#mammamiaph

The restaurant interiors are quite colorful and refreshing. It gives off a casual and relaxed environment where you can dine comfortably with your family and friends. It feels a lot like those Italian travel shows where families spend a lovely Sunday brunch in restaurants like these.

Mamma Mia also follows all health and safety protocols. In fact, all of their staff are 100% vaccinated so you can feel safe and secure when dining.

For those that feel more comfortable dining al fresco, there are a lot of dining spaces outside Mamma Mia as well. You can choose your seats in front of the restaurant or at the side where it is more private.

We had lunch with Mamma Mia owner Giulius Iapino who told us that he got his inspiration for the restaurant from his childhood memories dining at Caruso. His father is Italian and some of the recipes used in Mamma Mia are from his grandmother so you can be sure that their dishes are authentic and from the heart.

To brighten our afternoon, we started with some bubbly Aperol Spritz with its combination of prosecco, aperol, and soda water. The Italians drink this as an aperitif or beverage appetizer to stimulate the taste buds. We really didn’t need any help with our appetites, but this was a lovely way to open our meal.

Each table also got a complimentary basket of their house bread which is baked fresh every day.

Here are the starters! The Melon and Pumpkin Wrapped with Prosciutto Al Forno (P465) is a deep fried appetizer that is as pretty as it is flavorful. I usually encounter melon wrapped in ham, but this is the first time I saw it accompanied with pumpkin. The unique pairing gives it a contrasting play on textures with the soft pumpkin and the sweet melon giving diners an alternating experience with each bite.

The Italian Bacon Meatball Bomb (P395) is another fantastic dish. These meatballs are wrapped in juicy bacon then served with ricotta cream cheese and spicy marinara sauce. It’s a meaty bombshell in your mouth.

Italians are, of course, known for their pizza, so Mamma Mia uses a Valoriani pizza oven which is what they normally use in Italy. We were all excited to try their specialty pizzas.

I have never seen pistachio on a pizza before so I was quite amazed with the Mortadella e Pistachio (P630). This cheese based pizza is topped with mortadella Italian sausage and drizzled with pistachio cream sauce and crushed pistachio.

You might think of this as a peculiar combination but it actually works! It looks like a dessert pizza but the savory sausages and cheese are just balanced with the slightly sweet pistachio dressings. This was a creation of Giulius himself and he likes putting modern and creative twists to classic favorites. All of Mamma Mia’s pizza crusts are also stuffed with oozing cheese, so there’s no way you will be seeing leftover crusts on your plates.

Another specialty they have is the Friarielli e Salsiccia Pizza (P550). This Mozzarella base pizza is topped with mildly spicy sausage and Italian veggies called friarelli which are all imported from Italy. It’s a bit like the creamy spinach pizzas that are getting popular in the metro, but this one has much more sophisticated and richer flavors.

Pasta is also a staple in Italian cooking, so we also tried the Frutti di Mare Pasta or seafood pasta. Mamma Mia uses homemade pasta which has a different and firmer texture than what I usually encounter in other restaurants. This olive oil based pasta dish comes from a recipe from Giulius’ grandmother who lives in Italy. It really feels like a good home-cooked meal that was prepared with love and care.

For our main course, the meaty Porchetta (P750) serves as a great centerpiece. This classic Italian pork roast roulade is served with mashed potatoes, tomato salsa, and mixed salad.

You can never go wrong with roast pork especially with skin as crunchy as this one. Mamma Mia offers weekday lunch deal from Mondays to Thursdays starting at P250 per dish, including the porchetta. That should be a great deal.

To cap off our Italian lunch, we had servings of two traditional Italian desserts. The Panna Cota (P170) is a light and creamy custard dessert while the Mamma Mia’s Tiramisu (P280) offers layers of mascarpone cheese, ladyfingers, and espresso garnished with cocoa powder.

Mamma Mia also has a Happy Hour promo daily where you can get two glasses of Mojito for the price on one. They are also available for delivery at Foodpanda, GrabFood, and Pickaroo. So if it’s authentic Italian food you are craving, Mamma Mia in Uptown Bonifacio is definitely a great option for the entire family.

Mamma Mia

G/F Uptown Bonifacio Mall, 36th corner 9th Ave, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

(02) 8541-8933 / (0966) 663-7803