I’ve been checking out greenbelt 5 lately and one of the restaurants that I’ve tried when I was doing the Simbang Gabi last December is this small cozy restaurant called Pia y Damaso. Pia y Damaso specializes in Philippine Colonial Cuisine. The entire restaurant seems to be inspired by Jose Rizal’s famous novel Noli me Tangere. I decided to make a review on this to kick off my old manila series which I will be doing this weekend.

Apparently the restaurant is called Pia y Damaso because that’s the name of Maria Clara’s Parents Pia and Padre Damaso. Cool! Everything is really creative. Though, I don’t think the food is entirely exceptional I think the whole concept is unique and its worth at least a visit or two.

 

For this visit we only had dessert since we already ate dinner at the restaurant next door called Fely J’s which I also made a review of here. We ordered two cakes. The Ben Zayb and Wicked Simoun.

The Ben Zayb. A unique twist to the banoffee pie. We loved the chocolate chunks inside and the flavours were very complementary. It wasn’t too rich but still you could see that this dessert is quite sinful.

Wicked Simoun. A cheesecake infused with irish coffee and bailey’s cream. I wasn’t too fond of it because the bailey’s was quite strong however the texture of the cheesecake was just right just the way I liked it. BF liked it though and he’s quite the critic now so I guess it was good.

 

On our other visits we’ve tried their entrees which was ok. I think they could improve on increasing their serving size. I really like the traditional but creative menu. It really makes you wonder if these recipes are really what Jose Rizal was feasting on during those times.

 

Some of the other dishes we’ve tried:

  1. Lang Lang Noodle Soup – An old Binondo Favourite was quite flavorful but again I wish they’d improve on their servings (or maybe I just have a really big appetite). I liked the fact that the ingredients just went well together and the soup wasn’t oily.
  2. Callos – BF liked this dish. It just had the right amount ox tripe and chorizo to keep you satisfied. Very hearty meal. Again, for me it was quite a small serving but it was good so that’s ok.
  3. Lengua Sevillana – I love lengua so we just had to order this. I thought it was ok. It smelled great and it looks like a popular item on their menu since a lot of the other guests were ordering it. The tongue wasn’t gamey at all. It had the right consistency.
  4. Sisa’s dementia –Wasn’t particularly spectacular but I would still recommend this to chocolate lovers. The Ben Zayb for me was better.
  5. Maria Clara’s velvety white cheesecake – A winner. We love cheesecakes! I thought that this dish was very creative and very well thought-off. I liked the taste of dayap and calamansi with this dish. It reminded me of a key-lime pie cheesecake, yum!

 

Wash all these down with their tubig ni Maria Clara (a mix of cucumber juice, ginger, and citrus water)

The menu from the appetizers to desserts are quite creative and unique. I love the cozy and charming ambience. It’s the perfect place to have lunch with your girlfriends, a date or even a meeting. It’s the type of place where you can spend the entire afternoon talking. I love the over-all-feel of the place, the interiors are terrific. The place is small though so if you want to eat inside make sure to place a reservation. I especially love the small black booth inside the resto. Soo cozy J The patio is a good place to eat too since it overlooks the greenbelt gardens and the church. For the entire experience I think it was worth it but they really could improve on their entrees.

Cheers,

wanderlust83

 

Check out their menu here c/o Anton Diaz of OAP:
Starters, Salads, Sandwiches
Main Courses, Pasta, Noodles & Rice
Dessert & Pastries, Beverages
Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate

 

The Verdict:
Food: Entrees-ÜÜ, Dessert: ÜÜÜÜ
Cleanliness: ÜÜÜÜ
Ambience: ÜÜÜÜÜ
Service: ÜÜÜÜÜ
Value for your money: ÜÜÜ
Related Posts:
Noli Me Tangere in Greenbelt Five
Pia y Damaso’s Philippine Colonial Cuisine?


PIA y DAMASO
2nd Floor, Greenbelt 5
Ayala Center, Makati
+632 729-5511