If you're a regular reader of my blog, you would know that I LOVE Salvatore Cuomo because the restaurant gives us a taste of Naples without flying all the way to Italy. They serve some of the best Italian dishes in the Philippines and is currently my top choice for the best Italian restaurant in the Metro. If you're willing to spend on outstanding Italian dishes, you'll definitely get your money's worth. For more about the restaurant's background, read my review here.
Luckily for us, we don't have to spend a lot of money get a taste of Salvatore Cuomo's signature Italian dishes. They currently have an Anniversary Special Lunch Buffet Treat, which includes appetizers, salad, pizza, and drinks, all for the price of Php 600 (Weekdays) or Php 900 (Weekends and Holidays). The great news is that the special lunch buffet has been doing so well that it was extended indefinitely!
Taking into account that you would normally spend Php 1500 per person when dining at Salvatore, that's a steal! On top of that, you can choose one main course from a list of options (shown below). Now that's just icing on the cake!
I would have paid the full amount even without a main course option, it's well worth it considering the quality of the food served. This lets you try some of Salvatore Cuomo's signature pasta dishes, and you can upgrade to Meat and Fish dishes if you want, and a variety of other dishes as well.
Salvatore Cuomo's Spaghetti alla Carbonara is priced a Php 480 just for a single dish. If you dine on a weekday and treat yourself to the Anniversary Special Lunch Buffet promo, it feels like you paid regular price for the pasta and on op of that you get to enjoy a buffet spread of delicious Italian dishes, including Salvatore's pizza dishes that are usually priced at a minimum of 700 pesos.
The buffet has a salad station, with a small selection of fresh greens and ingredients that you can enjoy. As always, it's a great way to start your meal with soup and fresh salad.
You also have the option of three salad dressings, all homemade at the restaurant. I loved the classic Caesar's Dressing or a light drizzle of the D'estragon Dressing.
The Pumpkin Soup was very rich and creamy, and I loved very sip of it. It's exactly the same quality as the soup I ordered when I had dinner here just a few weeks back. On the menu, it's the Vellutata di Zucca con Prosciutto Croccante (Php 220) in case you're wondering. Highly recommended!
This is the station I recommend you go back to the most. The trick with Italian pizza is to keep the ingredients simple but make sure that the quality of the ingredients is top notch. That's exactly what Salvatore Cuomo has done here. During our buffet we were served the Margherita (Php 680), the Salsiccia e Fughi (Php 720), Quattro Formaggi (Php 770), and a plate of Italian cold cuts, in this case crisp strips of Salami.
I also loved both the Cauliflower Gratin and the Penne Pumpkin Gratin at the back, both were outstanding dishes that I would highly recommend. They are a bit heavy on the stomach though but very tasty.
The buffet also includes a wide selection of appetizers to choose from, in our case my favorites were the Sauteed Mushroom and the Broccoli & Garlic for these dishes. I was happy enough to at least try all of these appetizers just once, since we can only stuff our tummies with a limited amount of food.
In this selection of appetizers, I loved the Frittata, the Marinated Pumpkin, and the Octopus Salad (not included in the photo).
The buffet menu also includes a small selection of standard drinks. I just got the Detox water because of all the carbs we ate!
For dessert, you get to enjoy the chocolate fountain but it's only available on weekends. I loved dipping he marshmallows, bananas, and biscuits in chocolate!
We were lucky enough to taste the award-winning D.O.C. or Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Php 850) during the buffet. According to the Salvatore Cuomo website, the D.O.C. is a Salvatore Creation that uses fully ripened cherry tomatoes, a luxurious amount of bufala mozzarella, basil, and a splash of olive oil. It's very delicious and I would have to say it's one of the best pizzas I have ever tried. Simple yes, yet so amazingly good!
You can opt for the Porchetta (Php 650) when enjoying your main dish. I loved how very tender the meat was and every bite just seemed like the pork melts in your mouth.
I would also recommend the Pan Fried Salmon with Mediterranean Sauce (Php 800). If I had a choice, this would be the main course I will get. I just love Salmon and it's also very light and healthy. These fillets were perfectly cooked, still a bit moist on the inside with a nice kick of flavor.
The best risotto I've tried would have o be the Risotto ai Funghi Porcini (Php 650) at Salvatore. The Pancetta Bacon and Mushrooms Risotto is up to the same standard, but it's still one of the better rissotto dishes you'd get in Manila.
The Spaghetti with Clams and Zucchini (Php 550) is a slightly different version from the regular pasta offered (it doesn't have cherry tomatoes) but it's still very refreshing with the full flavor of clams. If you love seafood, I would really recommend this. I just love beautifully cooked Vongole!
Finally, you can always opt for the classic Spaghetti Carbonara (Php 480) for a taste of real, authenic Italian carbonara. It's very good carbonara and I did savor every bite of it.
If you're going with a large group, which I highly recommend you do, you get to enjoy a variety of mains as well as the buffet spread. Better go with a group of 3 or more!
Food Quality: 5.0
Service Quality: -
Ambiance: 5.0
Overall Quality: 5.0
I've said it before, if you're looking for exquisite Italian food and are willing to pay for it, Salvatore Cuomo is the place to be. With the Anniversary Special Lunch Buffet, you get to enjoy outstanding Italian dishes for as low as 600 pesos.
You can say that you can probably find a restaurant with a lot more variety at the same price point or even less. If you just focus on the quality of the dishes they serve and even compare the buffet with the regular prices of these dishes when ordered ala carte at Salvatore, you'd know this is very cheap. We are all very lucky we get to enjoy this promotion during Salvatore Cuomo's first anniversary.
Outstanding Italian dishes, at a very affordable rate. Remember, it won't be around forever!
Happy Anniversary Salvatore Cuomo!
Overall Quality: 5.0
I've said it before, if you're looking for exquisite Italian food and are willing to pay for it, Salvatore Cuomo is the place to be. With the Anniversary Special Lunch Buffet, you get to enjoy outstanding Italian dishes for as low as 600 pesos.
You can say that you can probably find a restaurant with a lot more variety at the same price point or even less. If you just focus on the quality of the dishes they serve and even compare the buffet with the regular prices of these dishes when ordered ala carte at Salvatore, you'd know this is very cheap. We are all very lucky we get to enjoy this promotion during Salvatore Cuomo's first anniversary.
Outstanding Italian dishes, at a very affordable rate. Remember, it won't be around forever!
Happy Anniversary Salvatore Cuomo!
Further reading you might like:
- Salvatore Cuomo: A Genuine Taste of Naples in Metro Manila
- Blackbird: An Intimate Sunday Brunch at the Beautiful Nielson Tower
- Gino's Brick Oven Pizza: Rustic, Generous, and Delicious
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Cheers,
Chef Jay
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored review. The author did not pay for any of the dishes mentioned in this article. This, however, does not impair the unbiased opinion of the reviewer.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored review. The author did not pay for any of the dishes mentioned in this article. This, however, does not impair the unbiased opinion of the reviewer.
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