Head on over to Uptown Parade BGC for a true taste of Neapolitan delights
 
 
Italian-Japanese celebrity chef, restaurateur and media personality Salvatore Cuomo’s renowned gastronomic stylings has long been celebrated across the Asian region. With his distinct blend of the art of traditional Italian techniques and the Japanese art of perfection, he has birthed an empire that includes a chain of restaurants, TV cooking shows and cookbooks.
 
 
His arrival in this dining-crazy country has long been met with anticipation, and finally the emperor has arrived.
 
 
“We wanted to raise the bar of Italian food in the Philippines. We believe that Salvatore Cuomo would be welcomed by the more discerning diners in Manila who’ve traveled extensively and know what Neapolitan-style cuisine is all about,” said Luigi Vera, managing director of Am-Phil Group—the entity we all have to thank for Manila’s newest premium Italian restaurant.
 
 
Hailed as the pioneer of Neapolitan pizza in Japan, Cuomo brings this celebrated Italian fare to Salvatore Cuomo & Bar—a trendy 475-square meter space at the Uptown Parade in Bonifacio Global City.
 
 
Premium casual dining
 
 
Environed by industrial chic interiors – one that also features a fully open kitchen – Salvatore Cuomo offers an experience that toes the line between casual and fine dining—one where guests can look forward to quality fare coupled with premium service in an elegant setting sans the “stiff ambiance” often found under the veil of sophistication.
 
 

 
 
But while the carefully selected lighting and furniture pieces lend the restaurant with a distinct modern elegance, the equally careful attention to detail when it comes to food prep is what Salvatore Cuomo prides itself on.
 
 
All of their pizzas only use bufala mozzarella and tomato sauce that is imported and proprietary to the company. They are baked in a custom-made oven shipped from Naples, which uses a combination of local beech wood and imported composite wood that gives the pizza its distinct taste and texture.
 
 

 
 
“The ingredients are very important. We want to make sure we get the freshest and the tastiest products available to us. We spend years selecting and choosing, and even creating some of our ingredients to make sure they are the best. It took us maybe three years to get the perfect basil. This makes a big impact on taste and flavor, ensuring that we are able to serve premium quality pizzas and other dishes,”
noted Chef Salvatore.
 
 
Salvatore recommends
 
 
Guests may start their meal with Caprese di Mozzarella di Bufala (Buffalo Mozarella Salad) or the Tagliere di Affettati, a plate of traditional Italian cured meats sliced paper-thin. A definite must-try on the menu is the D.O.C. (Denominazione Di Origine Controllata), an original pizza creation by Chef Salvatore that uses fully ripened cherry tomatoes, a luxurious amount of bufala mozzarella, basil and a splash of olive oil layered on a delicate crust. Guests can see how the dishes are prepared in the open kitchen, where chefs are hard at work perfecting each order to be served by the efficient staff. They are being trained by a Japanese team from the kitchen, dining, and barista/bar in Salvatore Cuomo Japan, who are currently in Manila to help with the opening.
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
“We want to be very transparent. 10, 20, 30 years ago, the Asian kitchen was closed and very private. But we wanted to establish trust with our customers by showing them everything. I used to believe that if I showed people how to make my food, they would copy it. But I realized it is impossible to copy just like that. Our food comes from us being artisans, preparing it to perfection every time. You cannot copy the experience that goes into making that food – it takes years of training. I’m working very hard to educate our guests, but my staff I want to make sure they know about everything that goes into the pizza. For example, how the color of the tomato affects the taste and how that makes the pizza better or worse,” Chef Salvatore explained.
 
 
Apart from the premium grub, Salvatore Cuomo also has a full bar where friends can choose from their extensive wine selection, draft beer, sake, cocktails, spirits, champagne to complement their dining experience.
 
 
They also serve specially imported Paul Bassett coffee – from Australia’s most famous coffee prodigy, who won the World Barista Championship at the age of 25.
 
 
For Neapolitan specialties, Salvatore Cuomo & Bar is located at the ground floor of Uptown Parade in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. For lunch or dinner reservation, call (02) 946-3072 and (02) 946-3073.