marinara – Jellybeans in the City

There’s something magical about gathering around the table for a comforting, home-cooked meal—and for many Filipino families, pasta is at the heart of these shared moments. Whether it’s a simple weekday dinner or a festive celebration, a delicious pasta dish never fails to bring people together. Now, with Doña Elena’s line of authentic Italian pasta sauces, every home cook can create flavorful dishes that feel both effortless and gourmet.

A Taste of Italy, Made Easy

Known as a trusted name in olive oil and Mediterranean cooking essentials, Doña Elena continues to make European-inspired cuisine accessible to Filipino homes. Their newest addition, the Doña Elena 100% Italian Premium Pasta Sauces, is crafted from fresh, high-quality ingredients—no preservatives, just pure Italian goodness in every jar.

These sauces aren’t just for pasta. They’re wonderfully versatile, elevating pizzas, dips, spreads, and even marinades with a rich, homemade flavor. Whether you’re a kitchen beginner or a passionate home chef, these sauces promise to turn everyday meals into something special.

Four Flavors to Inspire Every Meal

Each variety of Doña Elena Pasta Sauce is designed to complement different pasta cuts and culinary moods:

Marinara – Made with 100% Italian Tomatoes
A classic sauce made from sun-ripened Italian tomatoes, slow-cooked with herbs to create a smooth, tangy, and savory flavor.
Perfect for: Spaghetti, Linguine, lasagna, chicken Parmesan, or roasted vegetables.
Arrabbiata – With Italian Peppers
For those who love a little heat, this fiery blend of tomatoes, chili peppers, and herbs delivers bold flavor with an authentic Italian kick.
Perfect for: Penne Rigate, seafood, or grilled vegetables.
Artichokes & Walnuts Sauce
A creamy and nutty combination of earthy artichokes and crunchy walnuts, enhanced with aromatic herbs for a rich, gourmet touch.
Perfect for: Fettuccine, pizza, bruschetta, or as a dip with crackers.
Pesto Sauce – With Pecorino Cheese
A vibrant, basil-based sauce with parsley, sunflower oil, and sharp Pecorino cheese for a creamy yet bold finish.
Perfect for: Linguine, grilled meats, roasted potatoes, or sandwiches.

Perfect Pairings with Doña Elena Al Dente Pasta

Of course, great sauce deserves great pasta. The Doña Elena Al Dente line—made from 100% durum wheat semolina and crafted using traditional bronze dies—boasts a unique texture that helps sauce cling perfectly to each strand or shape. Available in Fettuccine, Linguine, Lasagna, Penne Rigate, and Fusilli, this artisan-quality pasta ensures rich, flavorful bites every time.

Celebrate Pasta Month with Doña Elena

This Pasta Month, take your culinary creativity to the next level and discover your perfect pasta pairing. Mix and match the flavor profiles of Doña Elena Pasta Sauces with the different cuts of Doña Elena Al Dente Pasta—and enjoy endless ways to savor authentic Italian flavors right in your own home.

Make every meal a celebration of good taste, good company, and the goodness of Doña Elena.

Doña Elena Pasta Sauces and Doña Elena Al Dente Pasta are exclusively distributed by Fly Ace Corporation in the Philippines. For more tips, recipes, and promos visit @donaelenacuisineraclub on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

The workday is through and you’ve earned yourself a little bit of a respite, wouldn’t you say?

If you’re looking for a place to meet with friends, enjoy good food and perhaps have a drink or two, then this newly opened and somewhat hidden restobar in San Juan would be just the thing.

A namesake of P. Guevarra Street where it is situated, Varra Restobar offers food lovers new reasons to make Little Baguio in San Juan their next foodie destination.

Together with my foodie friends, I ventured to Little Baguio in San Juan to check this resto out.

Getting to the resto is quite easy (it’s already on Waze, peeps!), but finding the entrance may be a challenge. Here’s a tip: go straight to the back of the building (where the car wash is) and climb up the stairs straight to the third floor. And then, you’re there!

