 |
| cake at Cafe Lidia |
Ever since I heard about Cafe Lidia in Marikina from friends and the way they described how good the dishes they've tried there---especially the pastas, I've always wondered when will it be my chance to experience it first hand. I'm not really well versed with the geography of Marikina. I even find it dubious if I could find the place without first being lost momentarily even with the aid of Google Maps. I strongly felt, however, it's about time for me to explore the hidden food treasures that abounds Marikina. So far, the only restaurants I've tried in Marikina were Tapsi Ni Vivian At Bulaluhan and Pan De Amerikana. So, when my friend Gael suggested that we meet up at Cafe Lidia along with Henry, I jumped right in without hesitation.
 |
| inside Cafe Lidia |
One would not expect a cozy restaurant would be sitting at the heart of Calumpang, Marikina. I still couldn't believe my eyes even as I enter the doors of the restaurant to find how elegant, how homey the interiors were. Muted lighting and dark, earth colors dominate the surroundings of the resto. I was told by Gael that the place was not as big as it is now. But due to word of mouth from people who dined there, the owners decided to expand the place even more to accommodate the growing demand for space.
 |
| mozzarella sticks |
 |
| penne alla vodka w/ bacon |
 |
| penne alla amatriciana |
 |
| frutti de mare |
I got the giggles when I met my friends here at Cafe Lidia. Maybe because of the too many sugar I've taken before coming here (I went to Gigi Coffee and Cupcakes before meeting up with them) or maybe because I got a little lost while calling and texting Gael for directions going here. I'm not entirely sure. All I know I burst into giggles that would eventually became an all out laughter on the littlest things that my friend Gael would had to restraint me since I'm already attracting attention from the other diners and even the waiters. I couldn't care less. I felt so free spirited that time. And I didn't even had a single bottle of beer that day.
Uncontrollable giggles aside, one could not ignore how excellent the food here. Even with my then unrestrained high emotions couldn't overshadow that fact. We started off with an appetizer, the Mozzarella Cheese Sticks which were really good. It's like mozzarella cheese croquettes. Best eaten while it's still hot.
Each of us didn't feel like having rice for lunch so a trio of pasta dishes graced our table. I had the Penne Alla Vodka w/ Bacon. It has a rather tangy taste on the sauce most probably because of the strong flavor of stewed tomatoes and vodka. I liked Gael's order of pasta more which she told me is a Rigatoni pasta dish but I suspect it was named Penne Alla Amatriciana on the menu. It has a sweet, salty and peppery flavor to it that I couldn't get enough of. It even prompted me to say that it's like eating a pasta with kaldereta sauce on it which my two friends find amusing. Or so I hope. Surprisingly, Gael's liked my order of the Alla Vodka pasta more. In retrospect, I should have suggested that we switch our plates of pasta.
But among the pasta dishes that we had, the one that stands out was Henry's order of Frutti de Mare, based on Gael's recommendation (she's been in this restaurant for a quite a few times already). I must confess, I initially thought that this is a kind of pasta dish with lots of fruits on it. Wrong! It's actually a seafood pasta with the creamiest of all creamy sauce on any pasta dish that I've ever tasted thus far. It's the kind of pasta dish that I would not be ashamed to lick my plate clean. Not to put that creamiest of all creamy sauce to waste. Are you asking me if I'm envious of my companion's order? Hell, yeah!
 |
| margherita pizza |
I guess my friends would all agree with me and that we all enjoy Cafe Lidia's Margherita Pizza. A simple pizza this maybe but it's one of the best I've tried. I'm not really a big fan of thin crust pizza but I did enjoy the chewiness texture of this thin crust pizza. Add some Tabasco sauce on top and you're in for one serious pizza treat.
 |
| cappuccino cake and iced tea |
 |
| cappuccino (small) |
It's a no brainer to have a dessert after a wonderful meal. So, even if I already consumed quite a number of cupcakes from Gigi, I couldn't pass this one up. The Cappuccino Cake that we have is very much similar to the one I tried at Subspace Coffee. Nevertheless, I quite enjoyed it. Even my friends who didn't feel like eating desserts anymore and said they're already full from eating our respective orders couldn't resist on stealing a piece or two from this cake.
I equally like the Cappuccino I ordered to partner with the cake. I also fancy its latte art. The only sad thing is the coffee was already lukewarm when I drank it because it took me so much time to eat my pasta (the servings of their pasta were actually good enough for two). But it's all good.
I hope to be back to try out the other offerings on their menu because there's still a lot that needs to be tried. I would also hope that I won't get lost when that time comes.
64 Calderon St.
Calumpang, Marikina City
647-7606
No comments:
Post a Comment