Upon entrance, I was welcomed by Steve Magdaraog, the managing partner of Il Ponticello. He offered me drinks and introduced me to his wife, Imy, and the executive chef, Panky Lopez whom I’m very pleased to meet. Then he told me a quick background about the restaurant. Since 1998, Il Ponticello (known to the locals here as “Ponti” for short) has been popularized as a dining and night out spot in Salcedo Village, Makati serving authentic Italian cuisine. Late last year, the restaurant business has been revived with Steve’s group taking over.
Well, it’s good to know that Ponti has kept its venue at the heart of the Makati business district where employees, yuppies, expats, students and travelers all come along after a busy and tiring day to take their load off and stuff themselves with great food and beverages.
I’m privileged to be invited here to taste the best of its revamped “modernized Italian” menu and experience its cool ambiance with the country’s most awesome bloggers I know, thanks to Boss Spanky. π
Review of Il Ponticello (Salcedo Village, Makati City)
Ambiance: β β β β β
The design of the room was done pretty neatly, with modern touches everywhere. Purple is my favorite color so the theme of the place got me fired up easily. Oh, the vibe can be contagious.
There’s a long comfy couch with pillows at one side, while the rest of the dining floor is filled with sturdy dining furniture.
Behind thick curtains, a private dining area (maybe a function hall for special events) is still ongoing construction, but we had a sneak peek and found that it also looked sleek and glamorous. In that regard,Β Il Ponticello gave the impression of a classy bar and restaurant, a good interpretation of a modern Italian joint.
Food: β β β β β
We had a superb meal which took about four hours, starting from the antipasti, followed by wonderful selections and variations of pasta, pizza, mains and desserts. So yes, it was a blast. π
Antipasti
We first feasted on the Portobello Alla Griglia (PhP 490) which essentially was a dish that screamed CHEESE and MUSHROOMS. There are appetizers and there are great appetizers. Obviously this one lands as the latter.Β Seeing how good it is (with grilled portobello, mozzarella di bufala, smoked ricotta, poached cherry tomatoes, and evoo) won’t make you dare skip.
A plate of mozarella bites pan fried in butter and balsamic reduction, the Mozzarella in Carrozza (PhP 290) (in English, “mozzarella in carriage”) was loaded with gooey cheese delight inside. Lightly fried, it tasted buttery and not too starchy.
Pasta
The Lasagna Carbonara (PhP 420) is a combination of two favorites in one. A staple on Il Ponticello’s pasta menu, this creamy delight was made with homemade lasagna, mozzarella cream, pancetta tesa strips and grana padano. For a rather wild and creative change, this pasta was topped with egg yolk that can be popped and mixed. Result was a more flavorful lasagna carbonara that’s almost out-of-the-world delicious.
Another legendary pasta dish from Il Ponticello was the Crema di Tartufo (PhP 450), which featured a serious love affair of truffle and mushrooms, pappardelle, cream, truffle paste, truffle oil and porcini mushrooms. The powerful aroma of truffle and mushrooms had me licking my lips and the sight of the rich pasta had me drooling. π― I’d remember Crema de Tartufo as one of my favorites! It was perfect.
The tomato-based Gnocchi Amatriciana (PhP 390) tasted simple and straightforward. It consisted of homemade potato and semolina gnocchi, thick cut panceta and grana padano cheese. The cute bite-sized pillows of gnocchi were soft and each had a delicate kick of spice. You also can’t go wrong with this on your table.
Pizza
Can you believe that Rotolo (PhP 480) falls under the category of “pizza”? I couldn’t. I’ve always known pizza as an oven-baked flat bread that usually goes into the shape of a circle, rectangle or even square and oval in some pizzerias or pizza restaurants. So I was struck upon learning that there exists a rolled pizza stuffed with mortadella, ricotta cheese, tomato cream sauce topped with dollops of pesto and it’s called Rotolo. π Yeah, you may call me ignorant for that matter! But hey, it’s great to learn something newβand sharing it, right? I’m in love with the pesto on top. β₯
If you are a fan of ham and cheese, the Pizza Valdostana (PhP 520) is the pizza that must be kept at the table for the entirety of your meal. It’s composed of parma ham, gorgonzola cream, mozarella and baby aragula. This pizza was lovely, with the ham so thick and the cheese not stingy. High fives all around.
Deliciously delicate misto of tartufo and fresh mushrooms, mushroom cream sauce, mozzarella cheese and truffle oilβmix everything and you get the Pizza Tartufo (PhP 520). The truffle oil in Tartufo smelled divine and played a major role in whetting my appetite. Oh, if I could, I would have unhinged my jaw like a snake to take more slices of this pizza all at once (but we know I can’t do that, haha).
