Restaurant Review: Va Bene Pasta Deli at Bonifacio Global City

We first saw Va Bene Pasta Deli a few days after its soft opening while we were buying our favorite Potato Corner fries at the Bonifacio High Street Central Cinemas. We took a quick peek inside and saw a blackboard. Written in it is the restaurant’s “Special of the Day”. We immediately dismissed the idea of trying it out mainly because the prices look very intimidating. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, Mitch suggested that Va Bene should be included in our “Must Try Restaurants before We Leave BGC” list! I asked her what changed her mind, and then she started raving about a specific pasta dish that according to her is to die for!

Va Bene was still closed when we arrived 15 minutes before noon. The crew members were still busy cleaning and making last-minute preparations in the place. We initially thought that they would not be operating that day, but we noticed two more groups of people who were also waiting with us outside the restaurant. At exactly 12 PM, the waiter finally turned the OPEN sign and welcomed us. In just a matter of minutes, the restaurant was already full!



The restaurant’s interior is quite simple with its black, white and peach combination. The large lamps and pin lights surrounding the restaurant made the place look a bit larger. Plus, the lighting was perfect for everybody’s Instagram-worthy food shots! :p

Complimentary bruscheta was immediately served to us while we were scanning the menu. The crunchy bread alone was already enough to jumpstart our palates. But the very tasty salsa made the bruscheta extra special! The waiter was generous enough to give us extra servings. He probably saw how we all rumbled over the bread, or maybe because I unintentionally kept on mumbling, “Grabe ang sarap! Sana unlimited.” :p



Va Bene’s Organic Eggs Tagliatelle is the pasta dish that Mitch was raving about. Given her non-stop praises, I could not help but set my expectations to a higher bar. As soon as it arrived to our table, I immediately understood why she was so crazy about this! The aroma alone was enough to awaken all my senses! With Portobello mushrooms, white wine cream sauce and truffle oil, this pasta dish has all the elements of making one’s taste buds jump out of joy! The rich and creamy sauce coats every strand of the perfectly cooked pasta. I loved that they used a thicker kind of pasta which gives greater surface area for the yummy sauce to stick in to. Portobello mushrooms certainly go well with a creamy pasta dish. Plus, anything with truffle oil tastes and smells better! Ang lakas maka sosyal ng truffle oil! :p


The waiter noticed that we were having a hard time choosing from their pasta dishes. He probably heard me when I asked myself, “Bakit walang carbonara?!” It wasn’t included in their menu, but he told us that it is included in their “daily specials”. Kulang ang medalya para pasalamatan ko si Kuya! Bakit?! Ang sarap ng carbonara!!! Pambihira!!! I took my first bite of the carbonara, and without me knowing it, I involuntarily closed my eyes and said, “Ay shet, ang sarap!” One my teammates asked, “Bakit kapag si Je ang nagsabi na masarap, naniniwala talaga ako?!” Hahahahaha!

The Organic Eggs Tagliatelle  is undeniably delicious. But in my opinion, the carbonara can very well compete with it. The large chunks of bacon provided the right amount of saltiness which complemented the rich and creamy texture of the sauce. Each bite of this pasta dish is so good, you’ll feel like going to pasta heaven!!!


We also got to try another pasta dish – Black Ink Tagliolini. I didn’t pay attention to the menu so I was initially expecting the pasta sauce to be made from squid ink. I was so surprised to see tons of seafood in marinara sauce. But what sets it apart is the fact that the pasta is black. I think it was my first time to eat black pasta. The sauce is very flavorful, with the different kinds of seafood giving a natural briny taste. And surprisingly, the pasta itself is packed with so many flavors.


Aside from pasta, we also got to sample two kinds of pizza. First of which is Massimo. It has mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, capers, black olive pesto, sausage and prawns. The mixture of two cheeses is undeniably a perfect combination. I loved the salty and pungent taste of the capers which went perfectly well with the smoky flavor of the sausage. The bits of prawns definitely made the quality of this pizza a notch higher.


We also had Boscaiola. It has taleggio cheese. It was actually my first time to hear that kind of cheese. But whatever it is, its pairing with ricotta cheese along with mushrooms, truffle pesto and Parma ham was such a gastronomic delight. The ham has the right amount of saltiness with a hint of sweetness. I initially thought that the crust of the pizza is too thick. But with the different layers of flavors of both the Boscaiola and Massimo, I realized that the thickness of the crust is just perfect.


While we were eating, I noticed that Mitch kept on looking at the kitchen. When I asked her why, she told me that she’s looking for the chef. “Ang gwapo ng chef dito, Je!” When I saw the chef, it took me a while to remember where I first saw him. I suddenly realized that I saw him from the Best Thing I Ever Ate series of the Food Network! I remember him describing how they create the pasta from scratch! I was able to put one and one together and understood why their pasta dishes taste differently – one factor of which is the freshness of the pasta. Oh well, Va Bene Pasta Deli is probably The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Pasta History! Believe me!


Va Bene Pasta Deli
Level 3
Bonifacio High Street Central Cinemas
Fort Bonifacio Global City,
Taguig City


* All photos were taken with an iPhone 5