Let me tell you a little bit about the way I work. When there’s a task that needs my full attention (like looming deadlines, for instance), I have to work in complete silence. It is absolutely essential that I drown out the noise of the outside world to get the work done well. But when the engines of my resolve grind to a halt, I listen to kitschy music from the 1990’s that I came of age with. Take this little number, for instance.

Yes, I love the Spice Girls with the passion that only a nine-year old in 1997 could understand (I know there are a lot of you out there like me, girls and boys). On a completely unrelated yet equally awesome tangent, I love spicy food. I tend to douse most of my food in pepperoncino flakes, chili oil, Tabasco, Sriracha, and other tasty sauces that leave my mouth on fire. There’s nothing like covering a gooey slice of pizza with bright orange chili oil to give it that extra kick. However, delicious pizzeria chili oil has eluded me in the local market until now.

Enter Bel Mondo Chili Oil, and cue in sighs of relief from spicy eaters all over the Metro.

Nadine Bautista credits the birth of Bel Mondo to the pizzerias of New York. It is de rigueur for all pizza joints in the Big Apple to serve chili oil on the side. “My cousins put up a pizza restaurant in Katipunan (Gino's Brick-Oven Pizza) and I suggested that they include it in their condiments. They were too busy to do it themselves so one day I just showed up with a bottle,” she says. It was so good that the regular patrons started looking for more, and she ended up supplying Gino’s with her chili oil.

50mL of this chili oil is priced at 100 pesos each, but just because it comes in a small bottle doesn’t mean it’s not potent. A drop is good for a little spice, but four or five will have you running for the nearest glass of water. I received a 50mL bottle of this orange elixir in May and as of this writing, it’s still half full.

So if you’re looking to spice up your life, grab a bottle of Bel Mondo chili oil now!

50mL bottles are priced at 100 pesos each, 100mL at 180, and 1,250 pesos for 1L.

For orders and inquiries, you can contact Bel Mondo at the following: