THE FASTAURANT (The Italian Fastaurant by Gusto Italiano)

I already had a number of posts on the booming complex of Paseo de Sta. Rosa in the South. And like I said, its growth is unstoppable particularly the chain of restaurants to feast into. Very recently, another newbie has arrived. The Fastaurant by Gusto Italiano opened its spacious dining establishment and brought in an assortment of Italian Cuisine in the South. Barely a week old, everything about the restaurant speaks of its infancy in the Paseo de Sta. Rosa household. From the menu card to the ambiance, down to the foods being offered, you can see that most are still in the works. Nonetheless, the basic elements in fine dining are there. It has a very welcoming atmosphere (especially from the owners) and a fairly fast service. Four out of Five Spoons there. On the subject of their Italian fare, my colleagues and I have mixed evaluations.

Generally, we find their food range still quite limited. There are only 3 types of salads and soups to decide on. Fortunately, my personal choice - Zuppa di Funghi (Mushroom Porcini's Soup) did not disappoint. It's tasty, creamy and less earthy, just the way I like it. So, it's a pretty good start with the soup especially with the complementing crunchy and yummy bread that went with it. Minestrone (Assorted Vegetables Soup) is also acceptable but not as satisfying as the former.

Zuppa di Funghi (Php 185)

Minestrone (Php 150)

For the salads, I wish the scrumptious shots below delivered in taste too. Unfortunately, it didn't. The salad dressing (vinaigrette) is too sour and sharp that it overpowered a luscious salad mix. They have to make siginificant improvements on this specific item since salad is (almost always) a must in any Italian meal. I had to mention though that the grilled chicken in Insalata Con Pollo (mix greens with tomato, carrots & grilled chicken breast) is very tasty.

Insalata Con Pollo (Php 295, sharing size)

Insalata Mista (mixed greens with tomato, carrots, cucumber, mango and grapes; Php 255 sharing size)

For the Pizza, there are a lot to choose from the menu. We had 4 Seasons (vegetariana, fruitti de mare, prosciutto & sardinia) and Frutti de Mare (pomodoro, mozzarella & assorted seafoods). Basically, we find both choices subtle and very mildly flavoured. The taste is not overwhelming which can be good if you're having a complete course of meal. However, if you're used to rich and deeply flavoured pizza, you might find it too short to your preference.

Frutti de Mare (Php 695, 18")

4 Season (Php 695, 18")

Finally for the Pasta, we had the same evaluation as that of the Pizza. Everything is short in character and a bit dry specifically the Rigatoni Forno (Baked Rigatoni in Bolognese Sauce). We're craving for the luscious melange of creamy and juicy flavors in the Bolognese sauce. Nevertheless, the pastas are still acceptable. But like how my colleague had put it, "it's not something explosive" taste wise.

Lasagne Al Forno (Php 355, sharing size)

Gamberetti with Shrimps (we forgot to get the exact name of the dish but this is one of their house specialties worth Php 695)

Rigatoni Forno (Php 295, sharing size)

On the whole, THE FASTAURANT may have fallen short of some of our expectations (judging from the taste experience and the corresponding cost) but I would say that the overall feel is not bad at all. Perhaps I would still consider to get back and try the other available options. I'm still intrigued and I want to see if there are real Italian culinary treasures in their kitchen. On the other hand, if they want to remain competitive in the growing food arena of Paseo de Sta. Rosa, some improvement works have to be considered.