Chasing Delicious at Linguini Fini Manila, Philippines

A lot has been said about famous Italian-American restaurant from Hong Kong, Linguini Fini. They have opened this week on the 3/F of Mega Fashion Hall in SM Megamall, the wing where global restaurants keep launching. Linguini Fini Manila is a partnership between The Moment Group, who has birthed successful concepts like 8 Cuts, Manam, Phat Pho and ‘Cue, and Hong Kong’s Homegrown Foods, founded by Todd Darling.

Not that it hasn’t been done in the past but lately there’s been a boom in advocating “organic produce and sourcing ingredients locally” among new restaurants. Executive Chef Vinny Lauria, who provisionally held camp in Manila for a month, intended the Italian dishes to be authentic, from process to quality assurance, but keeping certain flavors slanted to the local penchant. Linguini Fini remains true to its roots yet gives respect to homegrown local ingredients and culture.

The restaurant interior is extremely vibrant, its dining room very spacious with upholstered booth areas, and easy casual tables and chairs for those who like it more open. Walls are designed with street art by Dee Jae Paeste. Linguini Fini has that refined diner vibe, cool and hip yet sophisticated, with refreshing retro pops of color and an ambience of a cheery disposition.

Their kitchen makes everything in-house, from bread, pasta, pizza, soup among other things. Linguini Fini promotes local sustainability using native farm-sourced ingredients as much as possible but rendering global techniques.  Your appetite is about to get satisfied.

On the Table

Ananas Panzanella P255

Bread, sundried tomato, cucumber, grilled pineapple, olives, herbs

We started off with Linguini Fini’s Ananas Panzanella. Others may find it unusual for bread to be part of a salad but this works. The glazed focaccia cubes provide a somewhat crunchy exterior but softer inside hitching with the marinated olives, the sweet citrusy smoky grilled pineapples, cool cucumber slices and zippy sundried tomatoes.

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Straccetti di Manzo P495

Seared rare beef slices, artichokes, gorgonzola, arugula, anchovy aioli

Our second anti-pasti was also a beautiful dish. Ever-lightly seared beef slices, almost similar to a carpaccio, paper thin yet beefy, are lifted by the drizzle of peppery anchovy aioli dressing. The chunks of gorgonzola sharpen some of the bites mitigated by the bitter-mint arugula while the roasted artichokes give an interesting texture.

Strawberry Shake

Papardelle “Nose to Tail” Bolo P420

Pork testa, veal and oxtail ragu, Parmigiano Reggiano

Highly praised and sought after by foodies this opening week, Linguini Fini’s Papardelle Bolo can easily run out, even by lunch time, especially when almost every table seems to order it. Cooking it involves quite an effort, from the chopped pork cheeks brining for 6 days to braising veal loin and ox tail, Linguini Fini does a good job of layering flavors in the ragu.

Don’t look for al dente in this specific pasta dish as they meant to serve you tender sheets of rolled pasta that’s tossed in the stewed trimmings of nose-to-tail meats with tomato, wine, and aromatic vegetables.

Garnished with fresh splinters of parmigiano reggiano while the braised pork testa and oxtail rumble with stout flavors, this hearty yet spunky pasta takes an edge over the others.

While people give so much attention to this one, I have come to love another pasta dish, which I think easily trumps the Papardelle Bolo. It’s the Spaghetti with Chicken Liver Sugo. It deserves another post which I will reserve later on. It has effortlessly become my favorite and I’m bringing my family and team to Linguini Fini on separate occasions over the weekend and next week to have an excuse to eat the Spaghetti with Chicken Liver Sugo again and again.

Porchetta P595

Served sliced with caramelized onion marmalata

Linguini Fini’s porchetta is butterflied pork belly generously smeared with a rub of fennel seeds, garlic, onion, brown sugar, chili, among others and slow-cooked in a rotisserie until skin is crisp. Notice an even distribution of fat layer, meat and skin. The caramelized onion marmalata sweetly cuts the richness of the pork.

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Hot Chocolate Affogato P165

Cinnamon toast crunch, milk gelato

After all the food we gorged on, we opted for a lighter fare for dessert and chose the hot chocolate affogato. It was good and I had to share it unwillingly.

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Linguini Fini boldly taunts a daring palate but within comfort levels of the familiar, and flavors that are close to our hearts. Chase delicious at Linguini Fini, I am. I’m very excited to return.

Linguini Fini

3/L, SM Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall

EDSA Corner Julia Vargas Ave.,

Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila

(02) 531 3302 / (63) 917 834 1493

Operation Hours: 10am to 10pm

Linguini Flickr Set

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