Bringing ravioli (say what?) to the masses

MANILA, Philippines—Ravioli is a pasta dish where meat, vegetables or cheese are put in the dough, creating a sort of pasta “pillow.” It is widely believed to have originated in Italy, and is a popular dish in several European countries.

ITALIAN food has an image of being a high-end cuisine.

In the Philippines, Filipinos have associated ravioli with the upper class’ fine dining menu. Something that is often found only in the menus of high-end restaurants or classy hotels, raviolis are not kiddie party staples or part of the holiday feast. Ravioli, as the name itself sounds, is still foreign for the ordinary Filipino.

But one local Italian bistro is bent on changing that notion and introducing ravioli to the masses. And unlike popular and more established Italian restaurants which serve store-bought pastas, this bistro makes its own pasta as well as its own cheese, dips, and processed meats. And their menu prices are unbelievably cheap with pasta dishes all under P150.

Bistro Ravioli prides itself in serving fresh pastas which come out of their own pasta making machines. Every morning, their highly-trained staff gets busy making pasta noodles and raviolis with different fillings. This batch of pastas are served for customers until after lunch time. Come early afternoon, they again make new batches for the evening crowd. This way, the customers are assured of the freshness of the pastas they order.

BISTRO Ravioli makes its own pasta everyday.

Though this system is labor-intensive, Bistro Ravioli manages to serve pastas, especially raviolis, cheaper than other food establishments. Princess Pilarta, who owns the bistro with her husband, Chuck, and brother in law, Raymond, believes that raviolis should be enjoyed not only by the upper class, because, like other popular pasta dishes such as spaghetti and lasagna, raviolis can also be appreciated by everyone.

Foodcourt kiosk

Tasting freshly made pastas caught Princess’ and Chuck’s interest from their travels abroad. They were amazed how different pastas taste when fresh as opposed to those store-bought, as often served in Italian restaurants.

Seeing how easy it is to make their own pasta, and knowing that a lot of people would also appreciate eating them fresh, the couple approached Chuck’s brother Raymond, a professional chef, and made a business proposal. One thing they all agreed on, is that it’s time for ravioli to be brought to the masses.

In June 2009, the Pilartas opened “Ravioli” in Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas. It was just a kiosk in the middle of the foodcourt, but it easily caught the attention of the shoppers. A part of the kiosk was made into a kitchen-cum-showroom, where a trained kitchen staff makes pastas, churning them out from the pasta maker. People took notice and watched it, a la “live cooking show.”

PRINCESS Pilarta

The idea was a big hit as people started flocking in to watch the “performance”, they got curious as to how these end products would taste like.

“We really wanted to serve ravioli to the ‘masa’. We know that the concentration of the people is in the foodcourt, that’s why we decided to go for that slot. We started with a simple menu of four pastas and four ravioli dishes, menu that are simple and known by the common people,” Princess says.

During this time, the kiosk was noticed by several bloggers, who gave reviews of their dishes. Word got around about a foodcourt kiosk serving dishes that are usually seen only in high-end restaurants.

Soon, people from SM noticed Ravioli and asked them to make a business proposal. After impressing them with their concept (and their tasty dishes), the Pilartas were given a generous space in SM Mall of Asia, where they can set up a bistro and serve more dishes, including brick oven-baked pizzas—an upgrade from their original stall.

Italian test

“Bistro Ravioli” in SM Mall of Asia opened in December 2009, and was such a hit, especially during the weekends where families come in droves. People from all classes come in to check out their food, which, despite the upgrade in ingredients and servings, still come out cheaper than other Italian food establishments.

What was interesting is that they sometimes have Italian customers who try out the fresh raviolis themselves.

“Our Italian customers say they love our pastas and raviolis, and the dishes remind them of home,” Princess shares.

In November 2010, another branch was opened, this time in the Midtown Wing of Robinsons Place in Ermita. Unlike in SM MOA, most of the customers they get in the Ermita branch are students and office employees.

Among their products, the consistent bestsellers are the Spinach and Feta Cheese Ravioli and the Italian Sausage Ravioli. The cheese and sausages are from Chuck’s father’s processed food business. The kitchen is overseen by Raymond, who also makes new dishes for the menu. This setup assures the customers that only fresh and quality products are served in the bistros.

With the SM Mall of Asia outlet, the Robinsons Ermita branch and the kiosk in Galleria, the Pilartas have successfully brought ravioli to the masses. Families, students, office workers, casual mall goers, all have been introduced to a dish that was once upon a time too foreign for them.

A third bistro is opening soon in Glorietta, and this next challenge is conquering the Makati crowd. But with a solid concept and great dishes, the Pilartas are up for this new challenge.