Tucked away in the tree-lined street of Nicanor Garcia (formerly Reposo) is another one of Manila’s favorite Italian haunts: L’Incontro. L’Incontro opened its doors in 1999, and is owned and operated by Italian Gino Martinel.
ino was raised in Northern Italy, in an area close to the Alps. Although his family was already in the food business there (owning a small restaurant in their town) Gino originally did not plan on following that path. He worked mainly in construction, traveling the world for most of his life, traveling the world for most of his life. He first came across the Philippines in 1988, and of all the countries he visited and lived in, it was here he eventually decided to settle. He left the construction business in early 1999, and later the same year, he opened L’Incontro.
Having been in construction gave Gino a fine advantage. He was able to design and build the restaurant in only 45 days. He chose the then lonely street known as Reposo to create the foundation for what later would become on of Manila’s bastions for Northern Italian cuisine. The idea was for the restaurant to become a destination-a place people would make an effort to travel to.
L’Incontro means “meeting place,” and its interior interior design of cosy tables and chairs, brick inlays, and simple decoration makes it an ideal location for a lunch or dinner rendezvous. Service staff is dressed in traditional white shirts and vests, and have all been working at the restaurant since its inception (trained by Gino himself!). The food remains simple, yet made with the freshest ingredients, which Gino picks out himself every morning from the market. L’Incontro specializes in traditional Northern Italian cuisine, which uses mainly olive oil as its base ingredient. L’Incontro is also known for its grilled steaks, which are brought raw to the table before grilling, for the customer’s choice and inspection.
At L’Incontro, simplicity and consistency are the keys. Customers keep coming back because they are drawn to the place. Be it the multitude of chianti bottles hanging from the walls, or the colorful dried pastas on display near the kitchen, L’Incontro gives one the feeling of being taken care of in a warm Italian home. the cheerful presence of Gino’s own 11-year old son welcoming guests at the door is a charming plus. “My cuisine is not rich,” says Gino, “but it has good flavor.” That about sums up not only the food, but the whole L’Incontro experience as well.
