Authentic Italian Food!
If you haven’t eaten in Amici yet, then I suggest that you hear mass in Don Bosco Makati and right after mass, walk towards Amici which is located under the pasay road/ arnaiz st. It is authentic Italian cuisine brought to us by one of the entreprenurial Italian Salesian Priest, Fr. Gianlugi Colombo, SDB. Now, having said that it is authentic, it means that its not the Italian food that we grew up in Manila — Spaghetti that is sweet with red meat sauce. Here are my assessment of the Amici food so that you can calibrate your expectations when eating here:
1. Canteen ambiance. The entire resto has a canteen feel to it, and it is self service. This would mean you have to order pizza, pasta, and gelato from their respective counters and they will give you a number. There’s a long line sometimes and the food delivery is slow so I would suggest to avoid the main dining hours.
2. Italian food for a price. The food is expensive and I think just rightfully so since it’s kinda authentic and I’m hoping that some of the profits goes to a good cause by the salesian priest. Pizza costs around P240 while the pasta goes from a range of P120-P170. The gelato goes for P35 per scoop.
3. I love the home-cooked Italian taste! Now this is debatable because Filipino does not like the Italian taste which is bland, and sometimes sour in taste. You can certainly distinguish the taste from the commercial italian restos and the jollibee spaghetti taste. The pizza by the way is wood fire pizza so it tastes great except that sometimes there are some burned portions. Try Pizza #10 Four Seasons, #23 Al 4 Formaggi, and #24 Tutta Carne. On the pasta, try out #15 Spaghetti Vongole e Gamberetti (seafood pasta) and the Lobster Linguine. The gelato is addicting — try out the vanilla with nuts.
By the way, there are cooking lessons available for P1,500 for 6 hours and the session varies. I actually would have an idea to propose a teambuilding cooking sessions with the priest and see how it goes. The number to call are: 893-8915 for the cooking lessons.
Their ice cream beats the more expensive brands big time! Even though I’m an agustinian, i have to hand it to the salesians :P. The food is really good.
oh yes the old agustinian rivalry. Glad you like it too, dboy!
I can only be remorseful of the fact that … I didn’t hear about this place sooner! 🙂
yeah, what I like most is still the gelato though.
is it necessary to make a reservation at amici?
no. it’s a canteen style setup and on a self service basis. It is close on Sunday.
i was there last night and i couldnt describe it any better than u did in this post. i had to link this to my blog! that place was amazing!
i was there last night and i couldnt describe it any better than u did in this post. i had to link this to my blog! thanks! that place was amazing!
Glad you liked it Rona! I was also there in the afternoon and they have this cinnamon bread that is so unresistable that I had to buy a loaf for P100.
Thanks for the link up.
Anton
May I just have the email address of Amici di Don Bosco? Only the telephone number is indicated. It would be better if Amici’s staff can post their email address for inquiries on cooking lessons.
Thanks.
Yes, the food is good. Chocolates at the pizza paying counter are quite inexpensive. The canteen ambiance may turn off a few but imagine it with less tables and fewer people and you’d get that kind of an atmosphere in a small Italian eatery. Reminds me of the small restaurant my wife and I dined in while visiting Siena in the Tuscan region. Simple food and lots of conversations going on all at the same time!
Parking is a challenge so just park at Walter Mart across Pasong Tamo and walk to Amici. Lunch is crowded but people hardly stay after eating so you’re bound to get a table sooner or later.
Yes, the gelato’s the best. And cheap, too!
Ayi
thanks! This is one of the places I really like and still undiscovered by most folks, unfortunately.
Anton
If it’s a Sunday and you have a craving for their gelati (Amici being closed on Sundays), you can get a fix from their stand on the second floor of Waltermart in front of the supermarket – they also sell 6-packs of their ensaymadas there. My 6-year old nephew and I would go there every Sunday for their yummy gelati. The gelati are sold in pints, too, around P150/pint the last time I was there.
Went there looking for the lobster linguine. Wasn’t on the menu so I asked about it. The staff looked at me like they never heard of it before. Was it a daily special when you went?
