Restaurant Review: Friuli Trattoria

Friuli Trattoria
79-A Maginhawa St., UP Village, Quezon City
Type of Cuisine: Italian
Average cost per person: Php 85 to Php 150 (US$2.13 - US$3.75)
Overall Rating:

A couple of our friends have been telling us about this great, relatively cheap Italian place on Maginhawa Street called Friuli. We've all been meaning to try it, even before Manila Foodistas came to be, but never really got around to doing so until now.

Friuli was a bit of disappointment. We got there around 11 in the morning and found out that they were still closed. One of the waitresses informed us that they weren't ready for customers just yet, and asked us to wait for thirty more minutes. We found it a bit odd that they'd be caught unprepared during lunch hours (11am-1pm), but okay'd the waiting. She let us in a few minutes later though, telling us to ignore the other waitress who was hastily mopping up the floor. We wanted to tell her that we were fine with waiting a little longer for them to be a little more prepared, but she had already rushed off to get our menus.

While ordering, our waitress kept running back to the kitchen to ask if the dishes we were requesting were available. To quote Mark, "Don't bother opening if you're not fully prepared, you know." While we appreciate their accommodating us, despite their being caught unprepared, we really would have rathered they got themselves a bit more customer-ready before taking people in.

For an Italian place, one would think that they would have had more variety in their choice of pasta (they had four: carbonara, puttanesca, pesto, and tuna & mushroom). Their pizzas were alright -- nothing special, of the thin crust variety, and, thankfully, not very greasy. The term "ice cream cakes" was quite deceiving. We expected your usual cake topped with ice cream, but they meant cakes made of ice cream, not made with ice cream.

Friuli was, at best, mediocre. If you're looking for good, cheap Italian food, there are better places out there.

Mozzarella Sticks (Php 125, US$3.13)
This was maybe our best order. Your usual deliciously cheesy mozzarella sticks found in pricier bistros at almost half the price. Very cheap, for 6 relatively long mozzarella sticks and an ample amount of tomato sauce. (Photo by Mark.)

Viva Venezia (Php 190, US$4.75)
For their best seller, it wasn't as good as we thought it would be. Looked and smelled fantastic but was a little on the bland side. (Photo by Joey.)




Buono Verdure (Php 170, US$4.25)
If you're particular about what you put into your mouth, this pizza may appeal to you. For a vegan pizza, it was quite pleasantly savoury. If, however, you're not a big fan of eggplant, you may not like this very much. (Photo by Mark.)

Tuna and Mushroom Pasta (Php 100, US$2.50)
The usual tuna and mushroom pasta, in cream sauce and spaghetti noodles. The sauce was a little watery in consistency. Nothing really special about this. Looks and tastes like the sort of pasta you can enjoy in your own school's cafeteria. (Photo by Mark)

Bianco Tartufo (Php 100, US$2.50)
You won't go nuts for this gelato coated with an unusual nutty flavor. The gelato tasted a bit too much like clay, and the nutty coating was a little too overpowering, which may make you leave without even getting to the "surprise" cherry center. (Photo by Joey)


Nero Tartufo (Php 100, US$2.50)
Essentially like the Bianco, only this is made from chocolate and was dusted with cocoa powder to make a faux truffle. (Photo by Mark)


After Eight (Php 85, US$2.13)
This is Bong's comfort food. Mint gelato sandwiched between two layers of rich chocolate goodness, and infused with chocolate bits -- according to Bong, who absolutely loved this, "Definitely a must try! :)" (Photo by Joey)

Pharaoh's Delight (Php 90, US$2.25)
The gelato itself was very light and refreshing, while the heaviness of the pistachio gave it a bit more character. Not very sweet, but definitely not lacking in flavour. A nice, light way to end a heavy meal. (Photo by Joey.)



Tiramisu (Php 85, US$2.13)
Their tiramisu was essentially layers of vanilla and chocolate gelato with cocoa powder sprinkled on top, and a very thin layer of liquor-soaked biscuit in the center. If you're looking for the usual goodness and texture of rum-dipped ladyfingers, this may be a little disappointing. Still a good choice for dessert though, and an interesting gelato-spinoff of our favourite Italian dessert. Worth giving a try. (Photo by Joey)

Reviewed by Bong, Harrell, Joey, Kat and Mark.
Photography by Joey and Mark.
See more photos on Mark's multiply and Joey's flickr.