Going Italian in Boracay

Evenings in Boracay are usually spent over an engaging dinner or a pulsating chill-out in clubs and bars. Since I am not particularly a party animal, I settled to have dinner at Aria Cucina Italiana.

Situated at the beachfront of D’Mall, Aria is a modern Italian restaurant and is considered one of Boracay’s well-established landmarks. It boasts of pizza cooked in a handmade wood-fired oven. The place is relatively small and can conveniently accommodate small groups. We were lucky to arrive at an empty Aria on our second night and got the place to ourselves.

On our table:

Carbonara (P350)

Bolognese (P385)

I was disappointed with both dishes. Bland and boring sauce but perfectly al dente pasta.

This giant pizza comes in three flavor combinations of our choice. We had Aria (tomato sauce, mozzarella and parma ham), Quattro Formaggi (pecorino, feta, parmesan and mozzarella) and Salami Piccante (spicy salami, tomato sauce and mozzarella).

Mezzometro di Pizza (P1,100)

The pizza is superb! Since it is cooked in a traditional way using wood-fired oven, the flavor is evenly spread. Entirely crisp crust and heavenly melted cheese. You can pinpoint the distinct taste and smell as compared to the commercial pizza. It takes longer time to cook though but once you take a bite and enjoy the burst of flavor, you will be convinced that it is truly worth the wait. I usually add chili flakes or hot sauce on my pizza but this one is an exemption.

I will definitely come back to Aria for the pizza. No more pasta for me, please.