Main
The Chilean Seabass in Bottiglia (PhP 1400) was served with pan roasted Chilean seabass, prawn broth, mussels, clams, Napoletana Piccante sausage, finished and served in a mason jar. With crispy skin, the seabass had a little fishy taste but I appreciated that the texture was firm, silky and overall pleasant. The fish’s flesh was moist and as it was swimming in the sauce, the flavor bursts through in each bite.
in the jar…
Ponti’s Presto was for me one of the most visually stimulating dish probably because of my love for prawns (with shells already cracked open ready for eating). π Together in one plate, the grilled prawns, cherry tomatoes, fried basil, garlic confit and trofie pesto worked nicely. The grilled prawns were plump, butterflied and cooked to perfection.
The porchetta appeared to me as “bread” from afar. Funny I only realized it’s not the moment it’s chopped before our eyes. The Signature Porchetta alla Romana (PhP 390 for solo – 2 Thick Slices Porchetta Carving, Pilaf Rice, Pommery Mustard Sauce; PhP 1200 for whole – 1 Kg Whole Roast Carving and Pommery Mustard Sauce) is slow-roasted pork belly seasoned with fennel and garlic served with pommery mustard sauce.
If you’re planning to dine in at Il Ponticello, it’s absolutely mandatory that you try this traditional Italian dish. The porchetta was so tender and moist, with skin beautifully crispy. It was so yummy that I didn’t mind eating pork this time. π
Last (but not the least) we sampled on the mains category was the Flat Iron Steak (PhP 590)βUSDA choice flat iron steak with garlic mashed potatoes and summer salad. Everyone tried this, and everyone approved! The beef was super tender and packed with flavor. I found myself nodding and smiling. I’m sure my mom would like this at lot, too.
Desserts
No matter how full we were, we still we gotta have some room for desserts. First on the lineup was what dreams are made of: Tiramisu (PhP 290)βsavoiardi, zabaglione, amaretto, ristretto and cocoa powder. Decadent, fluffy, creamy and chocolate-y, this tiramisu was the best I had in this lifetime. It had just the right amount of sweet, so it’s easy to be tempted to stab a fork and eat the cake down to the last bite. The cake was accompanied by a Nutellino, which basically consisted of nutella and vodka. Talk about power shots. Wow! π
The Caramello di Semolina (PhP 290), made with white bread, semolina, cream, butter, eggs, caramel and ice cream, was also good but it wasn’t to my particular liking.
One thing that can’t be missed at Il Ponticello is their Cannoli (PhP 290). This mini taco-looking pastry was made with crispy cinnamon pastry shell stuffed with ricotta cream, dark chocolate morsels, nuts, powdered sugar. I liked that it produced a good crunch sound effect and the filling had a gentle flavor.
Wiggling sexy, the Cheesecake Panna Cotta (PhP 290) offered an elegant tang with cheesecake crumble and caramel sauce. Its crumbly smoothness can’t be beaten. The taste was just clean and simple, one that won’t push you deliriously over the edge of a food coma.
More jiggly and creamier than the cheesecake panna cotta, the Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta with Salted Caramel served with chocolate soil, caramel cream and sea salt was melt-in-your-mouth heaven. It contained 72% dark chocolate and with the salty sweet combo, this had a life span of not more than a minute on our table. So good!
We’re already zombies (death by the chocolate goodness) but the Budino Al Cioccolato (PhP 390) was calling out and begging to be eaten, so it wasΒ devoured in silence. We’ve just run out for words. A touch warm, the chocolate lava pudding was moist and the richness was intensified. It’s presented with vanilla cream, amarena cherries and caramel sauce and it’s hardly possible to resist.
Price for Value: β β β β β
Sure, Il Ponticello is generally expensive, but food prices are reasonable for the quality and ingenuity. Spending a little more for food that you can thoroughly enjoy is okay once in a while. If you can’t handle paying out alone, having a complete and satisfying meal here will be manageable if you go with a bigger group and order plenty of food to share so you can also share the bill. π
Note: The grand opening will be on this Friday, October 24, 2014, so watch out!
Operating hours:
Lunch: Monday – Friday 11:30AM – 2:00PM
Dinner: Monday – Thursday 6:00pm-12:00AM and Friday and Saturday 6:00pm-2:00AM
Dress Code:
Smart Casual (No slippers and shorts)
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
OMG Roch! ang bilis mo mag post!!! Definitely, the food they serve are on the expensive side but, the quality and taste is top notch. ^_^ and since this is Makati.. what do you expect diba? .. it is better to go here with a bigger group so that you’ll be able to taste more dishes without killing your wallet and you get to enjoy making fun of each other when you get food coma hahahahahah ^_^ see next time roch hehehe
Haha I’m just too excited to share what we had! I super enjoyed this looong lunch. Everything was delicious and worth going back for. Yeah, it’s quite normal to see that prices are high because rental fee in a prime location should be considered. It’s sad naman to go alone. So better talaga to go with a group. π See you!
