Lunch at L’Incontro
Over the holidays late last year, I availed of Deal Grocer’s L’Incontro lunch set for around Php 600 (also included were a personal size pizza and a 200ml bottle of bubbly). I figured, I have been wanting to try out the restaurant for so long and since I find it difficult to tag people to go with me, I just had to make things happen. Also, I thought the voucher was pretty worth it, below is the run down of what was included with the meal.
The restaurant has that country house feel with its airy atmosphere and dark wood furniture. I had to call up a day before to reserve and we were seated right away when we arrived. The tables had a simple setting with green and tomato salsa prepared for the bread that they will soon serve.
The breads were freshly baked, warm and crisp on the crust. They were delightful, they came in little chunks that were just right for about two bites. The tomato and pesto sauces were quite addicting, with fresh ingredients and rich flavours. Both the bread and the sauces can get you full as the server was going around every now and then to keep replenishing our saucer.
Soon after, the soup came in a big shallow bowl. It was tomato bisque with grilled tomato and white cheese. The soup was pulpy and the texture of tomato was everywhere. It tasted sour with an occasional salty taste brought about by the cheese. I liked it.
For the main, it was a choice among grilled swordfish, scallopine saltimbocca or pollo parmiggiano. I got the pollo parmiggiano or chicken parmesan which came with a side of penne pomodoro. The serving was not meant for sharing and I think it wouldn’t satisfy quite a heavy eater. In any case, the chicken was baked in parmesan breadcrumbs, it tasted good and it was moist. It was also creamy because of the cheese on top but something that I was tired of easily because of the balance that the tomato sauce gave. The penne on the side was al dente but too dry for my taste.
My brother had the scallopine saltimbocca which was pork wrapped in thinly sliced prosciutto. The meat was tender but I did not taste the impact of the prosciutto. I have this fondness towards prosciutto because it is usually extra salty but I did not quite get that with this meal, I wouldn’t have realized I actually ate prosciutto until I read the menu again. Nevertheless, the mushroom sauce was great but sadly the potatoes on the side was quite bland.
We also availed of the personal size roasted garlic pizza which was made with garlic, white wine, cream and sage. It was thin and light. The taste of the cheese was excellent, evident and salty. It came in about 8 squares of 1.5” x 1.5”.
Outside of the lunch set, we ordered a serving of Spaghetti Aglio Olio (Php 410)which was composed of toasted garlic tossed in EVOO and fresh Italian herbs. The pasta was served al dente and the garlic flavour was all over. It was however slightly more oily than what I’m used to at Cantinetta, but nevertheless good. This also comes in a side portion (Php 130).
The dessert took a little longer for them to prepare, I’m guessing because the cake took a little while to be baked. When it finally arrived, I couldn’t wait to dig in to it. It was warm chocolate cake with salted orange caramel and vanilla gelato. It looked beautiful and the combination of the warm and cold is always alluring for me. The cake was moist, it would have been better if it had melted chocolate inside but I’m not exactly complaining because I loved the crispness of the outside of the cake. It was moist, freshly out of the oven and chocolate flavoured, what’s not to like? The gelato added that edge for this dessert. Not exactly original but executed well.
We had the Prosecco, a kind of champagne, to drink but I’m not very good at describing wines, really. I will have to take some lessons for that but I liked that it was clean tasting and easy on the throat. It also had quite a kick.
I would like to go back to try out the restaurant’s specialty really and hopefully, during dinner. I loved the ambiance in this place, very conducive for conversations. The service was good except when it came to serving the dessert, but aside from that, the staff were accommodating and approachable.
Okay, who wants to go back with me? 
L’Incontro Ristorante Italiano
207 Nicanor Garcia St. (former Reposo)
Bgy. Bel-Air, Makati City
(63-2) 8990635 or 38
