Coming from long hours of picture-taking under the scorching heat of the sun around Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, we quickly recognized the value of a fine meal as we enthusiastically embraced this “splurge meal” atΒ La Bella Teodoro. To get the most out of the experience, you should grab a seat in front of the wood-burning oven and watch the experts work. π
Review of La Bella Teodoro Italian Restaurant (Bagac, Bataan)
Ambiance: β β β β β
Upon entrance, I thought La Bella Teodoro is not an ordinary Italian restaurant. More than “sightseeing” with our taste buds, we also had sightseeing to do with our very eyes. The ambiance here was beyond elegant. Stoned walls, high ceilings, gigantic chandeliers, artsy paintings, quirky displays and everything else in between made a cut to a superb rating for this portion of my review.
La Bella Teodoro has been operating for three years now and it does so with the understanding that good food is only part of that formula for success. While waiting for courses to be served, guests can go around the dining room to look at vintage items on display.
Wonder what those are in the picture below? Strips of pastas, in rainbow colors. π In La Bella Teodoro, everything that can be made in-house is made in-house. I respect the skill involved in hand-making and cooking pastas whose calorie count is best left unknown. I interpret it as a reflection of a high level of care and attention to detail that come through in their food.
Service: β β β β β
There’s a special charm that La Bella Teodoro exudes and I guess it comes mostly from customer service, which was professional and attentive, warm but not overly familiar. I must say that every staff we met in Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar was hospitable and kind. If I lived in the neighborhood and wanted to be treated like a dinner guest, this is where I’d go.
Food: β β β β β
First up, three types of bread. I liked that big one there in the middle most for its crisp crust enclosing a slightly moist, chewy and aromatic crumb with an amazing hole structure. For me, it achieved the ultimate bread accolade. It’s so good that you don’t need to eat anything with it. But of course, I had to try it when dipped with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The taste and aroma were enhanced and pretty much, I was satisfied completely. Good bites for appetizer.
The Salciccia Pizza (PHp 460) was good. Nicely seasoned, each slice of this thin-crust pizza was generously sprinkled with different types of sausages that well represented the flavor. Amount of cheese and tomato sauce was just enough. Did the fat, meat, cheese and tomato intermingle gloriously? Yes, quite. The highlight of this dish was really the sausages laid on in heavy chunks with a kick of spiciness. This pizza can provide ample assurance that this restaurant curates their food seriously.
All you need to know about the Penne Arrabiata (PHp 305) is that it’s simply penne flavored with spicy tomato sauce. I was finding the red pepper flakes that made the pasta so hot but couldn’t see them. The ringing heat became tolerable, after I drank a glass of water. This goes to say that if you are anyhow timid with spice, the Penne Arrabiata will make you angry! π
The creaminess, richness and elegance of your ideal risotto can all be found in La Bella Teodoro’s Risotto Di Acuzar (PHp 305). It’s cooked with Arborio rice, white wine and Parmesan cheese. The flavor of the rice was subtle, and I think pairing it with wild mushrooms and buttered broccoli would be best. π
Another risotto we tried was the Risotto Di Mare (PHp 465), which was cooked with Arborio rice, mixed seafood and tomatoes. The tomato sauce overpowered the taste of seafood sharply, and its sourness was so pleasantly toothsome it practically bites back.
Price for Value: β β β ββ
This Italian meal almost cost a fortune; dishes are overpriced, but that’s somehow understandable as we were in a tourist-packed background. If only food were allowed to be brought in, we would have packed food for our meals. However, because of the strict rule of the resort and the limited dining options, we had no other choice but to dine in at Las Casas’ restaurants.
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
waah medyo mahal nga! nagbabalak pa naman ako dalhin mga bata sa Las Casas (thank goodness for deal sites haha)..parang nagdadalawang isip na ako eh haha
OK yung accommodation and the tour but food prices are expensive so expect to pay up as you can’t bring food inside. π
kaya nga nag dadalawang isip ako π with 4 kids na laging gutom, good luck sa budget! hihi
Hihi. If you want to go food tripping in Bataan, go here only if you have the budget. π
The place looks really neat and has a good ambiance. I’ll try to eat here the next I visit our plant site in Bataan.
