Mama Lou's Italian Kitchen is probably one of the many restaurants you may have seen in malls recently and may have been curious as to what they cater to. You may have checked out their menu or perhaps seen their posts on social media feeds but have never actually tried dining in.
In this article, I'm going to be sharing my dining experience that I had the pleasure of seeing (and tasting) last weekend and I'm going to put this in a way that I'll try my best to make you visualize every detail that I've experienced dining at Mama Lou's Italian Kitchen.
Mama Lou's | The Venue
Just a small disclaimer, this isn't exactly the first time I've dined at Mama Lou's, this was my third time, and I decided to write this article as this 3rd instance is by far the best out of all 3.
A few points worth mentioning to validate the claim are as follows:
- The ambience of the place
- The staff (for this branch particularly) were very attentive
- They really know what they're selling
- The food (obviously).
If there's anything that I am particular about whenever I would eat in a restaurant, even though I'm not exactly a well-experienced food blogger, is that I've had a few instances that I was allowed to be a "mystery shopper".
As a mystery shopper, you're usually given a task to take notes and observe every single detail you see, from the cleanliness of the place, to how the utensils are placed on the table, condiments, decorations, lighting to the staff's uniform and how they present themselves, literally the whole nine-yards. Now I didn't go to Mama Lou's as a mystery shopper, but of course, old habits die hard. For the most part, the overall feel of the place was okay, the brand stayed true to the theme and no additional elements were visible that could've been an eye-sore. The ambiance was very welcoming, and the air conditioning wasn't too cold nor was it hot either which was perfect.
The Order
For this instance, me and my fiance ordered the following:
- Pork Salpicao
- Pizza Bianca
- Mama Lou's Lucio's Truffle Pasta
Disclaimer number 2: Originally the order included Ravioli Spinach and Truffle fries but due to the availability, some adjustments had to be made.
Like most Italian Restaurants you're served with a quick appetizer just to get things rolling before the actual dish is served. I would like to stress that in contrast to the other branches, the branch in Vertis served these hot, which was great as it was more appetizing to consume than relatively cold bread.
This is one part of the dining experience that I enjoy a lot, especially when the waiter says "Serving time 15 to 20 minutes", you get free food while you wait, in addition, the dip that comes with the bread is a combination of herbs drenched in olive oil that gives off this flavorful and salty texture giving so much life on every bite even if it is just bread.
Pork Salpicao
The first main dish would be the Pork Salpicao. This is the first time that I've been able to order this dish from Mama Lou's, the first two instances weren't as successful as it wasn't available at the time.
The reason why I was so into this particular dish is mainly because despite how simple it is, depending on the amount of seasoning used can alter the overall taste of this dish.
If you wind the clocks back a few years ago, during the lockdowns, while the vast majority weren't able to go outside as to how we are today, everyone started developing new hobbies, interests, and all that, for me, I learned to cook. One of the dishes that I first learned about was Pork Salpicao but because I've never actually tasted this dish, even by following the recipe from an online cookbook, I didn't exactly know if what I made was indeed Pork Salpicao.
After seeing this on Mama Lou's menu, I have always wanted to try this out, and honestly, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made in terms of food. The sauce was very rich with a subtle sweetness to it while giving you that extra kick of saltiness that harmoniously blends. The pork itself was cooked in a way that it is soft but not so soft that it just breaks on every bite, this was more of a "try it and then sink your teeth into it" type while the sauce oozed out giving it that juicy and tender experience.
Mama Lou's Lucio Truffle Pasta
If you're particular about pasta, you know for a fact that Truffle Pasta wasn't even a "thing" till a few years ago. Back then, whenever someone said "Italian restaurant" the most common dishes mentioned were either Fettucini Carbonara or the more common Spaghetti and meatballs. In early 2018 (if I'm not mistaken) Truffle Pasta started to take shape and became a food of choice whenever the place to dine would be Italian-themed.
