Italian Kitchen is part of the Glowbal Group (as well as
Coast, Society, etc) and is one of my preferred restaurants in the downtown
area whenever I’m craving pasta. My friends and I ventured to Italian Kitchen
for Trixie’s birthday a while back and it has taken me a while to decide
whether to write this post because of the hideous quality pictures provided by the dim lighting in the restaurant. I really REALLY dislike
dim lighting in restaurants because 1) I want to be able to see the menu
clearly, 2) I want to be able to see my food clearly, and 3) it’s hard for me to take good quality pictures.
So, needless to say, Italian Kitchen was a major disaster for me in the
photography department. I apologize for the ugly pictures in advance!
Again, I used a Glowbal Group “free tapas” coupon so we were
each given a complimentary Spicy Kobe Meatball. It
was served on a bed of marinara sauce and topped with freshly shaved Parmigiano-
Reggiano.
The meatballs were very soft and delicious as always. There was
only a small hint of spiciness which I appreciated as it did not overpower the
flavour and texture of the meat. To me,
the softness of the meat stole the show.
Trixie and I shared a Pasta
Platter ($19.95/person) because we have gotten this before and greatly enjoyed
the variety that the platter brings. The platter comes with (from the left): Braised Veal Cannelloni with Wild Mushroom
Cream, Pappardelle with Lamb Sausage, Spaghetti and Spicy Kobe Meatballs with Truffle
Cream, and Rigatoni Pomodoro (which we substituted for Hand-Rolled Gnocchi for no extra charge).
The braised veal cannelloni was spectacular as the
meat was incredibly tender and the wild mushroom cream was to die for. The
pappardelle with lamb sausage was a little on the spicy side but it provided a good
balance against all the creamy sauces in the platter. One thing our whole table
agreed on though was that their pasta, no matter which dish, was always a
little undercooked. Just under al dente so it really took some effort to chew
through the strands.
The kobe meatballs with truffle cream were the clear winner for
many and the gnocchi was very delicious as well. I am so glad we substituted
the gnocchi for the rigatoni because I tried the rigatoni before and it was a
big disappointment. The texture of the gnocchi was a bit softer than I would
have liked, but I can’t complain, it was still pretty good. :)
FW ordered the Rigatoni
Vitello ($16.95) which consisted of veal cheeks, spinach, red wine jus, and
roasted garlic. She thought the rigatoni was way undercooked and thus difficult
to chew through. Also, she said the veal cheeks were good, but they gave her
way too much! LOL Have you heard that before? But honestly, she could barely
finish all the meat!
Pooh and Sis ordered the Antipasto Misto Platter ($19.95/person) which consisted of
Ossobucco croquettes, Spicy Kobe Meatballs, Eggplant Parmigian, Polenta
Bolognese, Prosciutto wrapped Tiger Prawns, Crispy Calamari, Salami and
Mozzarella Stromboli, Grilled Radicchio with Cherry Balsamic Reduction, and Pistachio
Caprino.
There was so much food included in that platter... it was
insane! Overall, they liked the Antipasto Platter a lot but there were a few
hits and misses. I definitely recommend the Pasta and Antipasto Platter for
people who like to “try a bit of everything”.
Service Rating: 3.5/5
Food Rating: 4/5
Price: $$-$$$
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Happy Eating!
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