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Mamma Mia

Anna Cerezo

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764466205704BORA 1.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>ABS-CBN News</div>BORACAY — On an island defined by beachfront dining and dramatic sunsets, one tucked-away restaurant is standing out by offering something simpler — an intimate, open kitchen where everything is made from scratch and guests can watch the entire process unfold.Mamma Mia Ristorante Italiano, set away from the shoreline rush, is carving out its own niche with a cozy, interactive space.“If you look at the place, it is designed to be a show kitchen. Diners don’t just eat here — they watch,” Christina Po, Vice President for Sales and Business Development, Mandarin Premier Hotels &amp; Resorts Group, said. “The resort is so big. We wanted a space with a homey and cozy vibe, where they can also interact with the team.”The kitchen, which trades a white-sand panorama for the view of the island’s longest pool, insists on doing things the slow way: hand-worked dough, house-made sauces, and carefully sourced ingredients.“You will see the team working there. Everything is made on site. You will see them preparing the menu,” Po said.Many of the ingredients come straight from the local island community.“We have a lot of good ingredients on the island. You would be surprised — somebody locally grows microgreens. Somebody here has a little arugula farm. We get many of them from the island. We try to source it here talaga. It is not a huge quantity, but we hope it helps,” she explained.The goal, Po added, was to create a restaurant that feels less like a typical resort outlet and more like a cozy spot where diners can connect and create lasting memories.“We wanted to have a place that is a little more interactive. We have hotel guests who want to see what we are making — we welcome that. They can take a look at how people make the pasta and the pizza,” she reasoned.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17644665185252-Composite 40.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>ABS-CBN News</div>This led to one of Mamma Mia’s quirkiest draws: Little Pizzaiolos, diners assemble their own pizza.“It’s not just kids. Even adults join, though — you can make your own pizza, add your own toppings. A lot of people do it, not just the little ones,” she said.With Mamma Mia nestled in the middle of Mandarin Bay Resort and Spa, Station 2’s only five-star hotel, it is, however, easy for casual passersby to miss — and even a little intimidating to walk into.To entice diners, the restaurant offered unlimited pasta with a variety of sauces, including aglio olio, pesto, carbonara, and truffle.“People don’t know about it. You have to walk into the resort to see it. The competition is high with the beachfront restaurants. They can entice guests to come in,” Po said.Mamma Mia refined its menu, focusing on quality over quantity. Handmade pizza and pasta take center stage, alongside select treats like house-made gelato and their freshly baked complimentary bread.“At the start, it was a huge list. Italian can be so diverse. But we decided to cut the menu to one page and focus on handmade pizza and pasta,” she explained.By trimming the menu and sharpening its focus on quality, Mamma Mia found its stride.  Even without an Italian chef, locals keep returning, and Italians themselves offer the ultimate compliment.“We get various feedback — local guests love it. We also have Italian guests who say, ‘This tastes authentic.’ So I think we struck the right balance,” she added.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764466249864BORA 5.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>ABS-CBN News</div>For Po, whose family operates five properties in Boracay, the restaurant is part of a broader push to build a food brand of their own, not just another lineup of forgettable hotel restaurants.Instead of relying solely on the guests checking in across their 360-plus rooms, Po said they want to attract diners who come specifically for the food, regardless of where they’re staying.“Boracay is such an interesting market — you really get everyone. Boracay has a cycle; for January, you know this nationality, and February Chinese New Year. But with the changing climate, the demand changed,” she noted.“Each hotel has its own target and its own food to showcase, but we’re really trying to develop our own brand of just food -- from Hakuna Matata, La Fiesta, and Don Vito,” she added.<div> </div><div>Mamma Mia Ristorante Italiano is located at Mandarin Bay Resort &amp; Spa at Station 2,  White Beach Path, Boracay.</div>

Mamma Mia, a small Italian kitchen inside a resort, is turning heads for an unexpected reason — the rare chance to watch their pasta and pizza crafted by hand, right in front of them.

Mamma Mia, a small Italian kitchen inside a resort, is turning heads for an unexpected reason — the rare chance to watch their pasta and pizza crafted by hand, right in front of them.

Boracay eats: Inside the hidden kitchen making everything from scratch

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Boracay eats: Inside the hidden kitchen making everything from scratch

Anna Cerezo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 30, 2025 11:03 AM PHT

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Boracay eats

Mamma Mia

Italian food

Italian restaurant

Station 2

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