Here’s what you can look forward to:

One: A chill place to hang out

The place has a relaxed vibe that is conducive for friendly get-togethers or chillin’ out with your favorite drink and bar chow.

It has a sprawling dining area with an abundance of power outlets. If ever your gadgets are low on battery, you can easily juice up again without having to leave your table.

Want to party in style? Reserve the stately Lounge and hold your celebrations for up to 40 pax for Php35,000 (fully consumable).

Or you can let loose with the gang in privacy and comfort in the VIP Room for just Php20,000 (fully consumable). Aside from the well-appointed interiors, you and your friends can enjoy your own private comfort room and a buzzer to summon the service team for your requests and orders.

Two: Mouthwatering comfort food

Whether you’re after a feast or a snack, Varra offers you a well-curated array of sure-win familiar dishes or fresh twists on the classics.

These include:

Crispy Shrooms (Php130). Deep-fried and crispy oyster and enoki mushrooms that you will want to pop into your mouth again and again.

Spam Chips (Php210). Thin slices of spam deep-fried to crisps accompanied by garlic aioli.

Messy Fries (Php150). Fries served with beef, lots of cheese and garlic aioli. It’s the kind of mess I certainly wouldn’t mind!

Varra’s Nacho Overload (Php350). Crunchy nacho chips doused in cheese sauce and overloaded with beef, tomatoes, onions, peppers and olives. Perfect for munching while chatting with friends.

Soy Garlic Chicken Poppers (Php240). Fried chicken balls served with coleslaw, rice and fried egg.

Beef Tapa (Php240). A classic breakfast staple, this consist of garlicky marinated beef served with salted egg, salsa, rice and fried egg.

Chicken Pesto Marinara (Php380). A tomato-based pasta topped with grilled chicken flavored with pesto sauce.

Classic Carbonara (Php290). A creamy iteration of the carbonara loaded with ham pieces and served with poached egg.

Wings Basket (Php230). Six pieces of juicy and flavorful fried chicken wings flavored with your choice of sauce – Buffalo, Sou Garlic, Garlic Parmesan, Hickory BBQ, Chili Cheese and Honey Sriracha – that go so well with rice. We got two baskets each of Soy Garlic and Garlic Parmesan.

Varra’s Steak Salpicao (Php380). Ooh, this is definitely the star of the show! Tender and flavorful slices of steak sauteed in garlic and oil and served on a sizzling plate.

Three: Refreshing drinks

As you enjoy the tasty viands and bar chow, quench your thirst with Varra’s Signature Cocktails (Php200 each) which include: Blue Cruise (white rum, lemon and triple sec), Rosee el Varra (tequila, sour mix and Hoegaarden Rosee), Varra Mountain (gin, gin de cacao, sour mix and triple sec) and Basil Slush (blended basil leaves, rum, lemonade and sugar).

If you don’t feel like imbibing alcohol ot if you’re the group’s designated driver, you can also opt for non-alcholic drinks such as Varra Iced Tea (Php80), Frozen Peach Iced Tea (Php100) and the cranberry and citrus-y Sunset Spritzer (Php130).

Well, it sure looks like San Juan just got itself a new go-to place for munchies, drinks and chillin’ out!

Many thanks to Ms. Lovely Tan and the crew of Varra Restobar for the invitation!

If you and your gang can’t get enough of wings, take advantage of Varra’s Unli Wings & Rice Promo for only Php359 per person, available from Sundays to Thursdays.

Varra Restobar is located at 333 P. Guevarra Street, Little Baguio, San Juan, open from Sundays to Thursdays from 6pm to 2am, and Fridays to Saturdays from 6pm to 3am. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 916 5870345.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I attended a foodie meet-up held in this restaurant. All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare to facilitate honest reviews and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Tag: marinara

Bring Italy to your table with Doña Elena’s Premium Pasta Sauces

A Taste of Italy, Made Easy

Four Flavors to Inspire Every Meal

Perfect Pairings with Doña Elena Al Dente Pasta

Celebrate Pasta Month with Doña Elena

San Juan’s newest food and nightlife destination – Varra Restobar