Hi,
If you like Amici, i’d like to recommend Azure Cafe, Dela Rosa corner Esteban St., Legaspi Village. They have good pasta and paninis 🙂
Best try the Adobo Pasta and the Chorizo Pasta 🙂
Oh, and they’re ChocNut Shake…
It’s been around for about 5 years na. If you haven’t been I suggest you check it out 🙂
amici’s strawberry ice cream is yum! real strawberries, goody! amici seems to be gaining recognition in the makati area.
i just love everything here! especially the gelato! everytime i have a lunch break from la salle, i go all the way to amici!
actually, i just graduated last sat. =)
actually, i just graduated last sat. =)
I promised my gf an authentic italian dinner so I brought her to amici last night. (I inititally heard about amici in an internet forum)
Amici is like an airconditioned cafeteria with a lot of patrons.
If its your first time to go to amici, you wouldn’t know where to begin. Good thing i was able to read an article about it beforehand…this sometimes drives her nuts… she thinks that I’ve been there with a different girl…hahaha!
There are 3 counters inside amici, one for pizza/gelato/desserts, another for pasta/drinks and another for panini/cafe/bakery.
We first went and ordered pizza, we got #24 Tutta Carne. Then we lined up at the pasta counter and got a lasagna (so-so!), a montanara (yummy!) and a 1.5 liter of coke (isipin mo na lang naka bottomless coke ka).
For dessert, we got a blueberry and a cheese flavored gelato. I also ordered sansrival for her.
After dinner, we were so stuffed!
I loved the montanara. The lasagna wasn’t so great. I liked the pizza but she said it tasted a little bland. We both loved the gelato.
My only rant is their lack of parking space. We had to park at waltermart and walk to amici.
We’re definitely going back to try more of their pastas, pizzas and gelatos.
love this place…the place is so-so but its clean and the food is topnotch…!:)
certified bosconian product! pro deo et patria
Hey Anton! That is true, most Filipinos have staunched away from Italian fare because of its seemingly bland flavors, which can be contributed to many factors, from the freshness and quality of ingredients to the chef who’s making the dish. This is not debatable, as Italian cuisine is simply made and individuals have to use the best ingredients to bring out those flavors. Also, Filipinos have been trained to eat and cook strong flavored dishes, which is highly contested in Italy.
Yes, Amici is delicious, but could still improve on different levels. Also, it isn’t that expensive vis-a-vis Carpaccio and the other Italian restos that serve rustic Italian cuisine at very expensive prices. Hehe and I read another blogger suggesting for Amici a place to date, I don’t suggest it at all, if your planning to have a romantic time with this setting.
P.S. Authentic pizzarias in Italy actually burn the sides of the crust, which adds a bitterness element truly worth noticing with wood fire pizzas. Also, Jolibee fails in comparison and must never be compared to Amici cuisine 🙂
I love Amici! One of the best! =)
i’ve attended one of their pizza classes. it was fun because our italian teacher shared some pizza secrets, trivias and lots of funny stories, like how much he hates greenwich pizzas but that’s his wife’s favorite (and his wife is italian, too). of course, favorite part was making and eating our own pizzas. 🙂
and omg, i love amici’s gelato. unbeatable. ü
The gelato is not 35 per scoop. You choose between 10 single 20 double and 35 cup
does amici cater?
i heard somewhere that amici is closing! they said that some people were criticizing the priests who run the place. 🙁
I think they are selling the whole place coz they can no longor maintain it…
Foods are superb, from pasta to pizza to desser wow
We are there every sat
wow..ganda na ng amici di don bosco, namis ko 2loy mga fud dyn & especially mga co workers ko dyn dati..sarap ng pasta at ice cream gwa ni mareng aida at ate cristy. musta sa mga offset operators dyn & ol da teachers.. hope 2 c u soon..
hello, for those who aren’t in the makati area but are somewhere in ortigas, i strongly suggest you try going to abbondanza pizzeria ristorante (it’s on the ground floor of the crescent condominium on san miguel avenue/amethyst drive, right across university of asia & the pacific). it’s a newly opened restaurant whose staff was trained by chef giorgio of amici de don bosco. they have in their menu a wide range of pasta, pizza, as well as the famous gelato. try out their signature abbondanza pizza – it’s nearly 3 foot long and good for the barkada!
what time is amici open? 🙂 is it still open??
cheers to good unpretentious italian food! i haven’t been to amici but i’m really excited to taste everything. is it still open?
