I first discovered Va Bene Pasta Deli back in 2012 back in their first and only branch, on top of a gas station along EDSA in Makati. It was just a literal hole in the wall type of restaurant but it offers the BEST Italian dishes not only in Manila but it is comparable to authentic Italian meals I've actually had in Italy.
Fortunately, 8 years later, with their second branch in BGC Central on the top floor near the cinemas, their consistency, service and taste never changed and just keeps getting better with newer dishes added to their menu from time to time. Yet, I still prefer their classics!
Va Bene also provides some complimentary bruschetta (chopped tomatoes with basil and olive oil and parmesan cheese with the side of their own melba toast) while you wait for your orders. It's really simple but addicting.
I always start with their Polipo Salad. I only like a few salads (I am very pick with my veggies) and this is my second favorite salad. Why? Because of its generous amount of thinly sliced braised octopus. Then mixed with sliced olives, capers, sun-dried tomatoes and oranges drizzled with lemon dressing and topped with fresh parmesan. The vegetables used in this dish is usually arugula but whenever they run out, they'll inform you that they will be using romaine lettuce, which is also goes well with the toppings.
Polipo Salad
Another thing to add is their Polpette, which are their homemade Italian meatballs in hearty tomato sauce. An order comes with 2 meatballs which is good for sharing for 2-3 persons. The meatballs are large, meaty and with no extenders. This is served with gorgonzola polenta or bread with gorgonzola. This is the best meatballs I've had in Manila, a definite must try for all meatball lovers out there!
Polpette -- Italian Meatballs
I also recommend their Portobello mushroom cream soup and minestrone tomato soup.
Onto the main course and Va Bene's specialty, freshly made pasta from scratch in different kinds! Quite different compared to your Italian restaurants who use ready made pasta. Va Bene offers tagliatelle, parpadelle, tagliolini, canelloni and gnocchi.
Organic Eggs, Blank Ink and Agio Olio with Mushrooms
Let me start with my personal favorite. I love cream-based pastas and Va Bene has the BEST truffle cream pasta ever. I am not exaggerating. I tried comparing theirs to a truffle cream pasta with actual truffles I had in Venice, Italy and Va Bene's tastes at par with Italian standards.
Their truffle cream is actually called Organic Eggs. Its white wine cream sauce and portobello mushrooms drizzled with truffle oil. Simple yet soooo good! The amount of sauce they put is very generous that I need more melba toast to enjoy every bit of it. They offer this with tagliatelle noodles (picture below) but you can opt to change it to tagliolini (picture above), which is my personal recommendation.
Organic Eggs Tagliatelle
Next up is their famous Black Ink Tagliolini. This is what made Va Bene famous. Pasta is made from scratch using squid ink then with mixed good quality seafood and a mix of marinara and tomato cream sauce. I can't disagree, this is really different and good. If you like to put some kick into it, ask for their homemade chili oil and drizzle some on your black ink pasta.
Black Ink Tagliolini
Another type of pasta is their Gnocchi. Gnocchi is basically small, thick and soft dough dumplings. I'm not a fan of it but its worth a try. Va Bene offers Nonna Gnocchi, shrimps with creamy buttery sauce and asiago cheese.
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Nonna Gnocchi
Another pasta I'd recommend is their Spinach Canneloni. Its like a rolled lasagna with ham, spinach and cheese inside then baked in light tomato cream sauce.
For dessert, don't forget to order their TIRAMISU! Two thumbs up for this! Va Bene uses lots of mascarpone in this which makes its delicious.
Tiramisu
So, if you haven't tried Va Bene or this post simply made you crave, check out their website for more information and their branches.
Stay Tuned & Stay Hungry!
