C' Italian Dining Experience

Long after I found out that C' Italian had opened a branch in Ortigas, I just sulked and dreamed on the time I could get my hands on those panizzas and enjoy them where they originated, in Clark, Pampanga.  I was a hopeful and God had answered my prayers.

And there I was at the place where it all started, but without the man who invented them.  However, I have come to know this incredible idea of  rolling a fairly thin crust pizza at Chef Chris' restaurant at My Kitchen in Paco, Manila.  With that thought, let me also tell you that there is a new restaurant with an endearing "scholarly" concept which also serves the same Chef Chris recipe of panizzas- Recess along Jupiter St., Makati.   

The place was simply elegant, white floors, paintings hanging on the walls, light green leathered seats, and wine cabinets some corners.

Every Italian course have to begin with a baguette to be dipped in a mixture of pesto, olive oil and parmesan.

Nina, all cheese and bacon, no herbs ( P 710)

And the pièce de résistance, the illustrious, panizzas.  Panizza is a portmanteau of panini and pizza.  Chef Chris Locher also known as the "panizza guy" happens to be the originator of this flat bread craze which other restaurants follow suit in the likes of Yellow Cab (Hello Darla Pizza) and Uncle Chefy. 

When you order one, what comes to your table is a 9 X 9 inch-square thin crust pizza, sliced into strips of about an inch and served with alfalfa sprouts and arugula.  The idea is to roll a strip of panizza with the alfalfa sprouts and arugula inside and eat it as if you would a spring roll.

Like this...

Stefano, parmesan garlic and rosemary (P 690)

 But however you eat, rolled or alone, without the micro-greens you still would get that slightly salty and crunchy strips of bread topped with whatever meat, veggies and cheeses of your choice.  Chef Chris have developed a few different varieties of it.

My blogger friends at the same table got stuffed with a few panizza rolls, then came the hearty bowl of Pumpkin and Carrot Soup (P 200).  It was delish, the creaminess, cheesy flavor infused in the coagulation of pureed boiled squash and carrots is a must to try here.

A complete Italian dining experience would not be downright without the pasta.  You can either try their Spaghetti Carbonara or the Spaghetti con Frutti de Mare.

Their Carbonara per se is not really how Italian make their Carbonara sauce.  C's use a parmesan cream sauce mixed with bacon, mushrooms and basil leaves.  I did not however tried it for I'm guessing it's the typical restaurant carbonara just that it has basils.

The seafood based sauce however was fantastic ("panalo talaga")!  Oh yes," frutti di mare" means seafood in English.  It has salmon, mahi-mahi prawns and mussels all soaked in tomato and herb-based sauce.  

The Honey Pork seemed a heavy slab of sliced meat drenched in some sweet sauce.  If you look closer though, the pork covers a whole bunch of blanched broccoli and polenta.  We initially thought it was a bland mash potato,  but it's polenta, though still bland.  The pork meat doesn't make a mark either so better sauce it up to give it some taste.

But then again, Italian cuisine isn't suppose to be flavorful, it has to taste natural and not overpoweringly salty or sweet, unlike our Filipino dishes, but nonetheless, everything has to be exemplary, specially in the taste.

For dessert? Hallelujah! The finality of this heavy binge eating has come to a sweet end with a lemony slice of heaven.  

A must-have should I say, when dining over at any C's branches is the Lemon Cheese Cake (P 230).  This is a baked lemon-flavored cheesecake, which is what I want in a cheesecake, with an almond crust, drizzled with lemon syrup and topped with a dollop of cream and almond slivers.  Every tarty fork-bite is a glorious treat for a dessert-maven like me.

C' Italian Dining

Address:   Pavillion 5, Berthaphil III Clark Center, 

                Jose Abad Santos Avenue, 

                Clark, Pampanga, Philippines