Pigafetta is a name that is well-known to Filipinos. He was the Italian chronicler of Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, during his ill-fated around-the-world journey. Magellan was killed in Cebu and Antonio Pigafetta was just one of 18 survivors who was able to complete the voyage.
I can only imagine that onboard the last remaining Spanish ship were the different spices and herbs that they collected during their trip. And flash forward 500 years later, these same ingredients would bring gastronomic delights to the Cebuano shores.
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| Pigafetta Food Voyage |
That's what came to my mind when I was having lunch at Pigafetta, an Italian-inspired restaurant located in Axis Entertainment. It's one of the reasons why Escario street is becoming a mecca of dining places. Joel Binamira, who brought us the highly popular Zubuchon, brought the Pigafetta experience to life.
Cebuano foodies will love the atmosphere of Pigafetta. Don't be intimidated by the interior of the restaurant. It might have a modern look to it but it feels cozy.
It's not your typical Italian ristorante. They serve simple but good Italian dishes.
Lunch hour stretched to two hours when we were there. We had so much fun, talking and partaking of the food. We all thought there might be a little kick to the Organic sparkling wine that we ordered.
We had a "healthy" theme for lunch that day. So here's how my Pigafetta food voyage went.
For our Antipasti, we had their Gamberi alla Padella which is shrimp cooked with wine, garlic and pepper flakes. I liked that the shrimps were deveined and not overcooked.
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| Shrimp Antipasti |
We also ordered the Insalata Salmone which is Salmon gravlax placed on top of a bed of arugula and topped with their own special vinaigrette, I was happy that the arugula that was served was not bitter. It meant that the arugula was fresh. I had arugula that was so bitter that it ruined my taste buds for the entire night.
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| Salmon Gravlax Salad |
Our main courses were the Frutti de Mare Pasta and the Pancetta Pizza. The pancetta was our only concession. Thinly-sliced Italian cured bacon makes everything good.
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| Pancetta, how I love thee |
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| Frutti de Mare |
I like that their linguine was al dente and the flavors of the seafood went well with it. No single ingredient overpowered the rest.
I like their pizza dough, it wasn't too hard or rubbery. It was soft and crunchy.
And for dessert, I personally tried their Affogato since I've recently been addicted to it. Their serving is different compared to other restaurants. It's more of an espresso shot with a small dollop of gelato. If you're expecting scoops of gelato, you'll be a little disappointed.
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| Affogato shot |
I was also able to try their panna cotta. It was firm and creamy. It wasn't too sweet which is to my liking. The gelatin was molded well but I didn't like the fruit topping that they used. It was bottled jam instead of fresh fruit. I would prefer fresh fruit or liqueur or caramel or even chocolate sauce.
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| Pigafetta's Panna Cotta |
Their prices range from 200php to 500php depending on the dish that you order. For two people, set aside a minimum budget of around 1300php.
The entire meal felt light but in a good way. That's what Pigafetta Italian restaurant is all about.
Pigafetta is located in Axis Entertainment Avenue, North Escario Street, Capitol Site, Cebu City. They're open from 11am to 10pm.
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| Map to Pigafetta |
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