Pizza & pasta from a hot Mama
MANILA, Philippines - It seems like a simple place in a rather remote location. Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen turned a house into a sizable dining space, the ground floor, at least. You would never imagine anyone wandering here for a meal, but that’s exactly where I’m wrong.
On the night I visit, there is a big gathering of 10 in one table, four in another, and a couple in a more private space. Clearly, these people didn’t just happen to pass by.
Upon being seated, they bring you freshly baked bread, a bit of pesto, and some rustic tomato sauce. The menu is filled with a lot of traditional Italian food, but Mama Lou’s also adds a dash of other European offerings. For antipasti, there is the straightforward mozzarella sticks, mozzarella cheese breaded and fried, and served with pomodoro sauce. There are baked meatballs, carpaccio, and sausage as well, but there are also some poutine and escargot.
The pizza is where you will find love. Mama Lou’s bakes a wonderful Frutti Di Mare pizza. I say wonderful for you can smell the intoxicating aroma of seafood — prawns, squid, and mussels — as the pizza is being brought down to your table. Every slice is full of seafood, particularly succulent mussels that have been well-cooked while the crust has not been rolled too thick or thin but to perfection.
Another pizza worth a try is the Pizza Salsiccia. It is baked full of slices of garlic sausage with some onions and mushrooms. They serve every pizza order with a small plate of basil and alfalfa. You take a slice and put a few pieces of basil on top and a few sprigs of alfalfa. You roll the pizza with the greens tucked inside and you eat it like it’s nobody’s business.
Among the pastas, Mama Lou’s truffle mac and cheese shows an ingenious use of truffle oil. There is also the light spaghetti seafood olio, pasta with seafood and garlic sautéed in olive oil.
For dessert, ask them to warm the chocolate cake slightly before it is served to you so you can enjoy its gooeyness. There is also the blueberry cheesecake that will not fail. And then there’s the tiramisu that proves to be substantial. Next time, I may just try the apple pie.
Away from a lot of things, Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen has managed to turn itself into a dining destination with its hospitable warmth and good rustic food.
This Mama surely is hot!
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Mama Lou’s is located at B1 L36 Tropical Ave. corner Tropical Palace BF International, BF Homes, Las Piñas.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/mamalous.
E-mail the author at ravin.facts@yahoo.com.