thank you, henry cachola for the tip on abbondanza. i was there a few nights ago with family, and the food was superb. i daresay some entrees are better than amici, even if they indeed have a conveyor oven and not a brick one. tried their minestrone [veggie soup, wow!], caponata [stewed veggies, a happy surprise!], tagliatelle al adriatico [shrimp pasta, hope i got the spelling right…ooo lala!], pollo arosto [yum…], and vegetarian pizza [double yun…]. and the gelato and coffee caps it all! will definitely be back.
thank you, henry cachola for the tip on abbondanza. i was there a few nights ago with family, and the food was superb. i daresay some entrees are better than amici, even if they indeed have a conveyor oven and not a brick one. tried their minestrone [veggie soup, wow!], caponata [stewed veggies, a happy surprise!], tagliatelle al adriatico [shrimp pasta, hope i got the spelling right…ooo lala!], pollo arosto [yum…], and vegetarian pizza [double yun…]. and the gelato and coffee caps it all! will definitely be back.
if I’m taking public transport, how do I get there? want to try this resto. thanks!
to aimei, if your inquiry about directions is to go to abbondanza, the best way to get there by public transport is to take a bus [from either makati or qc]on edsa, get off at shangrila mall, and walk through the mall to san miguel avenue. or if you can pass via shaw, get off at san miguel avenue and walk towards ortigas center. its at the ground floor of crescent condo, almost opposite san miguel. may union bank and psbank sa harap. may entry [small one] at the side of the building from san miguel avenue, but the main entrance is along amethyst at the back of the building. enjoy!!!
i LOVE amici! our family ordered the sans rival, tiramisu and mango brava for our new year’s get together and everyone loved it!
Amici is now owned and managed by the former owners of red ribbon (it being sold to jolibee already). Amici just opened a new branch (great place, great interiors) alont t morato street in qc. Same food, better service,same price. I noticed lang they cut down on the menu items
News, calendar, member events, public policy and visitor information.
Please post the menu and price list. Does Amici accept credit cards? am planning to give a thank you blowount sometime 3rd week of May. thanks and more power!
whats the address of new branch at morato? whats the exact location and contact # pls? well go there this week. tnx!
The new branch at Tomas Morato is located at Bellagio Square, #243 Tomas Morato, cor. Sct. Fuentebella Street, Quezon City.
For me?? AMICI are the best of all italian Restaurant,, Please come and visit their newly branches at 243 Bellagio Square Tomas Morato Cor. Scout Fuentebella Quezon City,, and SM Megamall at 3rd floor,, Hanapin nyo na lang..
thier gelatos and pizzas are heaven. also thier sausage. its my super favorite. although, i liked it better nung yung mga priests pa ung nagmamanage ng place kasi it’s now managed by red ribbon (if i’m not mistaken) na. medyo nagicrease ung prices nya
BRANCHES
Bellagio Square – T. Morato Don Bosco and SM Megamall Atrium
CuisineItalian, PizzaAmbianceCasualSpecialtiesPizza, Pasta, Gelato, Salads, Appetizers, House Specials, Dolci and CoffeePaymentCashBudgetP200 – P499ProfileFrom the printing press canteen started by Salesian Italian missionary Fr. Gianluigi Colombo, Amici di Don Bosco Incorporated was established in 2001. The Italian canteen, which was first known for its home-made Italian gelato, became a popular choice of the general Makati public for value-for-money food. In 2003, pastas and wood fire oven-cooked pizzas were added to its roster of authentic Italian offerings.
The volume of its patrons magnified in a matter of months and Amici di Don Bosco earned the fame it now enjoys even outside the Makati public. Nonetheless, with this success comes the need for a more dynamic management system. Realizing that the restaurant business was not its core competence, the Salesians agreed to a complete buy-out of Amici di Don Bosco by Mr. Danny Moran and Mr. Iboy Pinga.
In November 2007, the entity was relaunched as simply “Amici” under Amici Foodservice Ventures Incorporated. At present, it is still known for the Salesian legacy of authentic Italian menu at very affordable prices and now has three branches in Don Bosco, Makati, Tomas Morato and SM Megamall. Its Greenhills branch will open middle of 2009.
The Amici di Don Bosco Experience
Chef Giorgio and Father Francis of Amici di Don Bosco serve up authentic Italian dishes at Manila’s favorite lunch time trattoria. After seeing how the folks at Amici make their brick oven Quattro Formaggio pizza, creamy gelato and different homemade pastas and breads, you’ll understand why so many people equate Amici with both authentic Italian cuisine and quality service – the Salesian way.