I wrote about the best pizza in the country a year ago, which I found by the poolside of the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, and the place didn’t even have a name. Just the poolside to enjoy those bubbly, thin-crusted, wood-fired pizzas. Well, I did come back to find out, it is now called Al Viento.

On our first visit, we went straight for the jugular and ordered bruschettas with Tomato-Goat Cheese Arugula but requested for an additional topping of Prosciutto. The crisp crust with chewy layers redolent of wood smoke gives me, as a Manileño, good reason to come to this hotel every time I’m in Cebu.

Our Goat Cheese and Chicken with Onions marinated in Balsamic vinegar and artichokes with olives was very fresh-tasting. So was the Pizza Marco which had large bubbles that added to the wonderful texture that I believe I have not had in any pizza in this country.

We set out for a second visit to try Chef Luke Gagnon’s additions to the menu that revolved around the wood-fired oven. Armed with a Pirramimma Petit Verdot, which is a powerfully fruity red, we were to take on the balcony al fresco atmosphere while watching some skimpily-clad hotel guests swimming (which adds to the appetite).

For starters, the Carpaccio with some beautiful greens and sweet corn sprouts, topped with a crisp Parmesan frico, arrived beautifully arranged redolent of fruity olive oil.

Served piping hot, on the other hand, was our wood-fired carabao heese, given a drizzle of Madeira and served with whole wheat biscotti.

Our wood-fired crab came with baby greens, coriander chutney, apple jam, and taro chips, which was a good carnival of textures and flavor. The Eggplant Parmigiano had a deep-tasting caramelized tomato sauce with lots of molten Mozzarella and Parmesan. It imbibed the wood smoke of the oven and is a dish that consoles. Our prawn wrapped in Prosciutto was on a bed of caramelized melon and streaked with cream fraiche.

The Cannelloni with four kinds of meat was creamy and rich and was enjoyed hot, till the last bite. A touch of arugula leaf oil gave a walnutty peppery taste and gave the pumpkin ravioli, perfumed with sambucca, a nutty contrast.

Finally our Salmon with a hazelnut crust arrived. General preference, I would have liked the salmon done with a crisp crust. I would have wanted it a little more rare to catch the oils, so next time I’ll order this and tell them I want it medium rare. The mashed potatoes where start-from-scratch and not pounded ones. They were wonderful as the side dish having seen so many instant versions cropping up in the country.

Overall, Al Viento from a simple poolside pizzeria has gone a long way. Yet it seems as though no matter what fancy dishes have been added to the menu, it’s still the pizzas and flat breads that reign. Of course, I will not discount the view and I don’t mean the strings. What I mean is the pool and the view of hills and city of lights.