In the heat of a stone-fired oven in Angeles City, a different kind of revolution is rising—a movement made of blistered crusts, honest flavors, and a man who found his truth in every slice.
This is not just pizza. This is Roso Pizza. And behind it is Rainier Ildefonso, or Chef Rain, a cybersecurity expert by profession and a culinary soul in full bloom. With flour-streaked hands and fire in his gut, he’s not just serving food. He’s serving pieces of himself.
Passion that outgrew the screen
Before pizza came into the picture, Rainier’s life followed a different rhythm. He built a career in cybersecurity, a path grounded in logic and precision. But the digital world couldn’t fully contain his drive to create, to feel, and to express. He needed more than data and code. He needed fire, flavor, and form.
His journey toward Roso Pizza was never linear. Driven by curiosity, he explored diverse paths. From being a visual artist and dancer in his youth to enrolling in TESDA courses in welding, Rain was in constant search of the right outlet.
“I was always looking for a multisensory experience, something where I could use my hands, my eyes, my nose, my whole being,” Ildefonso recalled.
That longing led him back to his childhood in Balibago, where he first began experimenting in the kitchen at just four years old—cooking eggs, corned beef, tuna, and instant pancit canton with wonder and instinct. Even then, he already had a sense of taste and creativity.
At 24, Rain made his first pizza dough. And in that simple act, something inside him lit up.
A pizza like no other
“I don’t just love pizza,” Rain says. “I express and embody pizza. I am pizza.”
Unlike most pizzaiolos who strive to follow tradition, Rainier took a different route. His approach was rooted in self-discovery. His obsession with craft, flavor, and form led him across the world—from Bangkok and Jakarta, to Australia, and in 2019, to New York City’s Times Square, his dream destination.
He studied pizzas the way an artist studies paintings, observing every detail in texture, crust, char, and balance.
Over time, Rain realized he didn’t want to be confined by New York or Neapolitan rules. He wanted to make his pizza.
That decision became the soul of Roso Pizza, a brand born from his own identity. Roso, drawn from Rainier Ildefonso, was a name that sounded warm, expressive, and deeply personal.
Uneven on purpose
At Roso, you won’t find cookie-cutter pies or algorithmic toppings. You’ll find pizza that breathes, imperfect, rustic, and alive.
“Every pizza I bake is uneven, and that’s intentional. It mirrors me,” Chef Rain said. “No two pizzas are the same, just like no two moments of creation are.”
Rainier keeps his menu focused on a powerful core: Margherita, Salami, Carne, Formaggi. He obsesses over crust quality, fermentation, and temperature. He trusts his visual instincts more than fixed recipes and continues to experiment, learn, and refine every single day.
He even carries a permanent reminder of his first creation. His very first pizza cutter, given to him by his mother who was a quiet but constant witness to his perseverance, is now tattooed on his arm. The moment Rain felt ready to truly own his craft, he had it inked on his skin.
“It’s a symbol,” he said. “Just like my hands, that cutter shaped my journey.”
Mentorship and momentum
Rainier’s story took a meaningful turn in 2024, when he met Amado Forés, son of the late and celebrated chef Margarita Forés. Amado instantly recognized Rain’s fire, artistry, and deep sense of purpose.
Margarita had heard about Rain before her passing and saw in him a reflection of her own son’s spirit.
“She believed in my potential,” Rain shared. “And that meant the world.”
Amado stepped in as a mentor and a friend. He helped Rain open doors, build connections in the industry, and believe more deeply in the path he was forging.
“The Foréses played a big part in my journey,” Rain says. “Their warmth, generosity, and guidance kept me going.”
Beyond the crust
For Rainier Ildefonso, Roso Pizza is more than just food. It is the absolute expression of self—without judgment, without limits. A place where flavor becomes language, and pizza becomes identity.
He is not trying to compete. He is not here to copy. He is here to create.
“What sets my pizza apart from others?” he asked.
His answer is simple:
“Try it—and tell me.”
⸻
Roso Pizza is located in Block 7, Lot 3 Unit A, Angeles City, Pampanga. His humble store is open every Tuesdays to Sundays from 4pm-11pm. Every pie is handcrafted by Chef Rainier Ildefonso—no shortcuts, no pretense, just pure soul and fire, served fresh from the oven.
