IF YOU’VE ever been to Naples, Italy, dahlings, you know that its pizza is arguably the best in the world.

Yet, even with an ostensibly simple recipe—fresh dough, tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, basil and olive oil—a proper pizza Napoletana is just as hard to get in our town, palangga.

So, when the opportunity to bring a taste of true Neapolitan cuisine landed on our shores, Luigi Vera and Richie Yang of the Am-Phil Group and their partners wasted no time to make it happen.

The group recently opened Italian restaurant Salvatore Cuomo & Bar, which occupies 475 sq m of space at Uptown Parade in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

“We wanted to raise the bar for Italian food in the Philippines,” said Vera. “We believe that Salvatore Cuomo would be welcomed by the more discerning diners in Manila who’ve traveled extensively and know what Neapolitan-style Italian cuisine is all about.”

The restaurant is named after its creator, Salvatore Cuomo—a celebrated Italian chef, restaurateur and media personality credited for popularizing Neapolitan pizza in Japan and Asia.

Having over a hundred restaurants to his name—from casual pizza and pasta to more premium dining outlets—says a great deal about Cuomo and his food.

“The ingredients are very important,” he said. “We want to make sure we get the freshest and the tastiest products available… It took us three years to get the perfect basil. This makes a big impact on taste and flavor.”

Start your meal with Caprese di Mozzarella di Bufala (Buffalo Mozarella Salad) or the Tagliere di Affettati, a plate of traditional Italian cured meats sliced paper-thin.

A definite must-try on the menu is the D.O.C. (Denominazione Di Origine Controllata), an original pizza creation by Salvatore that uses fully ripened cherry tomatoes, a luxurious amount of bufala mozzarella, basil and a splash of olive oil layered on a delicate crust.

The efficient staff was trained by a Japanese team from the kitchen, dining and bar, in Salvatore Cuomo Japan.

Glassware for cocktails were carefully selected.

Italian food is best paired with excellent coffee. Salvatore Cuomo & Bar serves specially imported Paul Bassett coffee.

Bassett, Australia’s famous coffee prodigy, won the World Barista Championship at age 25.

Salvatore Cuomo & Bar is at G/F, Uptown Parade, Bonifacio Global City; tel. 9463072.

Guess’ wearable fashion

American clothing and accessories brand and retailer Guess’ recent launch of its Spring-Summer 2016 Collection focused on wearable fashion for men.

“We are proud to introduce the key prints for men’s tops—geometric, camouflage, abstract, blurred edges and modern palm prints,” said Guess assistant merchandising manager Nicole Alcaide. “There’s also a mixture of light to dark colors to create variations.”

For women, it’s all about distinct prints and designs. “The collection shows a lot of indigo denim and colorful combinations of florals and unique prints,” said Guess merchandising manager (for ladies) Clarish Barundia. “For the florals, we have three key prints—botanic beauty, Asian influence of sakura floral, and Bengal tiger and snake prints. To complete the look, we introduced ‘athleisure’ like chic sporty leggings and seamless yoga jeans.”

Spotted having fun at the launch were Guess Girls Sanya Lopez, Bianca Guidotti, Stefany Stefanowitz, Chie Filomeno, Arianne Bautista, Princess Legaspi, Sofia Romero, Janina Manipol, as well as Guess Men Anton del Rosario, Brent Javier, John James Uy, DJ David Callum, AJ Dee, Luke Jickain and Vince Ferraren.

DJ Katsy Lee kept everyone in a good mood with her upbeat and smooth sounds.

That talented Guess Girl Katarina Rodriguez hosted the event.