I have been living very close to Cubao for more than half of my life, but I haven't dined in Va' Pensiero yet, so during this accidental meetup with my food buddy, I finally grabbed the opportunity and suggested to try this place out.

This restaurant isn't really the cleanest and newest place on the block, but it, nonetheless, spelled warm and welcoming.

Their menu has an long list of Italian food, some I know and many others I don't, but we decided to just have some pizza and pasta during this light brunch as we went in really early and were not yet starving.  

Bread with Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil Dip (Complimentary)

The waiter first offered us some really nice, crisp, and freshly-baked bread before our orders. Their house bread was delicious! It's soft on the inside and very crispy on the outside. It was nicely baked, hot, and fresh-from-the-oven.

Pasta Montanara (P 350.00)

We had a really hard time picking which pasta to order because there were a lot of variants on the menu. But since I love eating meat, we settled for their Pasta Montanara. I did not regret ordering this dish as, apart from the fusili being perfectly-cooked, it contained generous portions of italian sausage and pepperoni salami. Its thin and flavorful sauce also does not hurt one bit. 

 

Tutta Carne (P 425.00)

Many of their expensive pizza offerings looked so enticing on the menu, but we didn't have enough money to shell out during this meal, so we just ordered a regular Tutta Carne pizza. To our surprise, the pizza was huge! It was a full ten-inch pizza.

This pizza was obviously authentic. It's not some generic pizza with a chewy crust and Del Monte tomato paste on it. It's thin, crisp, meaty, and lightly-sauced - just the way I like my pizza. And to top it all, it was cooked in a brick oven.

Of note, they really fire up the brick oven with wood.

Panna Cotta (P 140.00)

Satisfied with the first two dishes, we ended the meal with their Panna Cotta, which, to our dismay, looked very unappetizing with no garnish whatsoever on it. It was not even turned onto a plate and was still in its ceramic mold when served. It didn't look like the photo on the menu.

We weren't as thrilled to try this one out, but when we scooped our first spoonful of the pudding, we were surprised at how dense, creamy, and flavorful this panna cotta was. Indeed, looks can be deceiving! This recipe had a strong vanilla flavor, and I can tell that its cream base wasn't cheap. It's probably one of the better panna cottas I've tried, and it's leap years ahead of the worst and extremely overrated one from Red Garlic.

After the meal, we took the bill, paid for our orders happily, and went out feeling heavy and full. It was a wonderful and satisfactory dining experience, overall. If you're looking for some relatively affordable and authentic Italian food without the frills and gimmicks, this restaurant is a pretty decent option. 

FINAL SCORES

Ambiance - 3/5

Food - 4/5

Service - 4/5

Value - 5/5

TOTAL - 4/5  

Va' Pensiero

(02) 912 8270

Unit 14 Araneta Coliseum, Gen. Araneta

Cubao, Quezon City. M.M.

Posted in: cubao,italian,Italian Food,panna cotta,pasta,pizza,quezon city,restaurant,restaurant reviews,rustic,va pensiero