pasta reinventa

For the cash-strapped and the peso-savvy, finding a decent pasta place to satiate your gluten-craving is never an easy task. The market these days is replete with commercialism way beyond the socially responsible, and the pecuniary palatable. In the race to come up with the most exclusive, elusive, imported-enriched dishes for the unassuming consumers’ picking, the culinary ecosystem has failed to retain the fact that we still are a third-world country. However one may promise to be as close-as-possible or as tastefully-resembling authentic Italian cuisine, fact is it would still fall short of being in Italy, or conversely having its cuisine shipped here by express.

What the recession-stressed epicure need is an educated option to the tomfoolery of gourmet gastronomy. An opportunity to partake in the feast of Italy and the Mediterranean, without having to lose a limb and a buck. Let’s not undermine the capacity of the consumer to differentiate between authentic and ostentatious. By merely using the frivolity of verbose terminologies the fast-food and semi-fast-food industry have effectively misled consumers into thinking that buying into their tongue-twisting templates affords a taste of the good life. Let’s not mock ourselves here; of course a lot fancy the suspended reality of dining along the isles of Greece, or amongst the quaint cucinas of Italia. But ask any decent nutritionist if the fare sold these days do have the same nutritional and health benefits that have kept the people of Mediterannea vibrant and active way beyond middle-age. I bet, the answer would be a resounding veto.

But not all is lost. Down south in a place where tiangge’s meet Terrazas, cucinas huddle beside carinderias, and the egalitarian credo is actively professed, a new food establishment has just opened. Amidst the downpour of this weekend, and the aftershock of last week’s national calamity, a humble kiosk opens in defiance to the economic climate, weather instability and political turmoil. The hard work of fellow blogger colorblind, Pasta Bibiana opens to the ravenous public, with the gusto of a famished child, and the enthusiasm of a caffeinated clerk. It proves that the health benefits of Mediterranean cuisine need not be restricted to the stratosphere of fine dining or the pompous superficiality of fast-food. It is as affordable as it can get, with the freshness undoubtedly absent in other similar establishments. The selling point was never the pretention of being Italian (despite the reference due to its etymology), but rather the promotion of a healthier gustatory choice using the lessons learned from the food of Italy, yet done in a uniquely-Filipino fashion – easy on the wallet, and as tastefully filling.

Offering a new concept of experiential food, it affords the consumer choices to personalize their pasta experience. From the refreshing spiciness of the yoghurt-based fresh-fruit pasta salad, to the subtle creaminess of a white sauce-penne combination, or the guilt-free fulfillment of a tofu sandwich, to the cleansing quality of the pandan water, Pasta Bibiana has something for all. Visit them for those seeking a new palate experience, for a food trip on a budget, and even the plain curious. Feel free to ask for assistance in picking your own personalized pasta experience. And taste why fresh is always best.

Pasta Bibiana. Guilt-free healthy, for the peso-savvy.

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Pasta Bibiana is now open for business. Come visit them at 2/F The Foodcourt of Robinson’s Place Imus, along Aguinaldo Highway at Cavite, en route to Tagaytay.