Lauren and I went on a little Saturday brunch date at Il Ponticello a few weeks ago. Irene was busy baking to meet her orders so we got out of her hair for a couple of hours. It’s a fun and filling brunch service “Brunchissimo” that has something for both adults and kids alike.
Il Ponticello’s Saturday brunch has an ala carte option but the better deal is the Tuscan Brunch Feast (P1,250) which I tried. The feast includes bread, brunch special, pancetta, dessert sampler and coffee.
The brunch feast starts out with a board of home made bread and dips, finish it and just ask for more but I’d caution against that even though it will be tempting.
You then choose 1 dish from their brunch specials, I got the Truffle Cheese and Mushroom Frittata. A creamy egg and mushroom dish that I could not resist because of my love for anything eggs. It’s topped with sauteed mushrooms, Rovolone and Grana Padano, truffle oil and mousseline sauce for an aromatic wonderland. I usually dislike truffle oil, usually unnecessary and in excess but the amount is just right to complement the other earth flavors and plays well with the sharp cheeses.
I mentioned pancetta earlier and here it is in it’s unlimited glory, Pancetta Arrotalata. Dry cured pancetta you can have sliced at is, seared a bit or seared to a crisp like bacon, whatever is your preference. I prefer mine lightly seared to release more of the flavors. I told you not to eat too much bread because you’ll be kicking yourself if you’re too full for more pancetta.
I also got to try another of the brunch specials, the Bacon and Eggs. Pancetta with 2 poached eggs and rosti potatoes.
Look at that beautiful egg as the yolk flows out and coats the edges of the pancetta in glistening glory.
Other brunch special options are Lasagna Carbonara, Italian Style Eggs Benedetto, Tuscan Polpettone, and the Porchetta plate. All ala carte brunch specials are priced at P390 only.
I finished off the meal with the Dessert Sampler (P290). You can choose 3 from the dessert options (Nutella Bigne, Cheesecake Caramel Panna Cotta, Tiramisu, Caramelo di Semolina, and Decadent Chocolate Cake. I got the panna cotta, tiramisu and the chocolate cake paired with an Americano but could only try a bit of each.
Lauren ordered the Pizza Santino (P250/12 yrs. old and below), a make your own Roman style pizza. A board with the fresh dough, 2 sauces, 3 toppings and 2 cheeses are placed in front of Lauren for her to assemble to her liking. Kids are also lent a toque (chef’s hat) to don while making their creation but Lauren declined to put it on.
After assembly the pizza is brought to the kitchen to be finished and baked in their oven. Kids can peek through this open windows to see their creation.
Here’s Lauren reluctantly posing with her pizza before it was gone in the blink of an eye. She put ham and bacon and lots of cheese on top of a light smear of tomato sauce.
Il Ponticello’s Saturday Tuscan brunch is a nice place to get a quiet and relaxing brunch on Saturdays. The Tuscan feast is literally food coma as you will not be able to resist plate after plate of pancetta.
Brunchissimo at Il Ponticello
2/F Antel 2000 Bldg. 121 Valero St. Salcedo Village Makati City, Philippines Contact No.: (632) 553 9971/ (63949) 760-8731 Operating Hours: 10am to 2pmFacebook Page: Il Ponticello
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Buti nga pumayag pa si Lauren magpa-picture eh, lolz. Those dishes look soooooo good! Too bad my Jena is big na for the make your own pizza haha. Laters.
That came with a lot of cajoling, see no hat. You can tell them Jena is just 12, she’s just blessed with height.