Amici is a restaurant close to my heart. We used to traverse the roads of Pasong Tamo from our old office to the canteen of Don Bosco to experience their awesome pizza, pasta and of course, the gelato.

Even now, when we want comfort food, we go to Amici at the Venice Piazza. It seems like most of the critical conversations that I have with my friends from work happen in Amici. It has become our stress-busting place which offers really good Italian food. The restaurant has two floors, an ambiance which is really homey (imagine picture frames of old photos hanging on its walls) and ample seating area.

I already have my staple here. Parmigiano Pizza (PHP248) al Pesto which is parmesan-coated pizza crust served with a side of pesto sauce. Equally good is their spinach artichoke. Same coated pizza crust with spinach artichoke dip. This can be good for 2-3 persons.

This one is my ultimate favorite — Chorizo E Spinaci (PHP432). It is gourmet Spanish chorizo and spinach in white sauce. Good for 3-4.

For their pasta, I always order the Linguine Al Prosciutto E Tartufo (not in photo, PHP298) which is a flavorful combination of prosciutto (as the name suggests), truffle oil, porcini and shiitake mushrooms. Good for 2-3. 

Here is a photo of their Linguine Al Salmone Cremoso (PHP318) which is basically linguine pasta in a creamy mix of salmon, white sauce and lemon. 

To know more of Amici’s menu, click here.

The Amici Story (from their website)

In June of 1994, Fr Gianluigi Colombo, a Salesian Italian priest in charge of overseeing the operations of the Don Bosco Printing Press, was given permission by Don Bosco management to set up a “canteen” to support its employees. Fr Colombo made the request to address the concern of its employees not having access to good food during lunch break.

 The employees not only got good food to satisfy their hunger but authentic, freshly-made Italian dishes in a “turo-turo” setting. The friendly, familiar atmosphere made the foreign dishes that were new to their palette, less intimidating and phenomenal beyond anything they had ever tasted before.

Starting with Italian coffee and gelato, the canteen eventually introduced wood-fire oven baked pizzas and homemade pasta. Fr Colombo’s kitchen eventually became a taste of heaven where tired and weary “souls” found comfort.

By June 2001, Amici di Don Bosco (Friends of Don Bosco) was legally established as a business entity to also serve the needs of students studying in Don Bosco. The “turo-turo” was now known to many as a self-service canteen and eventually opened its doors to a broader market. However, it wasn’t the requirements of the printing press nor of the students of Don Bosco alone that kept Amici di Don Bosco’s stove burning.
News of great Italian cuisine prepared and served by priests and “ordinary people” inside a canteen spread like wildfire, attracting patrons from all over Metro Manila. From humble beginnings, the printing press cafe became known for authentic Italian pizza, pasta, and gelato.

Initially believing that it was the good Italian food that drew in the crowds, the employees eventually realized that they offered something much more. Customers experienced a certain warmth and charm whenever they came; where the staff treated each and every customer with special attention. People from all walks of life: expatriates and celebrities, white and blue-collar workers, housewives and socialites, flocked to Makati to experience Amici di Don Bosco. Every day, from 11am to 2pm, this inconveniently located “hole-in-the-wall” along Pasay Road would be packed with lines of patrons waiting to be seated!

Perhaps the novelty of the paradoxical situation became an attraction; Italian cuisine in a canteen setting, warm and excellent service by people who had no formal training: former carpenters, printing press laborers, and priests. Everyone was willing to share tables, eat using mismatched utensils, appreciate the same good food, and enjoy the same ambience of chaos brought about by good friends and family at the table!

This is the “magic” of Amici di Don Bosco!

Buon appetito!

xx, 
Corporate Junkie