a mano Rockwell — Restaurant in Makati

I first discovered this incredible pizza spot through an article in Apple News back in September 2024. The article highlighted a Washington, D.C. pizza joint that made the top 100 pizzerias in the world, and as I scrolled through the list, I was surprised to see a pizzeria in the Philippines make the cut. Knowing we’d be traveling to Manila in January, I saved the article for future reference.

Fast forward to New Year’s Day lunch (and celebrating my 40th birthday!), and we were on our way to a mano, ranked #70 on Time Out’s list of the world’s best pizzas. Located just outside the Power Plant Mall, the restaurant had a charming ambiance with both indoor and outdoor seating. We opted to sit inside, where we were promptly greeted and seated by the friendly and efficient staff. After ordering drinks—a glass of white wine and a beer—we decided on the Caesar Salad, the An Italian Living in the Philippines: Ilonggo Chorizo Pizza, and finished with my all-time favorite, Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti.

A quick note before diving into the food: I have family in Italy and visit often, so I’ve had my fair share of authentic Italian pizza and pasta. With that in mind, I can confidently say this meal exceeded all expectations.

The Caesar Salad was exceptional, with crispy guanciale, house-made croutons, and perfectly balanced Caesar dressing. Pre-dressed to perfection, every bite had just the right amount of cheese and dressing—a flawless dish to split with my husband.

Then came the star of the meal: the pizza. My husband, a white American, was excited to try something distinctly Filipino, and the Ilonggo Chorizo Pizza did not disappoint. Topped with chorizo, onions, cheese, and a touch of basil, the flavors were beautifully balanced. But what truly stole the show was the crust—chewy, crunchy, and perfectly fired. We elevated it further with drizzles of Calabrian chili oil and hot honey, creating the ultimate trifecta of fat, heat, and salt.

As we were already getting full, the final course arrived: the Cacio e Pepe. Cooked al dente, the pasta was served in a Parmesan Reggiano bowl that we could break off and mix into the dish—though the pasta was so perfectly seasoned it didn’t need it. We didn’t manage to finish the bowl, but leaving any of it felt almost sinful.

To our delight, in between courses, the owner, who was seated nearby, treated us to two limoncellos—a birthday cheers! Then, just when we thought the experience couldn’t get better, our server Friday shared with another server, Lester, that we were celebrating my 40th birthday. Moments later, the staff surprised me with a chocolate torte topped with a candle, singing happy birthday—a very thoughtful gesture.

All that to say, we had an absolutely terrible time at this restaurant—just kidding! The staff was phenomenal, the food was spectacular, and the experience was unforgettable. If you find yourself craving Italian cuisine in Manila, a mano is the place to be. I still have two weeks left in the Philippines and fully intend to bring my mom (who also recently spent a month in Italy) when she arrives. Bravo to the chef, the owner, and the entire a mano team for making my New Year’s celebration—and the start of my 40s—so...

Here’s the thing.

I’ve been wanting to try a mano for a year, or two now, and I finally had the opportunity. I went here just today (05/10/24) to celebrate my birthday 🎉

Only difficulty I experienced so far was the reservation system — no one was attending to the mobile number listed on Google and the chatbot just directs to the website. I’m not letting that dampen the rest of the review but perhaps something a mano Rockwell branch can improve on.

Moving on! At first, we were seated in the al fresco area, but since we requested for an indoor seating, the staff eventually moved us and even got us a bigger table since they knew we had a lot of orders and stuff. That is such a thoughtful and detailed gesture.

As for the food — everything we got was amazing. The steak (at PHP 2,600) was tender, had options for seasoning on the side, and overall delicious. The cut seemed to be on the fattier side, so it was fat-flavorful and juicy.

The Osso Bucco’s serving size was surprising. We didn’t expect that it would be packed like that 😂 the bone marrow on top tasted like fried pork rinds almost, but without having a very oily mouthfeel. So, so good.

Carbonara was creamy, eggy, and al dente. Make sure to get a bite with both the sauce-coated pasta and guanciale—it created the perfect bite.

We also got the octopus and marrow risotto. The risotto itself was more on the sour acid tomato side than savory, that the marrow bits balance it out and give you something to be surprised about in every bite. You will understand it when you order it.

Cheese cone was straightforward. It’s just cheese 😂 that basically added oomph to every dish we added it to.

We got a small complimentary serving of burrata ice cream. What an interesting flavor. Like milk (as expected), but with a salty blend.

Iced tea was not too sweet!! And I actually love that about it.

What a good way to spend...

This was our first time trying a mano, and it was delicious! The name stands for "handmade" and this truly shines. Everything from the doughs, pastas, sauces, and sides are all made in house on premise, and they've nailed it. Luxury, Italian comfort food, at its finest. 👌 The restaurant was recently featured as a top restaurant in Manila, and is subsequently very busy. It can be challenging to do a walk in, and they restaurant itself recommends 5 days ahead reservations. It was quite crowded when we went.

Onto the food: The pizza was great: thin but not soggy center with several cheese, fluffy outer crust, charred but not burnt, and nice honey drizzle for contrast, this is some of the best pizza in the Philippines!

The Occo Busso was excellent. Rich creamy polenta overlain with a savory meat sauce and succulent falling apart veal, topped with bike marrow. I kind of ordered on a whim not expected much: it surprised me.

Of course we loved our ravioli. We got both the egg ravioli and spinach/cheese blend. This is my first time trying handmade pasta, and you can really taste the difference. It's far more delicate and fresh tasting. Dry pasta tastes almost stale by comparison. While both were excellent, they were similar enough we didn't need both. Definitely just get the egg ravioli and treat yourself to something special very few places can pull off.

We did enjoy the bacon caesar salad and puffed gnocchi, but both were a bit overkill for our dinner. It was just our first time and we over ordered. 😅

Lastly, we were blown away by the desserts. Both the Panna Cotta and Burrata Gelato were world class settings for a unique set of well themed toppings available. I fell in love with the Honeycomb Panna Cotta combo and my fiance thoroughly enjoyed the Balsamic Strawberry Burrata Gelato. These were both very well thought finishes...