SM Manila houses a lot of eateries that look great, and it continues to attract a growing pride of restaurants — both at the high-end and low-end, from mediocre to expensive. One of the restaurants that impress me is The Old Spaghetti House (TOSH), located on the fourth floor of the building.
The name pretty much is a dead giveaway, so you have the initial impression that TOSH specializes in spaghetti. But the Old Spaghetti House is well known for many sorts of pastas other than spaghetti; this restaurant also has a bunch of other great food on the menu. Dining in is decidedly civilized. Let’s go! 😛
Review of The Old Spaghetti House (SM Manila)
Ambiance: ★★★★★
The Old Spaghetti Shop feels enchanting, rustic and homey. Considering that it’s inside a busy mall, it’s tad surprising how the ambiance can be very quiet and secluded with cozy couches. The space is contained with dark floors, dimly-lit lights setting off a romantic vibe and vintage furniture. The walls are designed with decorations reminiscent of the colonial revival style, all of it something you don’t see in modern interiors anymore. What I also liked was the background music — all worship songs played by Hillsong United, which happens to be one of the most favorite Christian bands of all times.
Service: ★★★☆☆
When everyone was seated, immediately the staff arrived, took all orders and served food on the table after around 10 minutes on the clock. However, she was not attentive enough to see me raise my hand for additional requests. I had to shout out “Miss” and stand up to really get noticeable. I thought that the waitstaff had to be reminded that just because there were only a handful of customers does not mean that she can go easy and relaxed on a chair.
Food: ★★★★☆
I would describe TOSH’s menu to be “contemporary post-classic,” as I found that they offer dishes that use classic references as launchpad to create new dishes. One example is the Thai Bagoong Pizza (PHp 260) which I think can only be found in TOSH. It’s a modern version of pizza far from the regular tomato-based pizza with all sorts of usual toppings like pepperoni, ham, cheese, pineapple. In contrast, it’s an innovative dish that has both the foundation of “bagoong” and “pizza,” with slices of semi-ripe sour mango, bacon bits, tomatoes and cheese over a thin crust.
I was satisfied with the burst of different basic but strong tastes (sweet, sour, salty and spicy) all incorporated in one bite. A familiar flavor that’s skidded into a whole new other realm, the Thai Bagoong Pizza is a gutbomb of the finest order, and it deserves to be heralded as such. 😛
Another entrée that pleased us last Sunday was the Mushroom Jack Chicken (PHp 180) which consisted of fresh chicken breast with sauteed mushrooms and melted jack cheese. The zesty honey-lemon taste on the lettuce elevated my dining senses with a tang that left me double thumbs up for this simple yet beautifully cooked dish.
Mom had the Beef Burger Steak in Pepper Gravy Sauce and Vietnamese Garlic Pasta with Rice (PHp 150) from viands offered in the Mix ‘Em Match ‘Em Treasure Deal (available every day from 11AM-6PM) which she happily shared to us as well. The pasta was oddly sweet, a good rendition of Italian pasta but not so much wow-impressive.
Price for Value: ★★★★☆
The Old Spaghetti House is a top pasta parlor with dishes worthy of fireworks. It can be your usual hot date spot where you are guaranteed to be fed with reliably tasty comfort food, something to appeal to any diner. Portions are enough for sharing and prices are affordable. My heart sank for two minutes because of slow service but everything else was fine. 😀
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