As far as I know, even fast food chains started serving their take and creativity in providing consumers with weird dishes that had that taste of truffle in it which I honestly wish they would stop as it is horrible.
In my case, however, the first time I tried truffle pasta was at the restaurant where that iconic scene between Popoy (John Lloyd Cruz) and Basha (Bea Alonzo) had that confrontation from the movie "One More Chance" and it was such an eye-opener. From that point on, that place became my benchmark specifically for this truffle pasta dish.
That's until I've tried Lucio's Truffle Pasta.
Picture this, twirling your fork into a plate of freshly made pasta, each strand is perfectly cooked and tender, glistening, and has this velvety sauce all over it. The moment the aroma hits you, the mixture of the sauce is so intoxicating that each bite is so indulging making you hunger for more. This is the type of dish that triggers your senses bringing you on a journey that with every bite, makes you hungry for more.
Pizza Bianca
Of course, we can't ignore the pizza, it is an Italian restaurant after all. Mama Lou's Italian Kitchen caters to a wide variety of pizza dishes to choose from, which also come in various sizes. They have a combination of popular dishes and they also have their specialties.
My choice for this event is the "Pizza Bianca". I honestly thought this had some kind of origin story as to why it was called "Pizza Bianca" Given the theme of the place and all, I figured this was a niece or someone in the family who developed this type of recipe and named it after them (which is possible). After doing a bit of research, I found out that, Pizza Bianca is a term used in Italian restaurants that is more commonly known as "White Pizza".
The way I would describe this dish is simple and straight forward a " Masterpiece ". There are a lot of restaurants out there that serve their version, however, the execution of how this is being done in Mama Lou's is by far superior to others making every other and is not even that expensive compared to others in the market but bolsters the whole experience with premium grade quality cheese.
Pizza Bianca may seem simple to many, but it can also be a very complex recipe, as this requires precision and skill to pull off a well-balanced, creamy dish.
If however the taste isn't to your liking, or perhaps it is lacking something, you still have the option to add a bit of salt and pepper, or you can try out Mama Lou's Essential Dave's Hot Honey.
I honestly thought at first they also serve breakfast dishes, to my surprise one of the servers who goes by the name of "Billy" suggested trying it out with Pizza as it does add that extra flavor.
Think of it as a "special sauce" as to what other restaurants would call it, giving it that mysterious vibe. To have it simply put it is honey mixed with chili, however, what's interesting about this is, on every bite, it doesn't exactly taste spicy at that very moment, but it will bite back giving it that sweet-tasting sauce with an extra kick at the end which is indeed such a great experience.
One half of my brain wanted to ask for a bottle, while the other half said "No, so at least you have something to look forward to the next time you dine in". Probably what caught my attention with Dave's Hot Honey was the small print at the bottom that says " A Sweet and spicy treat with infinite possibilities " which to me, means, I can mix this with their other dishes (I think)!
Mama Lou's Desert - Blueberry Cheesecake
For those who know me personally, they know I have a very wicked sweet tooth, whenever sweets are served, it is quite the exciting rush that you'd often have as a kid when you're brought to a toy store.
This isn't exactly part of my order but was more of a complimentary dessert that was given to which I was very much appreciative enough, it's like the management knew exactly the type of cake I like which was incredible.
I can honestly say I had a lot of fun dining at Mama Lou's Italian Kitchen, there were just so many things done right and the food was great for the price. The place is very family-oriented perfect for those family get-togethers or even after a long day with friends or work colleagues and you just want to pass the time while having some comfort food before diving into the rush hour.
Mama Lou's is highly recommended and I could not stress this enough, this is indeed a dining experience worth having. For more information, booking reservations, or branch inquiries you can reach out to Mama Lou's Facebook page which can be found here.
For reference, this branch is located in Ayala Mall Vertis North, if you happen to find yourself in this branch make sure to look for "Billy" so he can give you great recommendations and the service he provides is spot on!
If you'd like to check out my recent product review, you can also click here.
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