I know some people who are partial to good dishes and dining experience with exemplary ambiance and have developed the aversion to eating at fast food and food court in malls. I can’t blame them. Nothing beats the presence those three dining requisites. But I can’t deny the fact that some common eating places here and abroad also offer delectable food that can please even those with most discriminating taste.
I remember during our 7-week vacation in Auckland, New Zealand few years ago, we usually go to Westfield Mall in Downtown and in Manukau City for great Chinese dishes and combo meals in their food courts with prices range from NZD 5 to 7 (around PhP 200 – 300 then; cheap because people with blue collar jobs there mostly earn NZD10/hour). Those yummies were truly authentic prepared by the cooks and food servers who were all orientals. Other than the basic fish and chips take-away (in NZ, to-go or take-out is termed as take-away), a lot of remarkable Schezuan goodies can be enjoyed in those awesome food courts.
Last Saturday, we got to sample these ….
At the food court in the heart of the basement of Robinson’s Galleria, there’s Ravioli, a food stall that offers freshly made pasta.
I politely asked the staff if I can take a photo of how their ravioli’s done, but to my surprise she denied my request. I shrugged my shoulders and smiled and without a word, paid my bill at the cashier. When I returned to their counter to get our orders, the same lady finally gave her word of approval.
With utmost courtesy, I can accept if an establishment, whether a turo-turo or a fine dining resto won’t allow pictures being taken, but I just wish that they would understand that most of us Pinoys love to take photos regardless of activity and for a picture to land in a blog post simply means FREE advertising.
Nevertheless, here’s the simple but amazing ravioli-maker machine that their staff is using to make those pasta readily available upon order.
What did we order ?
MOZZARELLA and MUSHROOM RAVIOLI, PhP 116+
My wife, Tina had the M & M ravioli which according to her was good enough and for the lack of a better word, “cheesy” 
I had this plate …
CHORIZO and TOMATO RAVIOLI, PhP 116 +
One thing is sure, although I like bechamel sauce in my pasta, I don’t have problems with tomatoes – canned or fresh; I like them too, actually. However, I didn’t expect that this plate won’t have that creamy consistency which I preferred. In fact, it has this thin-saucy texture. I was also looking for those chorizo bits and that chorizo taste but was disappointed. What I found inside those ravi0li were mushroom slices.
Nonetheless, since the ravioli was made fresh, and each plate came with crunchy butter garlic toast, the taste wasn’t bad either; the price was so reasonable and the entire plate satiating, I would still recommend it and will try other pasta like that PASTA DIABLO with tomato cream base and shrimp toppings on our future visits.
Still, it’s nice to know that it’s not only huge restaurants but also food court stalls have been taking efforts to innovate and improve their dishes (& hopefully service too) so that diners like us would have lots of options other than burgers and fries.
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RAVIOLI, Ground floor, Robinson’s Galleria Food Court.
OPINION COUNTS…