Where to eat in Laguna: Mama Lou's in Nuvali (updated)
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
When they say Santa Rosa - three things come to mind: Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Enchanted Kingdom, and the sports outlet in Mamplasan. Little did I know that right beside Paseo de Sta. Rosa is a gem of a place where couples and families can spend some quality time.
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| Panorama of the lake in Nuvali. Click on the photo to view the larger image. |
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| Bikers in the park |
Thanks to Ayala, Nuvali has become a sprawling area for recreation, shopping, and sports. Restaurants in this area are mostly high-end but what's awesome is the fact that some well-known restaurants in Manila have branched out to the extreme south, like Mama Lou's and Purple Oven. Purple Oven has most of its branches in North of Manila, so it's a blessing that they have decided to open a branch in Laguna.
But, Mama Lou's. This restaurant has been in my mind for quite some time. I've stayed and worked in Alabang for a good six years of my life without having stepped in its main store in BF Parañaque. I have only seen the facade of the restaurant but have not stepped inside. Its branch in Laguna is just right timing - I just relocated to Laguna for work and now Mama Lou's is just within my reach!
Mama Lou's is located in Solenad 2, joining the bigger shopping and dining area compared to Solenad 1. Coming from Solenad 1, you have to cross the bridge, pass by the lake, and see the jetboat ferrying people from Solenad 1 to the other side.
At 11AM, we were already hungry so we headed to Mama Lou's for lunch. There were already diners inside and we were lucky to have the wine rack as our background.
After we settled in, we were brought free appetizers that included toasted bread and two types of dips: marinara and pesto sauce. This reminded me of the time when Mama Lou's had a stall in Alabang Town Center food court where they sold pizza pockets or calzone that came with your preferred dip. It was my favorite dinner especially for my alone time. Too bad that they closed after some time.
(Update) We tried Friulana Salad, which mixed hot and cold elements of the salad. It had warm egg, mushroom, and bacon. I was surprised that the egg was soft-boiled! It was seasoned well and tasted good on its own. This can be shared for two to three persons.
(Update) We tried Friulana Salad, which mixed hot and cold elements of the salad. It had warm egg, mushroom, and bacon. I was surprised that the egg was soft-boiled! It was seasoned well and tasted good on its own. This can be shared for two to three persons.
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| Friulana salad, P295 |
Another appetizer that we ordered was squid heads, which we ordered with chili garlic sauce. It tasted ordinary but it went well with the Fruilana salad.
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| Squid Heads, P195 |
We ordered the 12" all meat pizza, which had pepperoni, ham, and bacon. This pizza should be the model for pizzerias offering thin crust pizza. The crust was almost paper thin and the bottom was not burnt at all. Because of the thin crust, the pizza was just right for the two of us. The waitress also gave us alfalfa sprouts and arugula, which we can add to the pizza, ala Dear Darla pizza of Yellow Cab.
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| All-meat pizza, P325 |
On our second visit, we tried Mama Lou's special, which had tomato, mozzarella, prosciutto, mango, arugula, and balsamic cream. It had sweetness with the bite of mango and mild saltiness, which was weird but still delicious.
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| Mama Lou's Special, 12", P350 |
Our second and final order was the risotto pesto al pollo, which is a creamy Italian arborio rice with homemade pesto sauce and chicken fillet. That time was my first time to order risotto so I was really looking forward to it! When the dish came to our table, the plating and the colors made our risotto look so delicious. Chicken and asparagus topped the risotto.
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| Risotto Pesto al Pollo, P325 |
It was heaven! The sauce was creamy with the subtle taste of the pesto. The pesto did not overpower the dish at all. Yum!
Needless to say, we will come back to taste Mama Lou's other dishes and sample all their risottos.
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| Our blurred photo in the restaurant. The wine rack makes a pretty background |
Mama Lou's menu: http://looloo.com/p/14257-mama-lous-italian-kitchen/menu
Branches:
- Block 1 Lot 36 Tropical Avenue corner Palace Street BF International, Las Pinas, 1700 Metro Manila
- Solenad 2, Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
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