COCONUTS HOT SPOT—Rafaelle is a fitting name for a restaurant that prides itself on making wood-fired pizzas. Rafaelle Esposito is an Italian baker who is believed to have invented the pizza in 19th century Italy.
You certainly get a historical vibe from the third floor of The Bayleaf hotel: the floor-to-ceiling windows look out to the 16th century walls of Intramuros and, further beyond, the green turf of Club Intramuros Golf Course and gorgeous clock tower of Manila City Hall.
But you don’t come here just for the pizza. The menu boasts Spanish and Italian dishes inventively executed by a 37-year-old chef with parts of his arms covered in tattoos. Don’t judge, it’s creative expression. Luckily for us, he also pours out his creative juices in the kitchen.
At least three people at our table were surprised to find a hotel in Intramuros, but Bayleaf has been around three years now, consistently getting good reviews for its top-floor restaurant Nine Spoons and the Sky Deck rooftop bar where you get an impressive view of the pier—lovely sight at night, seriously. Now, it has added Rafaelle as another reason to make the trek to old Manila.
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THE LOOK
Inside Rafaelle (the last e is pronounced), the look is chic and modern. The rectangular space it occupies used to be a terrace for smokers. Now a bar has been added at the farthest end, and purple and mint green chairs add a refreshing two-tone palette to what would otherwise be a dull, brown room with deck flooring.
On the afternoon we visited, students from the nearby colleges laid out a picnic blanket and had lunch on top of the Intramuros wall. With Rafaelle’s killer view, it also feels like you’re dining outdoors when you’re really indoors. You’ll be thankful of that luxury of having a roof over your head when it starts pouring outside, as it did midway through our meal. Poor students.
THE GRUB
You will feel like kicking off your shoes and cancelling your appointments for the day when the waiter serves you the Caprese salad (PHP370++), big tomato slices padded with fresh mozzarella drizzled with vinaigrette and aged balsamic.
It’s either that or the Tritato (price unavailable), assorted vegetables with walnuts, fresh egg yolk cracked open by the waiter and—just in case you’re not really that into vegetables—generous slices of Italian cured meat.
The serving portions here are big enough to share, though we doubt you’ll need help finishing off a bowl of Vongole Blanco (PHP380++), freshly bought clams cooked in garlic, tomatoes, chili and white wine. Pair this with Gamberetti (PHP380++), bouncy shrimps cooked with preserved lemons, garlic, chili and almonds, then thank us afterwards.
Executive chef Carlo Santiago belongs to the first batch of Center for Culinary Arts graduates and is passionate about Italian and Spanish cuisine. He is a happy person and we can taste the love in his dishes.
The ox tongue in the Lingua con Tonnato (price unavailable) is so tender, it’s like eating butter. Santiago says he is fascinated with foie gras and was aiming for that texture. A light tuna mayonnaise lubricates the meat while roasted bell peppers give it bite.
The Bolognese (PHP390++) pasta is firm and all kinds of wonderful, with a combination of meat sauce, mint pesto and goat cheese covering each tortiglioni shell before it kicks, jumps and performs a pas de trois in your mouth.
Grilled lamb ribs (PHP750++) from Australia are cooked sous-vide for 10 hours (the juice from the first two hours are thrown away), sent to the chiller and kept there until it’s time for grilling on wood fire. The meat is tender to the bone, the flavor delicate, you won’t need mint jelly to cover a strong taste.
The wood-fire oven, of course, is where the 13-inch thin-crust pizzas, sliced in eight triangles, are baked. The four-cheese pizza (PHP500++) uses gorgonzola, provolone, mozzarella and parmesan, while the Porchetta Pizze (PHP750++), unexpectedly creamy, has roasted pork, ricotta, tomato, anchovies and pistachio, though the dominant flavors were the anchovies and cheese.
The Italians, god bless them, gave to the world not just pizza but also tiramisu (PHP350++), a coffee-flavored dessert that at Rafaelle comes in a big bowl and layered with a mixture of eggs, sugar and mascarpone cheese, and topped with chocolate.
The flourless warm chocolate cake (PHP350++) is served steaming hot. You have the option of pouring crème Anglaise (custard) if you prefer to make it sweeter, which is unlikely. There’s also macerated fruits served with ricotta (PHP360++) on the menu but, really, who are we kidding? This Dolici al Ciocollato—like the restaurant—takes the cake.
Rafaelle, 3/F The Bayleaf Intramuros, Muralla cor Victoria Sts, Intramuros, Manila; www.thebayleaf.com.ph, +63 2 3283170. Daily 11am-11pm.
Dishes with no price available are not on the menu as of this writing. Call ahead to order.
Photos: James P. Ong
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