Which plant site? When we went to Bataan, dapat part of our itinerary was to visit the Nuclear Plant however we weren’t able to seek permission to enter.
It’s Universal Weavers. It’s very near the powerplant. It’s for weaving linens and apparels.
I see. There has not been a lot of articles written about it, noh? I have searched via Google and did not find any review or feature about the place.
So this is the resto you were talking about from your previous post… the place looks perfect but yeah, the food is expensive.
Yup! Anyway, it was good to try their food naman. π
Quite pricey, but I love the ambiance! I love your food photos… made me hungry! π
Haha price is the usual “hate factor” of customers in this restaurant. Anyway, they’re good.
i’ll keep this bistro in mind when we have the chance to visit the place, though it’s a bit pricey i want to have a taste of their risotto π
I think you’ll like their risotto. It does not flow like lava if you tilt the plate, but you can spoon it and the “saucy” rice slowly spreads out until it forms a perfectly level disk. What’s good is it’s not super sticky.
omg i love risotto and pasta/pizza! those foods looks yummy and tempting!
Their pizzas may just be the best things on the menu so never leave this restaurant without ordering at least one flavor of pizza. π
Sa mga featured food I’m interested with Risotto Di Acuzar. I agree na medyo mahal ang price. Pero ganyan talaga sa mga fine dining.
Pero maganda yung set up ng restaurant ha.
Good review!
Yeah the rice was wonderfully tender and perfectly cooked on a hot plate. Thanks, Carlo. π
It looks yummy though, yeah I guess they are very expensive however I am sure it is worth the price. Maybe during birthdays this is a click especially when you just want to treat friends for a very warm classy restaurant.
Any celebration will do just fine. π They serve the kind of food that is just good enough that you wish the chef would make that final push to take it to brilliant.
If not for the price, I will be trying this as soon as possible but well its nice to indulge once in a while.
If you’re in the city, a lot of Italian restaurants are better so you don’t need to go far. It’s just that when you’re in Bataan and craving for some decent Italian dishes then you know where to find them. π
I love Penne and pizza! The foods are expensive but dining with an ambiance like that (classic), I think it’s worth the price.
Yeah considering the ambiance with inviting and unpretentious charm and the cooking done, the price here may just be worthy.
Wow so impressive! I like the curving something on the roof plus their beautiful chandeliers.
This place delivered with class and old school flavor. The architecture gave my experience the magic I was looking for at an existential moment in time.
What an Italian splurge meal you ordered. They seem to be rich in carbo. Aren’t they? Some of Italian foods I like is spag.
Yes they are all carbs! That’s why we had to walk for a while before going to sleep that night. Aside from walking, I did more strenuous exercises like squats, push ups, power jacks, and finally stretching to cool down. π
The atmosphere made it that much easier to cherish the food here – all soulful and delicious but not a great bargain. π
the place looks nice. Nagutom ako sa mga pictures mo π
Yup it’s really nice and cozy pa. I could not find where the air conditioner is, but the environment was cool. Maybe it was the screened windows that let air in.
Waaa! Medyo pricey nga siya balak ko pa naman pumunta dyan for a vacation since taga-Bataan yung relatives ko sa side ng mother ko, haha. Hanap na lang ako ng iba.
Anyway, okay naman ba yung lasa ng food nila? Like, what will you recommend us ordering in case maisipan namin na pumunta.
Ack. I’m not sure if I have deleted the pictures of the menu already. Without a copy, I can still most definitely recommend you to try their pizzas. Any pizza flavor would do. Then ask for the best selling pastas that would best suit your taste. π
This is the restaurant featured in Kris TV with super delish pizza.
Wow I did not know that. I’ll check online if there are uploaded videos of previous episodes. π
[…] We dined in at both restaurants and you can read the review here: CafΓ© Marivent in Casa Unisan and La Bella Teodoro in Casa Binan.4.Enjoying […]