Woah! Ang daming dishes =) The family has tried this 2 years back. We enjoyed our dining experience but found it too pricey to visit frequently. We only tried it twice and haven’t tried as much as you did haha.
Hi Stacy! Il Ponticello is completely new, very different from what you might have tried 2 years ago. Chef Panky Lopez created a menu with his fresh take on Italian classics. I hope you and your family give us a try one of these days. See you soon at the new Ponti π
Yup, super dami. Almost half na yata ng menu natry namin hehe. I would have never known about this place if not for the invite, because it’s like hidden in a building in Valero area. There’s a sign outside but still it’s hard to catch. Anyway, I hope that the help of marketing and online posts such as this will help more people become aware of such a fine Italian restaurant in Antel Corporate Center. π
As an Italian girl, cannoli is one of my favorite desserts. Looks like you ate real good there π
Oh wow. It was my first time to taste cannoli and it was an amazing and yummy experience. π
It looks like you had an amazing meal. It is so interesting that the Rotolo qualifies in the pizza category!
Yup, the rotolo is unique to the max being pizza dough rolls which tasted phenomenal. π
Everything about this place looks amazing! My choices would be the shrimp and Crema di Tartufo I especially love the chairs. Your reviews always leave me wanting to visit the eatery.
Thanks, Kay! I really appreciate your comment as I always want my readers to feel that way, haha. Those are great choices. π For sure, you’ll love them.
Wow,those dishes are looking so great and delicious actually.Your post making me real hungry.
Hehe. The food and drinks are worth the money. Great overall experience here! π
That food looks delicious and made me super hungry! Lol
You have to try them! π This is such a fun place with very friendly staff.
This is walking distance from my office. I’ll try this out. The next time you are in Salcedo, let me know, I want you to try one eating place.
Il Ponticello is an ideal place to grab dinner or a cozy stop as a group dining/drinking spot. Make reservations in advance to shorten your wait time.
Ohh okay, I wonder where’s that. π
Gino’s Brick Oven.
The food looks amzaing.. but i will keep going back to that bar! wow it looks so cool!
Yeah, with the many bottles of liquors behind on the bar area, you may feel pretty excited to try the drinks at Ponti. π They also serve wine here. I tried the Chardonnay and really liked it!
I love the grey brick on the walls! The food looks amazing!
This is a seriously great place to impress a date, or if your parents come to the city and you want to get a delicious meal for them. π
Wowwww so much food (i am aware that you’re not eating this by yourself, of course haha)! I love Italian food, everything look so tempting! Love the ambiance too, seems like a really nice place for a meal!
Haha yeah I can’t eat everything by myself! We were like over 30 people on the event so we got to taste a little bit of the dishes presented. π Il Ponticello is really one of the best restaurants I’ve tried so far!
First of all, nice restaurant name. I’ll start calling it Ponti too. π Haven’t been there but I’d like to visit them because of your great review. π
Thanks, Jo! π Yes, give Ponti a try! The atmosphere here is really cool almost like a speakeasy, with low lighting and a great trendy-yet-retro, relaxed-yet-sophisticated vibe.
What a great place. The atmosphere is really chic, and the food looks amazing.
This place has personality, with tons of interesting options to choose from for food and drinks. π
What an exquisite place! The decor is amazing, I could almost taste the food through the screen! Feeling the need to go there! Thanks so much for the post!
Haha, you’re welcome, Danielle! I really hope that this post will guide you through choosing which food to get (or maybe order all). π
I love the brick wall! I actually havent seen this place in Valero, medyo di ata pansinin ang resto.
Yeah me too! Kasi it’s on the second level of the Antel building.
Sounds like a great restaurant to try. I love the dΓ©cor and all the food looks fantastic.
My advice is for you to make prior reservations to be seated immediately, if you plan to eat at Il Ponticello. Every dish is a standout. π
This eatery not only has great decor, but the food looks great! I love a good restaurant!
One makes money knowing the business. Period. The team of Steve surely knows how to run it. π
I imagine this is what heaven looks like. The atmosphere has a modern flair, and the food looks absolutely amazing. Love it.
It gets pretty packed if you go on the weekend at night. I forgot to mention that their drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) are also great. π
I like the ambiance this place offers. The private lounge looks great. Lasagna looks mouth watering.
You absolutely have to try their version of the lasagna. It’s like fancy comfort food that leaves you feeling full and warm.
Oh wow, this looks amazing!! Delicious food and wonderful dΓ©cor. What camera do you use out of interest? Your photographs look incredible.
