My second time at Mama Lou's, UP Town Center Branch, was another exhilarating experience. We got a taste of their Italian house specialties ranging from their pizza up to their appetizers. The menu was highly extensive, with about 40 specialties in all.
I must say that with prices ranging from 200-600, the servings are adequate and good for sharing. Add to that the fact that the ingredients were of high quality. The other remarkable thing about this restaurant is the fact that the dishes were made with a homey feel. This means that the recipes were not too authentic Italian' but these were tailor made for a Filipino market that desires comfort food, Italian-style.
The complementary bread basket was the first thing that greeted us. It was a slab of freshly baked bread with pesto and tomato sauce spreads. I must say that it whetted my appetite.
The quaint interiors reminded one of a simple kitchen filled with the savory odor of Italian cooking.
The Tomato Cream soup was a thick helping of Tomato sauce with mozzarella cheese drizzle. This was best as a sauce for some of the house favorites rather than as soup itself. The sour and cheesy taste was quite filling.
The Mozzarella Sticks were deep fried to perfection. Every cheesy bite came with a helping of fresh tomato sauce. The interplay of sweet and sour flavors was accentuated by the cheesy filling of the sticks.
The Oriental Salad was reminiscent of the mixes of Asian restaurants. It was composed of lettuce, apples, mangoes, tangy vinaigrette, and garnish. The taste was a bit tangy and sweet. This was one of the few appetizers without a hint of cheese.
Escargot. I didn't try this out due to the dreaded contents. My colleagues liked it anyhow, though.
The Baked Italian Meatballs were quite small for meatballs, yet every bite had an explosion of hot ground beef and cheese sauce; plus a generous helping of mozza and tomato sauce were included in this delectable platter.
Insalata Caprose was a mix of cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and balsamic vingear. I loved this appetizer for its healthy and fresh appeal. Every bite of the cherry tomato was filled with that juicy goodness. The feta and balsamic vinegar added more touch to the juicy fruit.
Nachos were pretty typical and quite unexpected for an Italian restaurant. Nevertheless, I enjoyed every bite of it.
Risotto Pesto al Pollo was an overload of pesto with asparagus and chicken strips. Despite the small serving of chicken, the pesto was still the main attraction due to its mildly sweet and herb-y flavor.
The Mama Lou's was their flagship pizza dish. The crust was ultra thin and was already akin to a quesadilla. This was a good thing since the pizza was easy to bite and was not too filling. The ingredients such as a pepperoni, bell pepper, and the olives blended well into the thin crust.
The Tabarnes Pizza and the Spaghetti Seafood Olio were two other bestsellers, mainly for seafood lovers. The former was for fish lovers since it consisted of anchovies, alfalfa sprouts, black sauce, mozzarella and bell pepper. It was an excellent alternative to the all meat flavor of the Mama Lou's pizza.
The Spaghetti Seafood Olio, on the other hand, was the pasta version of their seafood lovers dish. It was composed of cherry tomatoes, sauteed anchovies, bayleef, and pasta with an olive oil drizzle. I loved its simple preparation and low-key presentation.
The Spinach Goat Cheese Pizza was another of their thin crust favorites. Every bite had the wonderful and quite pungent smell of goat cheese. The taste was pretty distinctive due to the aged nature of goat cheese. A few slices was all i needed to be satisfied.
The Strawberry Colada Cooler started off sweet with every sip, yet the overpowering cocount aftertaste was present. It would have been much more excellent if they lessened the coconut milk content. The strawberries, even if frozen, provided decent flavor to the drink.
The Marbled Rib Eye Steak and the Rollo di Pollo were two of their main course viands. The Marbled Rib eye was pretty tasty despite my inclination for medium rare steak. While it would have been better if it were medium well, I still appreciated the thin cut and the excellent marinade with the dish. Each serving comes with marbled potatoes and mixed vegetables.
The Rollo di Pollo was their own version of Cordon Bleu. The chicken, breading, and cheese filling were rolled into a sausage-like thickness. While it reminded me of high class chicken nuggets, I must say that the staff really made a good effort to create a tasty combination of sorts.
The Ravioli Spinaci was a meticulously crafted pasta dish that had a good helping of simmering tomato sauce, spinach paste, white cheese, and other herbs. This was their tastiest pasta to date due to the overflow of spinach and cheese from every nook and cranny of the ravioli. The thick sauce was enough to make the texture and presentation highly remarkable.
Mama Lou's serves a good number of homey Italian favorites. Their flavorful cooking has truly given me something to look forward to if I host family gatherings and other special events.
Mama Lou's is located at G/F UP Town Center, Katipunan Quezon City. The store hours are usually 11 am - 9 pm.
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