The province of Negros Occidental in the Philippines is a food lover’s haven. And tucked in the City of Talisay is a restaurant that serves authentic Italian cuisine. In this area, it’s the closest one can get to the true taste of Italy because Chef Carmine Restaurant is owned and operated by Chef Carmine Pece, who is an Italian culinary authority.

Its little piece of Italy is located right across The District North Point Ayala Mall, just along the highway, (it is in the Phoenix gas station, so there’s plenty of parking spaces.) The exteriors are unassuming, you wouldn’t even think you’d find great Italian eats here. But step in and embrace the dining experience that Chef Carmine Restaurant offers and you’ll surely want to come back for more.

There’s a taste of Italy found here, just along the highway.

Chef Carmine Restaurant is just across the mall, but this has a quiet, private space for diners.

We were welcomed with no less than Chef Carmine himself. He shared with us the need to know about our food and to learn to appreciate the right one that we should indulge with. While he busied himself in his kitchen most of the time, he would come to our table every now and then to share an anecdote or two or give us some insights about food, adding to our gustatory IQ.

Chef Carmine personally prepared great food for us.

His restaurant menu consists of appetizers, soup, salad, pasta, main course, pizza, desserts, and coffee and drinks. He gave us a taste of his various offerings. For starters, I was happy that the soup served was Minestrone, which is one of my favorite soups. Next came two kinds of pizzas: the Capricciosa, which consists of ham, black olives, mushrooms, egg cream, tomato sauce, homemade Italian sausages and mozzarella cheese; and the Pizza Tris, or white pizza, which has ham, mushrooms, black olives and mozzarella cheese.

The Minestrone was a winner and a must-try.

The Capricciosa.

Pizza Tris. According to Chef Carmine, the secret to a great pizza is the crust and then the sauce.

Then the pastas came. Similarly, there were two types served: white and red. The Boscaiola Pasta is made of creamy sauce, with button mushrooms, ham and parsley. The Bolognese, on the other hand, has tomato sauce, wine and ground meat. Last was the main course — the Involtini Della Nonna — which, according to Chef Carmine, was grandma’s rolls of stuffed pork loin, ham and cheese.

The creamy Boscaoila Pasta.

For the red sauce, we had Bolognese.

The Involtini Della Nonna may be eaten with rice or with bread.

The dishes were superb and you will definitely get your money’s worth with the delectable taste, cooked with the finest ingredients. If you want to have the opportunity of feasting on Chef Carmine’s creations, then drop by his restaurant, whether to dine there or to bring home his gustatory masterpieces.

For details, contact:
Chef Carmine Restaurant
National Highway, Zone 15
(At the Phoenix Gas Station, across The District Ayala Mall)
Talisay City, Negros Occidental
Philippines
+63 918 571 4360
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*Although the author was invited to dine at the restaurant, courtesy of Chef Carmine, her opinion is solely hers. This article is not a review; rather, it is a feature of the restaurant.