Salvatore Cuomo's Italian Fine Dining in Uptown Parade, BGC
Uptown Parade isn't just known for the variety of bars and clubs. It's also home to an interesting line up of restaurants, which happens to include Salvatore Cuomo, a place for Italian fine dining.
I happened to stumbled upon this place when my siblings and I met up with our cousin, nicknamed Bebe. She's already based in the US, so it was a rare opportunity for us to bond together and catch up a bit. After all, the last time I remember seeing her was perhaps more than 7 years ago. We picked this restaurant because it was a perfect candidate for some privacy and a dash of fanciness.
Modern and posh
Even from the outside, you can easily tell that Salvatore Cuomo isn't your regular diner. It is embellished with select furniture and cozy lighting. There's also a luxury of free spaces within the restaurant giving a sense of liberty along with the elegance. Without doubt, Salvatore Cuomo's ambiance is meticulously planned and intentionally intimidating.
Hence, this makes the restaurant a great candidate as a dating place or for some formal meetups.
Also, as you enter you will be slightly dazzled by the bright refraction from the steel surface of kitchen equipment. The open kitchen setup further elevates the experience, and along with it, expectations.
Curated menu
Salvatore Cuomo's selection tends to be lean, with only 3-6 entries per category. This gives it a sense of specialization, which again further built up our expectation, and considering the steep pricing, I felt obligated to raise the bar. For the night, we shared a bottle of wine, an appetizer, 2 pizza dishes and 1 risotto.
The menu and price list can be viewed in Salvatore Cuomo's website. For convenience, here's the menu.
Gnocchi Di Ricotta Patate Viola Con Tartufo (P700)
Purple Yam Gnocchi, Truffle Paste, Parmesan Cheese, Chicken Stock, Nutmeg
Playful on the palate with its soft mushy texture.There was a wonderful mix of flavors, and the subtlety worked well in bringing delight. Recommended only for those who appreciate glutinous texture and taste.
Gourmet Pizza (P880)
Grilled Portobello Mushroom, Pear, Asiago, Gorgonzola, Grana Padano, Walnuts, Rosemary
Taking out all the expectations built upon by the ambiance and price, this pizza easily captivated my palate. The dough was perfect, and the blend of toppings gave it this sweet-salty push-pull combination. Then again, expectations already built up, and for me, the wow-factor didn't measure up to its price.
In fact, if it's only taste that you are after, I suggest you go for Pizza Express in Uptown Mall (read more) instead. It gives the same satisfaction from the excellent pizza less of course the fancy ambiance.
Quattro Salumi (P750)
Margherita with 4 Kinds of Meat
Same sentiments. Pizza here are generally excellent with the impressive dough and high-quality toppings. I guess the premium is really for the ambiance.
Risotto Pomodoro e Crema Di Bufala (P890)
Arborio Rice, Tomato, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Mascarpone, Cream, Basil
This perhaps was what sort of dragged down the overall experience. First off, the servers completely forgot about the order, and was only served when our appetites were starting to wane. Second, it was outrageously sweet, and this killed all the other flavors. Needless to say, it was quite a disappointment, and order this with reservations (and request of not making it too sweet).
Even though our dining experience was ended by a not-so-fab dish, it still turned out to be quite memorable with all the funny exchanges we had with our cousin, and again the ambiance really was noteworthy. So, I guess that's really where you money goes.
Salvatore Cuomo - Overall Ratings and Summary
Note: The ratings reflect my collective personal experiences on the times I dine here.
| Ambiance: | ★★★★★ |
| Taste: | ★★★ |
| Service: | ★★★★ |
| Price/Value: | ★★★ |
| Budget: | approx. P1,000 each for a fancy dinner for a group of at least four (4), wine included |
Salvatore Cuomo's interior and ambiance is undeniably impressive. Once you step inside the restaurant, you'll be greeted by elegance exuding from the cozy lighting and modern architecture. In my opinion, this ambiance is what makes the restaurant stand out. However, like a double edged sword, it also raises expectations which this particularly dining experience was not able to fully satisfy. The complexity of the ingredients failed to manifest on the flavors, and you can easily mistaken it as "ordinary". Service was generally fast but disorganized at some point, as they forgot to key in one of our orders.
Overall, Salvatore Cuomo provided a generally satisfying dining experience. However, the premium paid on the dishes seem to be too steep considering the 'okay' dishes and the lukewarm service.
Salvatore Cuomo
Location: G/F Uptown Parade, 38th St. corner 9th Ave., Taguig, Metro Manila
Service Charge: 10% before VAT
Reservation No.: +632.7946.3072/+632.7946.3073
