ANGELO G. GARCIA, Aliv Vicoy (photos)
When people enter Little Islands restaurant they immediately look for grilled meat or seafood, rice and other native dishes.
But what’s on the menu has always surprised most new customers. Instead of char-grilled stuffed squid or a plate of fresh oysters one will find different flavors of pizza, red or cream sauce pasta and a pound of pure beef burgers listed on the menu.
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| Buffalo Wings | |
It’s the food that makes customers come back for more. The restaurant is catching the attention and taste buds of Metrowalk patrons. Little Islands always offers something new to curious customers.
Located at the heart of Ortigas Center in Pasig City, the restaurant, after its five-month run, is slowly gaining a small following. The restaurant’s cozy feel, supplemented by its simple island decors, surprisingly complements its Western style menu.
"I thought of an island motif because there are few restaurants with such a look. But when you say ‘island’ people will automatically think that we serve grilled food or native dishes, though in fact we serve New York style pizzas, Italian pastas, and many more" says owner Mike Gaffud.
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| Greek Salad | | Mike Gaffud’s love for pizza and pasta enticed him to venture into the restaurant business. A graduate of HRM from the College of St. Benilde, he, along with his brother Jojo and partners Robie, Chris and Sam opened Little Islands Pizzeria.
The menu line-up is undeniably Western, from appetizers to desserts. The different pizzas, pasta dishes and sandwiches are especially prepared by Mike Gaffud. "I made the menu based on my love for eating pizza and pasta," he says.
Two of their best-selling appetizers are the Breaded Mozzarella Sticks served with marinara sauce and the Buffalo Wings. Served mild or spicy, the wings are fried to a crisp then covered in a special spicy sauce and served with a creamy blue cheese dip.
For something light, the Greek Salad offers a generous serving of fresh iceberg lettuce tossed with feta cheese, tomatoes and black olives served with the house’s special vinaigrette dressing.
The restaurant’s specialty is their authentic New York style pizzas – the restaurant’s patrons’ favorite – and one of which is the bestseller, Islands Supreme. A 16-inch thin crust pizza, topped with mushrooms, onions, sausages, pepperoni, bell peppers, and a generous helping of mozzarella cheese on a red sauce base, it will satisfy even the discerning taste buds of a real New Yorker.
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| Garlic Tomato Pasta | |
For pasta lovers, the Garlic Tomato Pasta with a choice of either Italian or Hungarian sausages or seafood will satisfy someone who loves Italian flavors. On the other hand, for someone who has a big appetite, the Big Wave Steak will surely appease that meat craving. It is a slab of local T-bone steak covered with special gravy served with island rice (yellow-colored garlic rice) and steamed vegetables.
After a nice entrée, nothing beats a sweet dessert. Their New York Cheesecake with a choice of plain or blueberry and strawberry toppings will surely satisfy that sugar craving.
According to Mike Gaffud, they really make sure that the food they serve is of high quality. This is guaranteed by the ingredients they use. "We see to it that we serve dishes with the freshest ingredients everyday," Gaffud relates.
The restaurant caters to the office workers of Ortigas Center and the night-loving people. Little Islands is not only a restaurant but it actually turns into a bar in the late hours of the night. They are open from 12 p.m. and usually close at 1 a.m.
Little Islands Pizzeria is giving a new meaning to island flavors. It offers the famous flavors of Manhattan Island and the flavor-rich dishes of Europe in a setting less likely to be called western. When one wants to eat an authentic New York pizza, try the Little Islands Pizzeria.
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