Eat's Italian, Really: Mama Lou's
One of the most bastardized cuisines is Italian. I grew up believing Italian food equals pizza. And spaghetti. I thought all pasta was spaghetti. This belief was made worse by fast food and pizza joints claiming to be Italian but actually are not. As such, what we usually have in our country is modified: Italian-American, Italian-Pinoy even. Flavors are subdued and often tweaked to satiate the Filipino palate.
Award winning.
Yet, some restaurants stand out by adapting this trend in fusion, while retaining the cuisine's original flavor. A long-time favorite food haunt of the south, Mama Lou's has steadily and stealthily climbed up the ranks to what it has achieved today, as evidenced by their poster that welcomes you as you enter the front gate. Tucked away from the busier street of Aguirre, Mama Lou's has gained a cult following, almost entirely by word-of-mouth, with the help of the blogging scene.
Occupying a converted house, the vibe is definitely homey and charming. You almost feel like putting up your legs and eating with your bare hands. The place could easily seat over 50 guests, but it does get really packed on a usual weekend night. Understandably, parking also becomes a drag, although they did recently acquire the opposite vacant lot for space. A day before Christmas though, the family was early for our lunch, and we had none of these inconveniences.
Complimentary Bread
We picked a table inside despite the cool breeze brought about my the morning downpour. While scanning the menu, a basket of complimentary bread was set before us. The tomato-based dip was okay, but I really liked the green one. It was refreshing, herby, almost tasting like mint. I wasn't sure what it was, but it paired well with the bread. You can get free refills, by the way.
The menu book was big and colorful, enticing us to order a lot. It was a mix of Italian, Filipino, Spanish, and some Canadian (yes really). Apparently, the proprietor grew up in Canada, thus one can find the famous poutine fries. I ordered that first.
Poutine, P160, with Bacon, additional P35 (+10% service charge)
Seemingly out-of-place, I welcomed the sight of the poutine fries. Thickly cut potatoes were fried to a crisp and draped with mushroom gravy and congealed with mozzarella cheese. I had always wanted to try poutine ever since I got wind of Main Street's Canadian food through food blogs. It was just unusual to try it for the first time in an Italian joint.
I therefore cannot judge if this version stayed true to the Canadian way. But, if it's this good, then the actual poutine in Canada should be equally good, even better. It was a beautiful mess: the savory salty gravy complemented the perfectly fried fries. These aren't your lard fries, either.
The top-up of bacon was heaven; it was thickly cut yet tender and fatty. Though I usually prefer my bacon to be crunchy, I particularly liked it this way with the poutine. The mozzarella cheese added a different dimension with its sticky and gooey feel. Good thing I picked the poutine over my favorite mozzarella sticks. This whole jumble was an adventure in texture - crunchy, gooey, and soft. Sinfully addicting.
Chef's Salad, P275 (+10% service charge)
But, enough of the fries. I was here for their other offerings. The Chef's Salad was the usual assortment of garden-fresh greens. It was a healthy mix of crisp lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber.
The toss-up was topped with a few slices of garlic sausage, some mushroom, and shaved parmesan cheese. The vinaigrette added zest to an otherwise mundane taste. The greens were lively and crisp. I would have liked some more cheese though.
Salmon Grill, with rice, P390 (+10% service charge)
The non-meat eater Dad picked the favorite Salmon Grill, with rice (though you can have it with potatoes as carbs). For the price tag, it was quite a steal. You get two average-sized fillets of salmon. I assumed the fish was lightly grilled, since there was no tell-tale signs of charring anywhere.
Despite the lack of apparent smokey aroma, the fish did not want in taste. The lemon butter sauce more than compensated, with a sweet zesty affair going on. The salmon itself was fresh and briny. It was flaky, the way I also preferred it in teriyaki renditions. In fact, I almost exclusively eat salmon dishes in Japanese restaurants, but this version was an exception. It was particularly enticing and I did not grow tired of it. The sides of greens were a joke, but good thing we ordered the salad.
Salpicao, with rice, P295 (+10% service charge)
I'm pretty sure Salpicao is of Spanish / Portuguese origin (or am I?), but I wanted a cheap beefy escape without breaking the bank. Again, this dish can be paired with mash, but I went for the pinoy style, pairing it with rice. Sadly, the rice was a tad overcooked, the grains almost too stiff.
The beef, though, was an entirely different story. Fork tender and done medium well, the tenderloin tips were smokey and boasting with flavor. There was fat in just the right places, adding a smoothness to it. The sauce had just the right level of saltiness, not overwhelming, neither overpowering the taste of the meat itself. The garlicky taste partnered well with the saltiness. Pity that the rice was done wrong, or I would have ordered extra.
Spaghetti Seafood Pomodoro, P295 (+10% service charge)
Mom's choice of pasta came last, apparently the waitstaff forgot to include it when we placed our orders. Finally, something really Italian. A big plate of overflowing bounty from the sea arrived in stark red, contrasting with the immaculate bianca (white) plate.
It was a sight to behold, another ravishing mess. In the mix were large squid rings, shrimps, mussels, and clams all swimming in the red tomato sauce. The seafood was undoubtedly fresh. The squid was tender and not chewy. The shrimps were generous, juicy and plump. The clams and mussels were few but apparently were also fine, according to Mom. The sauce was true - consistently sour. I could actually make out some bits of real tomatoes. This isn't generic sauce from the can. It was thick and viscid and liberally served, smothering everything in its goodness. The pasta was al dente, perfectly executed.
Happy holidays from the fam!
Living up to its recent billing as one of 2014's best, Mama Lou's is poised to go mainstream. With branches opening up in Nuvali and U.P. Town Center (very soon), northerners (and far southerners) need not fret anymore for their Italian fix. Prices are reasonable, for this high level of quality. I would come back real soon to sample their pizza and have another swig of their poutine. It's a mystery though why they had a minor mishap with my plain rice, for apparently, the risotto here is to-die-for. Maybe they forgot how to make simple rice. Nevertheless, i feel almost selfishly regretful that the rest of the country would soon meet the beauty that is Mama Lou's.
Jones
Mama Lou's Italian Kitchen
Block 1, Lot 36
Tropical Avenue corner Tropical Palace
BF International, Las Pinas City
Written by Jones
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