Don Vito Ristorante Italiano in Boracay

Don Vito Ristorante Italiano is the in house restaurant of Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel, nestled in the middle of Boracay’s White Beach. Don Vito Boracay is one of the Best Restaurant of 2011 according to Philippine Tatler. During my recent stay at the hotel, I got to sample a lot of the dishes they offer on the menu. There are two seating areas, one indoor and one outdoor which at this time was covered under a tent to protect diners from the occasional rain. A lot of people stop by the place, drawn by the big display of rainbow colored gelato, enticing people young and old.

I’ll share with you all the food that I tried at Don Vito, 3 meals worth starting with lunch on our arrival. Papaya Shrimp Boat (P350), papaya balls and shrimps mixed in a half papaya container, so nicely carved and presented that I was a bit hesitant to disturb it. The slightly creamy appetizer served to whet my appetite for all the dishes to come soon.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (P330) and Chef Salad (P275). Both salads surprised me with the freshness of the vegetables, most of which is shipped in from neighboring islands. I enjoyed the grilled chicken Caesar a lot, I liked that the dressing coated the lettuce just right and was not too saucy.

A trio of pizzas soon followed, starting with Don Vito’s Special (P430/14″), following the Italian theme its dubbed as the Godfather of all pizzas. The dough and sauce of their pizzas are all home made and are cooked in their wood fired oven. The dough is crusty outside but delectably chewy inside.

Islander’s Pizza (P435/14″). Their take on the Hawaiian pizza, but spruced up a few notches. The addition of shrimps, ricotta cheese and a bit of red pepper flakes makes this a pizza most adults would not mind eating.

The two pizzas above may look great with all their bright and shiny meat topping but it was the Giardinera Pizza (P410/14″)  that won the tummies of our group. This is a vegetarian pizzas I would not mind eating again and again. It is topped with marinated vegetables that have been grilled before being laid on the pizzas, giving each piece lots of flavor.

Linguine Carbonara (P320) and Classic Spaghetti with Meatballs (P360, first picture). Bacon lovers will definitely flip over the generous amount of double smoked bacon. I love the meatballs, each bite was full of meat flavor and texture, mixed with the tangy tomato sauce.

We capped the meal off with dessert, Season’s Platter (P300), another nicely presented dish with a bird carving to boot.

Don Vito Gelato (P100). I can never resist ice cream or gelato so I quickly scanned the available flavors, I picked Mint to help clear my palette. The gelato was nice and refreshing.

Now on to dinner, this time it was set up in the Ambassador Suite, with the food brought up to the room with a full dining setup, which is an option they also do for their guests. Notice the seahorse carving, which is also the logo of Boracay Mandarin.

Rock Oyster Supremo (P250/12 pieces). Baked oysters with the perfect amount of cheese and bacon bits, so yummy I ate at least 3 of them without noticing.

Shrimp Cocktail (P250). Cold crisp shrimp served with a tangy cocktail sauce, lemon served on the side.

Boracay Island Harvest Chowder (P100). A chunky soup where I could taste the pieces of clams and mussels. I loved this soup as I’m a fan of hearty chowders which have a lot of texture.

Jumbo Prawns Neptune (P450). They really mean jumbo prawns, they are so big and meaty. Keeping with the island theme, their version of thermidor has a surprise ingredient you will not see coming, its strips of young coconut, infusing its sweet taste and a bit of crunchy texture.

Parmesan Crusted Swordfish (P295). The swordfish fillets were fresh tasting and I like the addition of the sharp Parmesan cheese taste.

Pepper Steak (P1400/12 oz.) Looks like the little bird on the side has bad intentions towards my piece of steak. The steak was cooked perfectly medium, tender on the inside but crusty and spicy on the outside, wonderfully good.

Tiramisu ala Don Vito (P150). Nice presentation of a classic dessert that delivers also on the taste front. Both the coffee and liquor taste was very evident.

For our final meal, we were seated next to the pool in the temporarily tented area.We started off with Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (P180) and Exotic Mandarin Salad (P300).

Grilled Island Herb Chicken (P295). Boneless chicken marinated in thyme, basil and tarragon and drizzled with a mushroom gravy sauce.

Il Wahoo Lemon (P250). Simple grilled tanigue with a siding of sinful lemon butter sauce.

Osso Bucco (P420) Braised beef shanks in tomato and red wine. The meat is fork tender and flavorful. there’s a bit of bone marrow which I avoided since I’m not a fan of the taste and the cholesterol content.
I wanted to have some rice but decided not too anymore to due to the amount of food I had ingested already.

Spiced Pineapple. This was a bit unique, cinnamon and all spiced added to pineapple and topped with creamy creme brulee and it even had a scoop of vanilla gelato on the side. I liked the mix of flavors and textures that each part brings to the whole dessert.

I’ve had meals in other Italian restaurants in Boracay but none have been able to deliver good food at a reasonable price quite like Don Vito Ristorante Italiano. The staff are also very friendly and accommodating.

Don Vito Ristorante Italiano
Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel
Beachfront Station 2,
Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan
Philippines
www.boracaymandarin.com.
Boracay Mandarin Facebook Page
For more info –  632.5675672 /632.5671750

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