A decade ago, Sicilian Roast opened quietly in Legazpi Village, serving Italian food that felt personal and full of care. Ten years later, the homegrown kitchen has grown to four branches — Makati, San Juan, Quezon City, and now Molito in Alabang, bringing its signature warmth and attention to detail farther south.
Over the years, the restaurant has expanded without losing the heart that made it special. Each plate continues to carry the comfort and authenticity that first earned it a devoted following.
“We’ve grown and refined every part of what we do, but our promise has never changed,” said the thoughtful CEO Lorenzo Vega. “We’ve always believed in serving honest food with soul and warmth. Ten years in, it’s still that passion that fuels us.”
Vega welcomed us to Molito with a quiet smile and an easy laugh, speaking about each dish with the kind of enthusiasm that makes Italian food feel like home. There were moments when he would pull up a chair and sit with us, talking passionately about the food and the philosophy behind each dish. The conversation felt like sitting down with a friend who loves food as much as you do.
And in the kitchen, that philosophy finds its echo in Executive Chef Matt Navarro, whose career stretches from New York neighborhood kitchens to international five-star hotels. At Sicilian Roast, he brings that experience to bear on dishes that honor Italian tradition and retain the heart that makes the food approachable yet refined.
The Molito branch rolls out a refreshed menu, which will be available in all branches. Highlights include refined pastas, an extensive steak selection, and a new pizza dough. A standout is Bottarga alla Carmen, a delicate angel hair pasta with cured fish roe, created in memory of the CEO’s late mother, Maria Del Carmen Vega. “My mother loved simple flavors done right,” Vega said. “She had a particular affinity for pasta and Aperol Spritz, so we even created a signature one in her name. The special mural in Molito is a tribute to her and my father, whose enduring love for each other I hope permeates through the food.”
At the Molito media preview, the dishes arrived one by one, each asserting its presence without fanfare. The pasta shimmered with just enough sauce to cling to the strands, the pizzas carried a smoky chew that made me pause, and the steaks arrived unpretentious, their flavor speaking for itself.
Sicilian Roast is one of the few restaurants in the Philippines certified to serve Ito Ranch Matsusaka Beef, Japan’s famed “Queen of Wagyu,” a testament to the brand’s commitment to sourcing the finest ingredients.
With the opening of its Molito branch, Sicilian Roast steps confidently into its next decade. After ten years of quiet mastery in flavor and precision, the brand now promises a future of Italian food that blends heart and authenticity with innovation, destined to share its soul wherever a table awaits.