24 West Union Street(Located in the One Colorado Shopping Center)
Pasadena, CA 91103
Phone: 626.683.9797
Email: pasadena@ilfo.com
Map
Highly Recommended
This is a chain restaurant that does things right: white linens on the tables; open hearth, wood fired ovens; wait staff in long, white aprons and the overall feel of authentic Italian trattoria (or so I would imagine) I cannot say enough positive things about this place.
The menu has so many interesting selections return visits are a must. The appetizer menu runs from 7 - 13 dollars. I started with the Calamaretti Fritti (for $9.95). , served with spicy marinara sauce. A generous portion of baby squid, lightly floured and deep fried; simply prepared with excellent results.
I then went on to the Insalata di Bietole (for $7.75) Organic red and gold beets with red wine vinegar, wild arugula, toasted walnuts and Asiago cheese; lemon-olive oil dressing. If I had to find anything negative to say about this meal, it would be that the walnuts did not add a lot to the dish but otherwise the salad was without flaw. The dressing was very light in flavor and applied sparingly so as not to overwhelm any of the other components of the dish. The combination of the mild bitterness of the arugula and the earthy sweetness of the beets were pulled together perfectly by the Asiago. Too many times I have seen a salad like this topped with a blue or green cheese which overwhelms all other ingredients. Bravo for restraint!
My entree was the Gnocchi Emilia (for $14.95). In house made potato dumplings with butternut squash, Italian ham, porcini mushroom, truffle oil and cream. Once again, a definite winner! The dumplings were soft but resilient and the rest of the ingredients were applied to compliment them. There was just enough cream sauce to coat each dumpling, porchini and truffle oil scented the cream, without overpowering and the saltiness of the ham pulled it all together. Once again, the success of this dish lies not only in the ingredients but how they are applied to compliment the whole dish.
I sat at the bar and was well taken care of. The bartender gave good advise on wine by the glass and ensured my meal was served promptly. I was on my way to the airport and the bartender lived up to her promise to get me out of the restaurant in under 45 minutes.
I hope this chain of restaurants spreads east, setting the standard for unpretentious excellence.
Showing posts with label Pasadena CA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pasadena CA. Show all posts
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Sushi Roku
Sushi Roku
33 Miller Alley Pasadena, CA 91103 (626) 683-3000
Map
Not Recommended
A product of the Innovative Dining Group, owners of Katana and Balboa in West Hollywood, Boa in Hollywood, Santa Monica and Las Vegas and the Robata Bar in Santa Monica, have taken one of my favorite culinary art forms, sushi, and degraded it to a flashy disappointment. Despite the striking atmosphere in the Pasadena location the sushi itself is ultimately forgettable. I sat at the sushi bar and was served very small cuts of fish, either overly vinegary or served with heavy handed wasabi. The rice was not prepared well, with a very soft and unpleasant texture. I ordered tomago (egg omelet) hamachi (yellow tail) and hirame (halibut) as my first course. Served out of order (in my opinion tomago should always be served first) the hirame arrived first. The rice was so heavily vinegared as to overwhelm the fish completely and ruin my palate for the hamachi that arrived next. The hamachi had so much wasabi to render the fish irrelevant and the tomago, served last, was nearly frozen on rice that was so sweet as to be almost candy-like. My next course was maguro, (tuna), aji (Spanish mackerel) and a Soft Shell Crab maki roll. Again every piece served was a disappointment. The maguro, like the hamachi, was so heavily spiced with wasabi it made my nose run, the aji, so heavily vinegared the rice fell apart on the plate and (most disappointing of all) the soft shell crab roll was served as an inside out roll (bad idea, the heat from the fried crab ruins the nori by steaming it and making it chewy) pre-made so it arrived soggy and cold.
The atmosphere is very nice but service is a bit asinine. At 45 years old, I don't need to be called young man or “bro” by my 20-something year old waiter.
If you want nice surroundings and overly friendly wait staff and aren’t afraid to pay dearly for it, this may be your kind of place. If you want good sushi, carefully prepared and served in an appropriate manner I strongly suggest finding an alternative.
33 Miller Alley Pasadena, CA 91103 (626) 683-3000
Map
Not Recommended
A product of the Innovative Dining Group, owners of Katana and Balboa in West Hollywood, Boa in Hollywood, Santa Monica and Las Vegas and the Robata Bar in Santa Monica, have taken one of my favorite culinary art forms, sushi, and degraded it to a flashy disappointment. Despite the striking atmosphere in the Pasadena location the sushi itself is ultimately forgettable. I sat at the sushi bar and was served very small cuts of fish, either overly vinegary or served with heavy handed wasabi. The rice was not prepared well, with a very soft and unpleasant texture. I ordered tomago (egg omelet) hamachi (yellow tail) and hirame (halibut) as my first course. Served out of order (in my opinion tomago should always be served first) the hirame arrived first. The rice was so heavily vinegared as to overwhelm the fish completely and ruin my palate for the hamachi that arrived next. The hamachi had so much wasabi to render the fish irrelevant and the tomago, served last, was nearly frozen on rice that was so sweet as to be almost candy-like. My next course was maguro, (tuna), aji (Spanish mackerel) and a Soft Shell Crab maki roll. Again every piece served was a disappointment. The maguro, like the hamachi, was so heavily spiced with wasabi it made my nose run, the aji, so heavily vinegared the rice fell apart on the plate and (most disappointing of all) the soft shell crab roll was served as an inside out roll (bad idea, the heat from the fried crab ruins the nori by steaming it and making it chewy) pre-made so it arrived soggy and cold.
The atmosphere is very nice but service is a bit asinine. At 45 years old, I don't need to be called young man or “bro” by my 20-something year old waiter.
If you want nice surroundings and overly friendly wait staff and aren’t afraid to pay dearly for it, this may be your kind of place. If you want good sushi, carefully prepared and served in an appropriate manner I strongly suggest finding an alternative.
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