When you think authentic homemade pasta, you really don’t think San Pedro, Laguna. But that’s exactly what Restaurant Delina proposes. They say they are obsessed with authentic pasta, and that claim holds a lot of weight, as I have taken to preparing pasta dishes at home and can smell the cream in a carbonara from a mile away.
When my wife did some Googling and found this restaurant, I was excited to try their Italian dishes. But as we prepared to go, I have to be honest, I had a little trepidation, as I have been disappointed in restaurants that likewise claimed Italian authenticity. This being the case, I tried to keep my expectations in check as we buckled up and got ready for a quick road trip for this, our full Resto run review.
The drive
Delina’s website claimed that it was only thirty minutes from Makati, and we were quite shocked as to how accurate it was. For those who don’t know, San Pedro is one of the first cities of Laguna that you will encounter on the southbound side of the South Luzon Expressway, so it is quite near, especially if you take Skyway.
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Travel time was as advertised, and we found ourselves in some light traffic, coming up to San Pedro exit with time to spare. What shocked me was just how close the restaurant was from the exit. It is just around 50 meters from the toll booth. In fact, it was so close to the toll, that it was even before the left turn to return via the northbound side of the San Pedro exit. This meant that access from SLEX was extremely convenient.
Parking and accessibility
Here’s where the venue shows some limitations. It is in a small commercial complex that shares its parking with a Starbucks. This means that while there are a lot of parking slots on site, these slots need to be shared with the patrons of the other establishments in the area. This results in a double-parking situation, which may annoy some, especially during peak hours.
As for accessibility, unfortunately, Delina is located on the second floor of the complex, and there is no elevator, with access limited to a single staircase leading to the restaurant. It isn’t terribly high, but it does mean that those with limited mobility might find it a challenge to reach the restaurant.
Venue
It is a quaint and small bistro-style restaurant with a good homey vibe. I wish they could showcase their homemade pasta making more, as they do in restaurants like A Mano, but the open-sided kitchen will do.
There is ample space, but on weekends, expect the need to reserve in advance, as seats fill up fast. Thankfully, we were able to grab a table in the al fresco area, one of only two outdoor tables.
Food experience
Before even talking about the food, kudos have to go to our server, Franco. He was extremely attentive, very accommodating, and provided updates and even adjustments to our drinks when we found them a tad too sweet.
As to the food, mamma mia, it was about perfect. We started with the fried burrata, which was encrusted beautifully, and it melted and stretched out upon being pulled apart. It wasn’t too salty and blended beautifully with the surrounding pomodoro sauce.
For our pasta, we tried two: the spicy vodka mafaldine, and the carbonara. The former was made with fresh pasta, and you could tell. The mafaldine pasta was rich and had a proper bounce to each bite. The sauce had an underlying spice level that was dialed in with perfection, and it was a hearty and delicious dish.
The carbonara, called the ‘OG carbonara,’ was about the best version of the dish we have tried in a restaurant, made traditionally with pecorino romano, grana padano, and hearty portions of guanciale. We were ecstatic to see that the cheeses were applied liberally, and the emulsification with the pasta meant that it made for a dish that was silky and blended perfectly. Some might find it a bit salty with the guanciale, but this is absolutely a masterclass in how a carbonara is supposed to be made. No cream used here, thankfully.
Lastly, we also tried the porcini-crusted ribeye. It was the priciest part of the meal, but the USDA Prime steak was crusted and cooked to perfection. We would put it at just under Mamou-level of ribeye, and while it could have used a bit more oil on the plate, it was still a very good, if a bit pricey, steak.
Value for money
It is easy to balk at the prices of the pastas, with the two dishes hovering at or about P700 each, but that would be simplifying it a bit too much. From someone who makes carbonara at home, just buying the pecorino and the guanciale that goes into a simple carbonara, it can easily go up in price to the point that eating here may be the more logical choice.
The steak was a bit pricey, at P885/100g, and the smallest steak of the day being 400g, it meant that it was not just on a par with Mamou for taste, but for price as well. To be fair, for a steak in San Pedro, it is one of the best options we have tried in the south despite the relatively steep price.
That being said, if you are in the market for authentic homemade pasta dishes, a taste of Italy if you will, these are some of the best pastas you can try locally. We would recommend that you try this carbonara at least once, only so you know that this is how a carbonara should taste, and it will put most others to shame.
Conclusion
Delina is such a hidden gem that it would be so tempting to gatekeep it. It is easy to get to, is quaint, and has an extremely authentic Italian experience that makes it worth trying, if only to set your standards for pasta at an ‘Italian’ level.
It is a bit pricey, but know that if you do make it out here to try their pasta, you will come away happy and unable to resist telling the world just how perfect their pasta is.
Score: 9/10
Travel time from Manila: 30 mins
Budget: P1,000-P3,000 per head (depends on whether you have the steak or not)
Website/Reservations: Restaurant Delina
More photos of Top Gear Philippines’ visit to Restaurant Delina:
