We had 2 hours to explore the White Beach on our first day at Puerto Galera. After walking on its shores and observing the scenes around, I met with Ms. Kaye (our tour coordinator) and had a quick chit chat with her. She suggested that we have some refreshments and looked for a place for a quick snack which later turned out to be an early dinner. We walked onto the other side of the beach and spotted PIZZERIA RISTORANTE CIAO ITALIA. The restaurant which is perched on the mountain has a tropical setting and ambience. It made use of native materials for roofing as well as with their chairs and tables.
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| The Lesser Known visiting Pizzeria Ristorante Ciao Italia |
It was 5:30pm and we made our way to the stairs leading us to the restaurant and were greeted by their warm staff. We chose a table on the side of the restaurant because of its scenic view that overlooks the entire less than a kilometer White Beach. We ordered for a 14 inch pizza and were informed that we can choose 2 pizza variants so that we can taste 2 flavors in one pizza pan. The staff recommended to us the restaurant’s bestseller which is “White Beach” pizza (fresh tomato sauce, 4 kinds of cheese, salami and black olives). And to complete the other half of the whole, we opted for a “Pizza ala Capriciocca” (fresh tomato sauce, 4 kinds of cheese and parma ham). And to complete our meal, we also decided to order for pasta. We had “Spaghetti del Pirata” (mixed fresh sea food in fresh tomato sauce).
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| Ms. Kaye with the author enjoying the view this restaurant has to offer. |
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| I must say that Pizzeria Ristorante Ciao Italia is the restaurant with the most spectacular view among the bevy of restaurants at White Beach. |
The “White Beach” pizza is on the tangy and soury side while the “Cappriciocca” is on the salty side. But nonetheless, they possess the authenticity and flavor expected of an Italian pizza. I had the taste of the most “al dente” pasta in years! The “Spaghetti del Pirata” is firm but bitable and certainly not undercooked. I had the most indulgent time biting and chewing the smooth spaghetti noodles blended with the tomato sauce and the mixture of clam, squid and some morsel of fish that I did not bother to even know.
And as they say, a meal would not be complete without a dessert so Ms. Kaye ordered for us their version of chocolate cake. The indulgent dessert was served to us warm and fresh from the oven. It had dark chocolate inside which is hot enough to scald my tongue. I took one forkful after another and in less than a minute, the rich cake was gone.
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| The 2 variant pizza: the house specialty "White Beach Pizza" and "Pizza ala Capriciocca" |
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| I had 3 slices of pizza and half serving of "Spaghetti del Pirata" |
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| The restaurant's version of chocolate cake served warm. |
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| The Lesser Known enjoying an authentic Italian dinner. |
I really had a night that delighted my gastronomic senses of taste and smell with this truly authentic Italian dinner. Before we left, I asked for a quick conversation with the owner Mr. Alberto Gomarrazzi and had a quick interview of some sort regarding the food and why he established a restaurant in this side of the country. I learned that he has a family in Italy that he visits during the lean season in Puerto Galera and that he incidentally has a son whose name is Jonathan. That was probably the reason that he’s so accommodating and sympathetic to me because he told me that he suddenly remembered his son with my presence in his restaurant. The only thing I regretted was failing not to ask how he cooked that excellent pasta we ordered.
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| The Lesser Known with the restaurant owner Mr. Alberto Gomarrazzi |
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