February 12, 2009

Capricciosa optimistic on Manila

WDI Corp. of Japan has high hopes that its Capricciosa restaurants in Manila will continue to attract a lot of customers in spite of the sluggish Philippine economy.

This developed as Tan Vy International, a company co-owned by Cencio Vy and Vyson Tan—Filipino businessmen on Guam —with their Manila-based brothers, opened a second outlet of Capricciosa on November 25, 2008, along Connecticut Street in Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila. Tan Vy International, a Manila-based company, owns the Philippine franchise rights of the popular Japanese restaurant chain. (The rest of my story in BusinessMirror.)

(Capricciosa in Connecticut, Greenhills. Photo from Clickthecity.com.)


THE first time I ate at a Capricciosa restaurant was when I was living on Saipan in 2004. The restaurant was usually packed with the more privileged residents of the island. I personally thought $25 for one small dish was too expensive (of course in my head I kept on converting to pesos), so I didn't eat there very often. Between that and the $10-Japanese buffet every Friday at Hafa Adai Beach Hotel's Hana Restaurant, guess which restaurant won hands down?

Still, I am a fan of Capricciosa's salmon spring rolls, ang sarap I swear! The wrapper is thin and crispy, and when you'd bite into it, there's just the squishy salty and smoky goodness of the salmon. The last time I ate the salmon spring rolls was in Capricciosa's Greenbelt 3, where the food prices are more affordable. Now that the Greenhills branch is open, I think I'll pop over there just to indulge again in my favorite appetizer, and perhaps try out a few of their pastas and pizza with my food buddies.

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