By Bien Tomas
Photos by Aien Branzuela and Ed Joseph Co
Photos by Aien Branzuela and Ed Joseph Co
Just like Intramuros, every restaurant
and food we eat have their own story to tell. Take it from Rafaelle Woodfired Pizza, a new food destination in the Walled City that opened in 2014.
Rafaelle was named after the Father of Modern Pizza, Raffaele Esposito. He created a pizza with toppings for Queen Margherita of Savoy – a combination of tomato, mozzarella and basil pizza that symbolizes the colors of the Italian flag. This pizza is known as Margherita pizza.
Unless you are a regular customer of the restaurant, you won’t know there is a hidden food haven within the walls of Intramuros on the third floor of The Bayleaf Hotel.
Rafaelle was named after the Father of Modern Pizza, Raffaele Esposito. He created a pizza with toppings for Queen Margherita of Savoy – a combination of tomato, mozzarella and basil pizza that symbolizes the colors of the Italian flag. This pizza is known as Margherita pizza.
Unless you are a regular customer of the restaurant, you won’t know there is a hidden food haven within the walls of Intramuros on the third floor of The Bayleaf Hotel.
Upon entering the restaurant, you are greeted by their very accommodating
staff. The interior of the Raffaele exudes class and style with its purple and
green color scheme. The glass wall of the restaurant gives its patrons a good
view of Intramuros’ eastern wall and what lies outside of it – the past and the
present in one place over food.
Headed by Executive Chef Jose Carlo Santiago, Raffaele imports authentic Italian ingredients while and combines them with locally available ones, introducing traditional Italian favorites with a modern spin on the process.
Headed by Executive Chef Jose Carlo Santiago, Raffaele imports authentic Italian ingredients while and combines them with locally available ones, introducing traditional Italian favorites with a modern spin on the process.
When we say Italian, pizza comes first on our list. Raffaele specializes in wood-fired pizzas cooked in a wood-fired oven imported from Modena, Italy.
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| Quattro |
I tried one of their best sellers, the Quattro Pizza, composed of four different cheeses: Gorgonzola, Provolone, Mozzarella and Parmesan. One thing I like about their pizza is that the dough is crispy and chewy at the same time.
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| Tartufo Funghi |
Personally, I am not really a fan of Truffles since it has that overpowering aroma that does not sit well with my taste buds. What I really like about Raffaele’s truffle pasta was that you can smell the aroma of the truffle but it does not overpower the overall taste of the pasta. Also, the serving size of the pasta is good for sharing so you wouldn’t have a problem with trying the other pasta dishes.
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| Gamberetti |
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| Uva Salad |
When it comes to the salad, we tried
the Uva Salad that is a combination of seedless grapes, roasted almonds,
ricotta candied walnuts and greens with vinaigrette. I love the balance of the
sweetness from the grapes and walnuts and the sourness from the vinaigrette.
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| Grilled Lamb Ribs |
Since it was my first time to eat lamb meat, I really didn’t know what to expect. Surprisingly, I liked the taste and the texture of the meat just after the first bite. The gamey taste was still there but reduced to a minimal level.
The secret to Raffaele's grilled lamb? Read it in our digital magazine issue here.
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| Tiramisu |
Although I am not entirely a fan of this kind of dessert, the sweetness from the chocolate and the bitterness of the espresso is just the perfect combination that I would miss.
Buon appetito!
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