Thanks, Ellie! I use Nikon d3100 50mm f/1.8g for the food and the kit lens 18-55mm for the ambiance. π
Looks like a nice restaurant. Food looks great too!
You’ll love it here. π The experience will be consistently great, no matter when you go or where you sit.
Wow!!! That looks like such a beautiful restaurant. I would love to try it.
It will be great if you personally come here to view the compelling atmosphere and decor. For sure you will enjoy the multi-level design and lighting as much as we did. π It felt warm and mysterious, especially when lights are dimmed rather dramatically.
Il Ponticello is like a trattoria, and the food is to die for!
Oh you bet. π This place is really one of the best restaurants in Makati!
You guys have to try the lasagna carbonara in Il Ponticello. It’s awesome!
It’s very unique with the egg on top. π
All of this food looks absolutely delicious! I would love to try it.
The tastes of the food will want you to always be excited to visit this place over and over again. π
Oh my goodness I am so hungry now! looks delicious!
I’d love to eat here every week if I could afford it. I didn’t mention on the review post but the staff is amazing and only surpassed by the incredible food. Yum!
what a feast! Your photography is amazing and everything looks so delicious. I want to make a reservation pronto!
Haha, thanks, Lori! π Really appreciated your comment on my photography.
This is my kind of restaurant! Thanks for wiritng such an indepth review!
You’re welcome, Jon! Their cohesive menu (full of foreign/complex names to my understanding) may make you hard to choose which to order. With the featured dishes on this review, feel free to make a decision before you come — or ask the staff at Ponti for best recommendations once you’re there. π
The food looks amazing. Great photos!
Thanks, Michelle! The food are big stars! The chef has done an amazing job on the menu.
Looks like a pretty fantastic place. I want to go.
Ponti is a little heavy on the price but it’s totally worth it. Come here if you have the chance, Laura. It’s a fun spot to come with friends and surely never disappoints. π
I’ve never tried Italian foods.. (or maybe I just don’t know i’ve eaten one). Looking at your pictures, I like the ambiance of the place. I love mushrooms. ^_^ Pizza Tartufo looks very delicious.
I’ve never tried most of the Italian food served here before in other establishments. This is a good first-time encounter of eating these delicious dishes. I’d have them benchmarked for my taste as a standard. π Yes, the Pizza Tartufo was very delicious!
This looks like an amazing restaurant indeed. I love Italian food. Might be that I come from an Italian family.The food looks amazing and I have never known pizza like that either.
Try the rotolo if you see it on the menu of restaurants in your area. π Ponti may be pricey but it’s definitely a cool place to take people.
Once again, another fabulous looking place you’ve brogutht to my attention. I so want to travel there. I really like that beehive look to their bar. Thanks for sharing this!
Once you’ve experienced dining at Ponti, there’s a fat chance that this will be one of your favorite spots in Makati just for the ambiance of the bar. π
Those pastas look incredible…and I have been to Italy, but you had me wanting to jump on a plane for the dark chocolate salted caramel dessert – yes please!
The desserts here are a must-try. Yes, all of them! Sure, come to the Philippines and enjoy many of our restaurants not only those serving authentic Filipino cuisine but everything. π
It looks like a great place to celebrate a special event. Each dish was presented beautifully.
The aroma of the food made us salivate more. π
The place looks so high-class.. and I bet the food taste so good with the prices they have.
Right. This is a good restaurant/bar that can be saved for momentous occasions. You deserve to celebrate a nice life milestone here. Cheers! π
That menu looks amazing. The seats actually look comfy, too. You don’t often see that in restaurants where I live.
Ohh, Il Ponticello is a perfect place for you to chill after a long day of work. Yup, sitting on the sofa with the pillows behind your back will make you extra comfortable. π
Parang torture naman saken going through your post… I’m feeling regretful that I wasn’t able to come and try all these food! When I’m better na, will definitely go here! π
Hehe I’ve read your post about eczema this morning. Glad to hear that your skin has improved na a lot so we can see each other soon in food events. π Take care, Sumi!
All this food looks amazing! I am now starving! Hopefully someday I will be able to visit this place.
Yes, everything looked lovely here. Be sure to go with your friends! π
I do not know what is more stunning the place or the food. I have to get here someday.
Both are.. π especially now when I’m sure even the other side of the room is fully renovated and redesigned.
All numbers posted in the website are unattended, and cannot be reach. Anyone can give contact so I can call for reservation. Im just on rush on looking restaurant for dinner.
Thanks,
I checked their Facebook About page and the numbers are the same. Maybe they are closed right now so no one is answering the phone. Open hours are 11:30AM to 2:30PM, 6:00PM to 12:00AM.
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this
blog. I really hope to check out the same high-grade content by you later
on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has inspired
me to get my very own blog now π