There’s another ‘secret’ Italian resto in QC

La Spezia’s truffle pasta stands out —PHOTOS BY LA SPEZIA

One of Filipinos’ favorite cuisines is Italian food. There is something about the sharp flavors, hearty servings and family-style plating that simply resonates with the Filipino palate—from retail king Shakey’s to gourmet pizzerias like Gino’s Pizza and from classy old school restaurants like Bellissimo and Carusso to mall outlets like Italianni’s, Va Bene and Cibo—Italian restaurants are a constant go-to for Filipino gatherings.

Joining this list of Italian restaurants that Filipinos love is a quaint little space in Quezon City called La Spezia.

The menu is short, almost curt. Because of the limited selections, I thought that the restaurant had just opened. Apparently not. La Spezia has been around since 2016 and was even named Quezon City’s Best New Restaurant back then.

But what appears to be limited is actually not. On my visit with friends, we were looking for choices beyond what was offered. But after ordering a starter, a specialty pasta, the house risotto, chicken and seafood, we were extremely satisfied. The menu wasn’t that limited after all.

No wonder on the Sunday night we visited, the place was packed twice over. (Given, it’s a small space, fitting perhaps two dozen inside and another dozen al fresco.) Some prominent QC personalities happened to also be present the night we dined.

The restaurant’s charred calamari dish exemplifies its commitment to freshness.

The waiter sings praises for the burrata, but I sought out a more unique starter instead: their polenta fritters. This was an incredibly good start. Delicately crispy outside, uber soft but textured inside, it is way better and tasted much healthier than the usual mozzarella sticks of Philippine-based Italian restaurants. I actually wanted to place another order of this after my meal in lieu of dessert, with an extra glass of wine of course.

I have not been able to taste all their pastas but if the one we had is a testament to all their pastas, then they can stand proud. We ordered the truffle pasta and I think we got lucky because it happened to be the first time they were incorporating fresh truffles—not just truffle oil or cream—in the dish.

Aside from the truffles, also noteworthy is how perfectly al dente the noodles are. Whoever is running the kitchen has hit his Italian groove.

The risotto was likewise impressive. Again, such commendable texture and flavor, it can probably convince a Keto devotee to lose his soul.

The proteins were excellent as well. Chicken and couscous seems like too simple a dish but our dinner guest of honor, makeup artist and Phibrows specialist Mayone Balbarin, loved it for being a refreshing dish. Our other guest, Sally Vargas, loved the charred calamari stuffed with risotto, a dish which I think best exemplified the kitchen’s commitment to preparing items that are fresh and familiar yet uncommon.

Based on La Spezia’s Instagram page, it seems the restaurant constantly adds new items to the menu. This makes me glad because after that first visit, I’m definitely coming back for more.

I must also mention the benefit of eating in the faraway land of Quezon City. After all that eating and two glasses of recommendable everyday wine, the bill only added up to P3,300! Affordable gourmet bingeing at its best, you can come here everyday.

La Spezia’s delicious starter

La Spezia

90 Scout Lazcano Street, Laging Handa, near Tomas Morato Diliman, Quezon City. Reservations recommended, call 0917-3178992. Major credit cards accepted, wheelchair accessible, limited parking. Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

More from the author at margauxlicious.com.