks more like a t-bone… you be the judge. I would also like to have seen a bit more of the crust built up on the edges of the meat.

The truffle mac & cheese was really a non event, should have stuck with boring old mash potatoes which might have been more exciting.

On top of Spaghetti…

I read somewhere that all their pasta was made in-house, well this one came out of the box (not in a creative sense). 

The overall dish was good, the sauce has a perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. The meatballs were chunky yet melt in your mouth. 

THE NASTY

They have a problem with exhaust in the place, get ready to get smoked.

They have an even bigger problem with Air Conditioning so get ready to get slightly cooked. 



THE SKINNY...
So the question is would I return? Well it depends, if they don't sort out the NASTY then there are better places to eat. 

Which is really a shame because this place has good potential. Effort has been put into design, the food we sampled was acceptable, service is fair. But there is a glaring lack of attention to the details. I suspect this stems from a lack of a good restaurant concept i.e. it can't figure out if it is a Steakhouse, "ristorante", trattoria, or pizzeria.

...tutto fa brodo

Ginos' Brick Oven Pizza, Salcedo Village, Makati, Philippines

As good as it gets @ Gino's Brick Oven Pizza!

I have been hearing a lot of buzz about this place since they opened up their first branch in Katipunan, which was just a bit too far for me. So when they opened their branch in Salcedo Village, I finally was able to give it a try.

Not quite ready to be certified "Napoletana" but it's probably as good as it gets in the Philippines.  

So if you can forego the "Napoletana" certification and the words "Italian" on the logo, you will leave very satisfied and very full! 

Bear in mind that the list of requirements to  obtain  a trade mark “Verace Pizza Napoletana” (VPN) contains a list of rules 11 pages long! 

Pizzas were pretty good, they could do a bit more research on getting the crust just right. However you can tell they put a lot of effort to get the basics right. 

The Burrata is the BOMB!!!!

  

The Pizza Margherita -as good as it gets in the Philippines! 

SMEG Pizza -(Sausage, Mushrooms, Eggs, Gouda)- This was great! 

Homemade Burratta Caprese- This was the "BOMB"-don't leave with out trying this!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ginosbrickovenpizza