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2014-08-06
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After a memorable first-time visit a couple of months ago, I vowed to go back for the "Bistecca alla Fiorentina" and made a point to order it one week in advance.Honestly I rarely see Italians in Italy dipping their bread in oil and vinegar and this is not my cup of tea too. To each his own, I don't mind dipping this lovely bread in the much fragrant olive oil. The chemistry was so nice that we had three rounds of this.Antipasto from the house was the same as last time - wonton wrappers filled w
Honestly I rarely see Italians in Italy dipping their bread in oil and vinegar and this is not my cup of tea too. To each his own, I don't mind dipping this lovely bread in the much fragrant olive oil. The chemistry was so nice that we had three rounds of this.
Antipasto from the house was the same as last time - wonton wrappers filled with pork Pâté. This was nice, but nothing compared with what were yet to come.
More choices are now on offer in the menu than my previous visit. Altogether there were 2 starters and 4 appetizers which featured proscuitto, carpaccio, Japanese vegi, grilled octopus, cheese, etc. (but no soup!). As I am not much of a nibbler, we skipped this and went directly to the first and second courses.There were 2 more choices for primi piatti as well, regrettably (indeed!) I could only try 4 out of the total 6.
Tis the season to enjoy truffles? The cold pasta carbonara was such a delight last time that perhaps it has become a benchmark a bit hard to beat. With a change of sauce this time the dish became a bit too heavy for a supposedly "light" cold pasta dish. Still the taste was lovely and the pasta was cooked decently.
This dish elevated me last time, and it didn't fail me this time. Yes it is still the best spaghetti con vongole e cozze I have ever tasted here, though I still prefer linguine to spaghetti.
The most expensive pasta dish of the night turned out to be a bit of a disappointment (same as last time). The dish did not seem to "synchronize" well together, the sauce did not cling nicely to the pasta, and the aroma of the edible flowers (??) on top were too overwhelming.I spotted a pasta machine somewhere in their attic, and I was too excited to know that I would finally come to taste the outcome. Afterall, an Italian chef has to know his/her own pasta!
The summer truffle here was used beautifully and its flavour was enhanced to the max. Agnolotti is a "folded" pasta (as opposed to the commonly known ravioli and tortellini) originated from Piedmont. The pasta-to-filling ratio was perfect and each piece of pasta was beautifully constructed.
It was a sophisticated dish, surprisingly refreshing and the taste was a lovely harmony in the mouth. I salute you Katahira sensei!!As the pasta dish approached the end, I could not contain my excitment for the long-awaited Bistecca alla Fiorentina. We were told that the T bone could feed 3- 4 people, yet we still couldn't resist ordering 2 more main courses of meat.
Last time it was USA pork, this time it was Spain pork, and they were equally tasty. For me a beautiful piece of meat needed no complicated treatment and I was glad that the chef shared the same opinions. Without a doubt it was the simplicity from which mastery was showcased.
Yeah eating French Duck in an Italian restaurant was bizzarre, but you would not feel so if the duck tasted fine. Juicy, sweet and refined, the dish exceled over many of those of the "French" restaurants.So finally the highlight of the night for me arrived - the long-awaited Bistecca alla Fiorentina.
LOOK AT THIS MEAT!!
The dark red meat colour confirmed that it was Chianina cow under the Tuscan sun from beautiful Italy (as said so by the friendly staff). The meat was cooked in perfect Italian way - charred on the outside, without a hint of cooked meat inside. For me, nothing beats the white cow T-bone, not the dry-aged, not the grade A5.The stunning T-bone "trio" - tenderloin, striploin, and crispy fatty strip.
Succulent and flavourful, the meat was served with nothing but fresh green vegetables, which was indeed the perfect complement to this heavenly meat, and the portion was truly hearty. I will sure go back even ONLY for this.As before, patience is much needed for nice food, but no doubt the wait is worth it.
P.S.
2 other pasta dish we did not try were squid ink cannelloni with king crab and mozzarella in spicy tomato sauce ($280), and Citarra al' pomodoro (pasta with Japanese tomato sauce $180).
2 other main courses we skipped this time were Tagliata di manzo (Angus beef tagliata 10oz $580, we had it last time and it was really yummy), and Kinki (thornhead) all'acqua pazza ($680, finally fish dish!).
The 2 desserts for that night included panna cotta with chocolate cheese cake in whiskey sauce, and green tea tiramisu. Hopefully we would have room next time for desserts ~ though I doubt it...
题外话/补充资料：
There was a table of Japanese ladies sitting next to us and they had a good time drinking and chatting. I saw them ordered Citarra al' pomodoro and the dish looked simple yet delicious.
(以上食记乃用户个人意见 , 并不代表OpenRice之观点。)
张贴
