A Glutton Favorite: Amici

Don’t you just love sibling bonding, especially when the word shopping is involved? But things can get really messy when you’re just given 3 hours to attend mass, shop, and have lunch.

3 hours to do three different things. You might think that it is long enough but I take food shopping seriously and I enjoy entering food stores to sniff and let out a loud aaah~ given that what they were cooking or baking smells delightful.

My sister and I agreed that we will first shop for a bit, then eat and finally attend mass at 2:30 p.m.. Fight!

After 30 minutes of walking around Forever 21, I felt my tummy begging for mercy and grumbling, “Feed me!” So, I looked for my sister and convinced her that it was time to have lunch with puppy eyes. (Fine, it looked more like eyes that will murder someone. I just can’t do that whole begging prettily style.)

I was eyeing Kebab Factory for I miss its Chicken Mast but my sister needed to be dragged inside the restaurant first before she agrees and I just do not have the energy to do so. Then light seemed to hit my eyes and saw… Amici. My sister loves pizza. This will do.

 

We instantly grabbed a table and ordered the following: Crema di Zucca (PHP134), Mozzarella Fritto (PHP220), Al Quattro Formaggi (PHP348), Linguine al Salmone Cremoso (PHP298), Mango Felicity (PHP80) and Brazo de Mercedes (PHP65). We also ordered one pitcher of coke just for the two of us.

First served was my soup, Crema di Zucca or commonly known as squash soup. (Trivia: Did you know that soup is actually a no-no order on a first date? I had no idea and even though I already know it, I’d still order it! Hey, if the guy likes you, he should also accept that slurping soup can never be as dainty as shown in Princess Diaries.)

 

I just love soup. It warms up the body and makes me want to eat more, unless the soup is extremely creamy and filling. And this brings me to Amici’s squash soup. It was not the salty type. In fact, it was a bit sweet, proving that it was indeed made from squash. It wasn’t very creamy as well making it a great appetizer.

 

Next served was the Mozzarella Fritto, my sister’s favorite, among many. It looked a bit sad that day. It was soaked in tomato sauce that the breading was not as crisp as it should be. Well, true, it was never a crispy dish but the subtle crunch that I loved was not there. Nonetheless, the addicting chewy, stretchy cheese and the tangy tomato sauce were still there.

Now for the heavier dishes… Linguine Salmone Cremoso pasta and Al Quattro Formaggi pizza.

 

I think I’ll be a bit biased here if I say, “Salmon love!” The white sauce was not overpowering and I was still able to taste the salmon itself. The salmon used was fresh and it was simply enjoyable. I also enjoyed how al dente the pasta was. It was smooth and cooked just right. Not the sticky, indescribable pasta. 

 

As for the Al Quattro Formaggi (yet another favorite of my sister’s), let’s just say that it made my sister’s big eyes, bigger. She just loves cheese. Give her anything cheesy and she’ll smile at you!

 

It wasn’t extraordinary but I’m sure that kids who love cheese would crave for this and rave about it for about an hour or two.

Last but definitely not the least, desserts!

 

My sister’s Brazo de Mercedes was chilled when it was served. The custard was quite hard. My sister waited for a bit for it to soften before she takes one forkful after another. I loved the cute graham crust hearts. (I’m a sucker for anything that has hearts or the word love on it so again, I’m biased.) I managed to take a bit of the cake (without my sister’s consent!) and I enjoyed it. It was not very sweet making it a good ender to a meal.

My Mango Felicity on the other hand was something not new to me. My mom and sister bought me one a few months ago but it ended up like this:

Formerly known as Mango Felicity.

I got excited to finally see what it really looks like and hey, it looked nice. 

As for the taste, it wasn’t very sweet as well. The chiffon was very soft and the jelly made me crave for more. But the taste of the mango was hardly there. 

Maybe I should have ordered Banana Blast (PHP115) instead.

Tried, tasted and loved way back last January 2012.

Our bill reached over a thousand and I blame my gluttonous eyes that day. A pitcher of cola for two?! Never again. But to visit Amici soon? Definitely!

Amici is located at 2^nd floor SM Megamall Atrium, Mandaluyong City.