Restaurant Review | Cafe Bola

Cafe Bola
2/F Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City
Type of Cuisine: Italian
Average cost per person: Php 120 - 200 (US$2.40 - US$ 4.00)
Overall Rating:

One thing that differentiates it from most other universities is the fact that student organizations in UP Diliman have application processes that last a whole semester--some organizations even have them for the whole school year. Part of the application process in UP Chinese Student Association (UP CSA) includes having a buddy lunch.

So lunch they had.

Since Tiffy has previously eaten at Cafe Bola, albeit in Gateway, she suggested it to the rest of them since they were then having the age-old dilemma of picking of a place to eat!

Bong, on the other hand, really wanted to try the place out since Cafe Bola is one of the restaurants, along with Cibo and Pepato, co-owned by famed chef and restaurateur Margarita Fores.


Penne in Chorizo-Parmesan Cream (Php 199.36, US$4.14)
Bong thought that this dish was so creamy -- the chorizo bits really complements the cheese well. According to him, it's a rich dish that "truly makes you happy."



Chicken Cutlet with Mozzarella (Php 147.84, US$3.07)
It came served with newly-prepared shoestring potatoes on the side, which were different from Piknik that people are usually accustomed to eating. The sandwich was rather tasty, which was surprising considering it was a bit dry.



Chicken Lollipop Balls Rice (Php 129.96, US$2.70)
It was Charles' first time to eat chicken lollipop. It was yummy in a chicken-y way. No big deal -- the dip was the ordinary mayo-and-ketchup mix. It's pretty straightforward. Although he thought that the three pieces didn't fill him up well and nice.

Chicken Bolas on Pasta | Sour cream paprika sauce (Php 180.32, US$3.74)
Sherlaine remembers the sourness of the dish. It was different than what she's tasted before. Tiffy, on the other hand, thought that it reminded her of yoghurt. Creamy sour yoghurt.



Oriental Teriyaki (Chicken)Alex thought that it was a bit lacking in presentation. The chicken balls were real meaty but the dish wasn't that spectacular. There was the rice, the balls, teriyaki sauce, and then the sprinkled carrots! The serving was kind of generous, though, so it was all good. He liked the chicken pesto pasta better!

Beef Bolas on Pasta | Parmesan cream + Ham (Php 180.32, US$3.74)
Tiffy didn't really taste the parmesan in the cream. Although it was creamy. She didn't like the bolas on it, though, since it tasted weird -- dry.



Chicken Skin Fritters (Php 129.92, US$2.69)
According to Bong, you really have to try this if you're a chicharon (fried pork skin) lover, or even if you just really love chicken skin, you'll just fall in love with this dish.



Overall, we loved the place -- from the round chairs, the bola (circular) themed walls, the numbers painted on the tables, and even the music and ambiance of the place. It's sort of like the restaurant counterpart of a cafe -- minus the racket of chattering people.

Reviewed by Bong and Tiffy.
Special thanks to Alex, Charles, Justin, and Sherlaine for their inputs.Photography by Tiffy.