Lunch at La Spezia MNL

I took my family to La Spezia MNL to celebrate my nephew's birthday.

House specialty: Spaghetti Al Tartufo Nero with real truffles

I learned about this place when I was searching for good restaurants. I wanted our lunch venue to be extra special since my nephew missed our lunch at Raging Bull last year. I checked the menu of La Spezia and when I saw that they had steak which I wanted my nephew to have, I decided this would be the perfect place to celebrate his birthday.

There were ten of us so we ordered a lot of food. For starters, we got the Burrata (P650), which is buffalo mozzarella served with charred corn, cherry tomatoes, basil and sea salt. 

Burrata

For our salad, we got the Arugula Insalata (P570). It has baby arugula from Tagaytay served with Genovese pesto, tomatoes, 18-month Parmigiano-Reggiano, and extra virgin olive oil.

Arugula Insalata

Since La Spezia is an Italian restaurant, we naturally had to have some pasta dishes. We ordered a few, including the Spaghetti Aglio Pesca (P720). This spaghetti dish has clams, shrimp, and squid and is served with garlic, Parmigiano-Regiano, and extra virgin olive oil. I got to try a bit of this and I think it may be my favorite pasta dish that we ordered.

Spaghetti Aglio Pesca

The Spaghetti Alla Carbonara (P650) is served with a 63-degree Celsius sous vide egg, guanciale, 18mo Parmigiano-Reggiano, and extra virgin olive oil.

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

The highlight of our pasta dish orders was the Spaghetti Al Tartufo Nero (P1,360). It is served with guanciale, a 'convento' vino reduced sauce, walnut cream, and 18-month Parmigiano-Reggiano. What makes it extra special (and very expensive) is the fact that it is served with actual
PERIGORD black truffles. There's even a special table presentation: they brought a box of truffles to our table, sliced them, weighed the slices on a food scale, then served the truffles on top of the spaghetti. This whole ritual made the dish feel even more special than it already was.

Table presentation of the Spaghetti Al Tartufo Nero

We also got the Risotto Milanese (P820), which is Arborio rice with Spanish saffron, bone marrow, 12-year old balsamic vinegar, 18-month Parmigiano-Reggiano, and extra virgin olive oil.

Risotto Milanese

Aside from pasta, we also got some main courses, including the Pancetta di Maiale (P720). This is a 16-hour Sous Vide Pork Belly served with polenta, apple pork jus, and extra virgin olive oil.

Pancetta di Maiale

My nephew ordered the Vino Rosso Agnello (P1,050), a 4-hour Stewed Lamb Shank served with Guanciale, shallots, button mushrooms, pancetta, and polenta. While I didn't get to try this, my nephew really enjoyed it.

Vino Rosso Agnello

Then of course, we had the steak. I ordered the 1Kg Bistecca Certified Angus Beef Rib-eye (P5,200) as soon as we arrived but it took some time to prepare so it arrived at our table towards the end of our meal. It was a really good steak and despite the fact that everyone had eaten quite a lot already by the time the rib-eye was served, we still managed to consume it fully.

Bistecca Certified Angus Beef Rib-eye

We ended our meal with Tiramisu (P380). Their version is a bit different in that it has ice cream.

Tiramisu

It was a great meal and my family and I really enjoyed all the food. I can understand why La Spezia MNL has gotten a lot of good reviews. It's pretty expensive so it's not for everyday consumption but it's perfect for special occasions. I also really like the ambiance and the service was superb. I'm really happy that I picked this place.

La Spezia MNL
https://www.facebook.com/LaSpezia.MNL/
Address: 90 Sct. Dr. Lazcano St, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila
Phone: (02) 7960 6903