Gotti's Ristorante

bruschetta (PHP145 excl. SC)

About the food:

Gotti's Ristorante is about more affordable italian food. This bruschetta appetizer is good for 4 people (one each).

siciliana (php230 excl sc)

shrimp arugula (php300 excl sc)



If there's only two of you or a bigger group, you can choose between a serving size of single and to share. Both pastas in the photos above tasted fine.

godfather pizza (php350 excl sc)

This pizza also was good enough to share but I hoped that it was served much hotter.


Where to buy:

Gotti's is located at The Atrium of SM Megamall.


Rating: 7.0/10

Considering there are a lot of italian restaurants abound, it is hard to give a rating. In terms of taste, Gotti's is average. In terms of value-for-money, I would give it a rating of above average.

US trip 2010 special last post: The Final Feast

About the food:

This will be my last blogpost about the food we ate during my vacation last year, after which, I'll resume blogging about local restaurants and dining places in the Philippines.

Going back, during our last day, we enjoyed italian deli sandwiches (see picture above)

We also had flame grilled mexican chicken that comes with pita bread

tacos that had three kinds of dip

a spicy authentic mexican dish

To end, you will never run out of good places to eat in the States.

If at some point, you do miss the food in the Philippines, there are certain places in California (or even other states) where you can find a Filipino supermarket that sells Philippine products (like instant noodles, canned goods, and other delicacies).

US trip 2010 special: Onami Seafood Buffet

About the food:

Its my US blogpost once more, and again its about a popular Japanese buffet, in particular Onami Seafood Buffet, in California.

They have fresh sashimi and makis..

and miso soup

They also have lobsters

and only in the States, King Crab legs. (just look at the length of those legs)

Further, you can have tempura and dumplings

clam soup

and best of all, dessert! They have authentic flavored green tea that doesnt taste sweet. 

US trip 2010 special: Sattui Winery

About the food:

Located near San Francisco, is the world famous Napa Valley, which I could also call the valley of wine and fresh grapes.  There we visited one of the more famous wineries, which is named Sattui.

The ambiance is simply beautiful. The building is a classic beauty and there's a picnic ground where customers can eat and drink, and celebrate.

Inside their store, there is a bunch of cheese hanging for sale and display.

There's also a wide variety of salads and pasta to choose from.

Their grape juice is  the best juice I've tasted ever. It's flavor was so strong it could have been wine, but it's not alcoholic:) We tasted the juice while having picnic lunch.

There, you can also purchase fresh and high quality red and black grapes. They're the best. 

US trip 2010 special: Cheesecake Factory and grilled steak at home

About the food:

Another popular restaurant in the States is The Cheesecake Factory, which as you guessed it, offers a variety of cheesecakes.  Their slices aren't that big and are quite pricey (around 8USD a slice), but they do taste good (and they come with a generous serving of whipped cream).

Now, instead of spending everytime on restaurants and buying cooked food at Costco, you can also cook your own food by buying fresh meat and seafood.

Steak comes better when served with wine..so see my next blogpost, which is about fresh grapes and wine.

US trip 2010 special: Chowder and Chocolate at San Francisco

About the food:

The next stop we went to was to see the Golden Gate at San Francisco. It was chilling there and my hands were freezing from the cold breeze. To warm things up, we looked for their clam chowder soups, that came in sourdough bread bowls.

There were two kinds of clam chowder soups, one is said to be the more authentic clams because it came directly from there and not imported.

Since we were in a hurry back then, we were only able to eat the soup and not the sourdough bread, which was good. The bread was a bit hard though and we only had plastic spoons and forks too. Perhaps we should have used our hands somewhat or gotten steel spoons and knives. 

For those who don't want soup, they also have fish and chips.

and after you've finished your meals, a lot of seagulls tend to join in the action and eat your leftovers.

Lastly, San Francisco is home to one of the more famous chocolate brands, Ghirardelli. One thing worth getting is the 86% dark chocolate bar. It's definitely healthier than milk chocolate.

US trip 2010 special: International House of Pancakes (IHOP)

About the food:

Looking for a place to have a real breakfast in the States? Then look for the IHOP sign (International House of Pancakes). The name may sound strange at first if you're not familiar with it, but once inside, you'll understand it's all about breakfast and pancakes.

For one, they have bacon and eggs (and egg substitutes).

Their specialty, the pancakes. They have several varieties of syrup too.

To add some vegetables to your morning meal, why not try an omelette.

Finally, they also serve toasts, served with bacon and eggs.

US trip 2010 special: Popeye's Chicken

About the food:

Popeye's Chicken attempted, in the past, to make a market in the Philippines, but sadly, it did not seem to prosper. But in the States, Popeye's is quite popular.

That's because, on certain day/s of every week, they have a real promo bargain, when it comes to chicken legs or wings. That is why, people there really await that day before buying their favorite Popeye's.