"Green, red and white…
These strips of colors a bright.
Pizza, and pasta al dente;
Wine are truly excelente!
A river cruise in a gondola,
A perfect date with your Bambina.
Experience love with your Amore,
While you whisper, “Ti Amo, Ti Amo, Mi Dolce…”
I was daydreaming while writing these lines with a smile curved in my
mouth, twitter-patted ‘til to the core of my spine, matched with twinkling eyes
imagining the night sky. I fell in love with the idea of having a date in a
gondola (that boat famous in Italy) with an Italian song on a background.
Eventually, I was only zoning out – I was only seated in a fancy restaurant
called, “La Gondola” located at the lower ground of Waterfront Hotel and
Casino, Lahug, Cebu City.
A crossover of Medieval and Renaissance-inspired interiors, from a stained
glass window to wine/liquor bar right at the middle of the restaurant, a bust
sculpture of David and comfortable-looking wooden tables and chairs. Classy lamps that romantically illuminate a
relaxing atmosphere wrapped in yellow light.
Appetizer. Served with a Caprese Salad made of tomato, mozzarella and
basil drizzled with balsamic dressing invoked a playful image in the mind. It
was also pleasing to the eyes. At first glance, I had mistaken it for an ice
cream; however, the taste took me off-guard. The soft mozzarella instantly melted
in my mouth that had an almost bland taste but the basil gave it a distinct
kick.
Mushroom Cappuccino Soup. The creamy-looking soup was a thumbs up. The
thickness was just right and the taste was subtle. There was a certain balance
between cream and salt. The Pepperoni-Salami Pizza did not disappoint my taste buds. Its thin
crust topped with tomato, mozzarella and spicy Italian sausage enhanced with Tabasco sauce and catsup was enough for me to be transported in the land of
authentic pizza – Italia.
Its Traditional Lasagna was a superstar! Layered with mozzarella and
parmesan cheese, it was delectably cheesy topped with minced beef on each layer
mixed with tomato and béchamel sauce. It was so appetizing that it was one of
my best bets of lasagnas in town.
A truly wonderful dish of calamari, prawn, and mussel married with
white wine sauce and garnished with basil. One could basically fall in love
with Seafood Spaghetti.
The main course was fantastic, too. The oven-baked lamb’s meat was
tender which was bettered with rosemary jus (a combination of shallots, garlic,
rosemary, salt and meat stock reduced in high heat). It was this cuisine that I
re-engaged with since the last time I tasted it in a foreign land some 4 years
ago. In addition, the Polenta Rice Corn had me fascinated.
Lemon Tart with Meringue. Cradled around the sweetened tart, the lemon
pie rocked my palate of its unexpectedly sour taste. When I said unexpected, I
meant it beyond the ordinary sour taste of lemon. It could have been better if
the meringue on top was thick enough to compensate its acid taste. Though it
was topped with cherry and dark chocolate, it was also garnished with round slices
of lemons which eventually augmented the sour taste of lemon tart.
The ecstatic feeling when the liquid smoothly flowed in my throat was
a total trademark of Red Rapture mocktail. It was a combination of cranberry,
pomegranate and apple juices which delightfully gave the drink a passionate
smooth taste. It left my tongue craving for some more Red Rapture.
As the gondola stopped over the wharf, and the Italian background
serenade ended its last note, my short trip to Italy via La Gondola also came
to a halt. The dreamy feel of being in Italy ended; however, the experience in
La Gondola was something I was thankful about because right in front of me were
authentic Italian cuisines – all mouth-watering and all savory. They were
indeed, perfecto!
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