Cha Xiu Bao

La Montecarlo in Rome

Via del Savelli 12 (nearby Piazza Navona)

Dinner on Oct 4, 2004

I went pass La Montecarlo a couple of times during the week and was never able to sit there to enjoy. Julia from London said that she fancied some pizza and prego, I took her out to one of the most famous pizzerias in Rome, La Montecarlo. The outdoor of this eatery was always packed with bustling crowd carving for their great pizzas and pasta. We were lucky that night that we didn’t have to wait long for a table.

The service of La Montecarlo has been described as faster than it is polite by the USA Today Traveling column. To me, it was indeed very swift. And to cut cost and to make the fare cheaper, they didn't use tablecloth. Instead, they covered the table with poster-sized plain paper. The folk and knife, alas, were not place properly in front of their clientele like those elegant hangouts. They just put them in front of you in a pile and you have to help yourself. However, don't be intimated or beguiled by all these. The good news for all pizza and pasta devotes is that their food is luscious and their portion is colossus that it is always enough to feed an army.

I was amazed when I saw the menu: for an outlet of this size, I thought they have one of the best and most considerate translation squad in Rome -- the menu was translated into English, French, Germany, Spanish and Japanese. I guessed very soon they'd also have a version in Chinese, giving the rising of Chinese economy and hence the inroads of travelers from China.

In the menu, there was not starter or main course section per se. Since this is not one of those fancy restaurants but a homey eatery we are talking about, there was really not much difference between which and which. Besides, their starters' portion, allow me to mind you, are more generous than those of most restaurants' main courses in Rome. I guess the only way to tell which is which is by what you order to start first. Anyway, the starter I ordered was the spaghetti alla salmone, spaghetti with fresh salmon. In the spirit of honesty, I must say that this was by far the best pasta I have had in Rome this far, this one outdid even the chefs from those bib gourmands of Michelin. The flavor of the salmon was sensationally fresh and succulent. And man, this pasta really set the footnote for the word al dente. It was the kind of pasta that makes you become forgetful to all the pasta you have had in the past and judgmental to all the pasta you will have in the future. I was trying to be a gentleman by inviting Julia to try some, but the devil of me really wanted to take the plate away from her as I witness her flirt with the pasta. I was really being a hypocrite pig when I asked her for second time if she wanted some more. Because I was looking at the pasta as I asked her and I would not give her any of it one way or the other. Oh Julia, forgive me…

The pizza we ordered was the signature one named after the restaurant, pizza Montecarlo. It might as well be the most picture-perfect pizza I have ever came across. There were mushroom, some thinly sliced beef, black olive and some onions. But the finest touch for this masterpiece was the fresh egg placed right in the middle atop the pizza. It was neither over-cooked nor under-cooked. I was very positive that it was placed on the top of the pizza with less than a minute (or even less) before finish. It was baked very gently and lightly that the yolk was still runny. Which place serves better pizza in Italy? Naples or Sicily? The jury is still out and it is not for me to tell. But I must say, against all major myths, that this is one of the prettiest and the best pizzas I have had in Italy this far. I was deeply impressed by this kitchen.

With bellies as full as ours, we really paid laughing from ear to ear. A pizza and a spaghetti, plus a bottle of aqua only cost E15. This is the place I would definitely come back whenever I visit Roman.

al Bric in Rome

Via del Pellegrino 51-52

Dinner on Oct 2, 2004

Again, a “Bib Gourmand” by the Michelin Red Guide. The full name of al Bric should be "al Bric, Osteria Enoteca." Osteria that I can understand. But why name itself a wine bar at the same time? I only knew why when I paid: the footnote circling round the name in the bill explained it all. There are over 2000 labels to choose from (further on that later). Also, it said in the bill that all the breads and pasta are homemade.

First of all, I must admit Via del Pellegrino is one of my favorite streets in Rome. It is in the vicinity of the Campo de Fiori, where you can meet a boisterous crowd of locals (especially the college students) and those more “in-the-know” tourists. There are tons of wine bars to choose from, as well as some stylish bookshops and poetic boutiques. I virtually give all the outlets in this neighborhood extra credits just for being here.

I once past by al Bric during my search for Ditirambo the other day but it was closed then: this eatery only opens for dinner, which somehow infers how good its trade is. Again, I was the first one there at around 7:30 in the evening. In Hong Kong this hour sometimes means you are too late for goodies as they might have already sold-out. Yet in Rome, it always means you'd be the first client arriving at the scene.

The headwaiter heisted for a second as to where should I be seated. I could sense that they have a very strict reservation policy. Indeed, I later witnessed some clientele were asked to come back later because they hadn’t booked. Lucky I was here early because I hadn’t booked neither.

The menu changes according to season and it contained only two pages. For antipasto, it was not a breeze for me to decide what to order between the two. Under this circumstance, I decided to crack indecisiveness with indecisiveness: I ordered 2 antipasti myself, namely, Carciofo brace and crema di parmigiano and tartufo nero. The former being the wild artichoke with pecorino cheese while the latter is the creme of parmigiano reggiano with the heavenly black truffle. I did want to order foie gras with pear in Sauternes for a moment but then I thought it sounded too French a choice in a Roman restaurant. There was a soup cooked in Barolo wine, which seemed equally tempting yet it was obvious I couldn’t take any more antipasti – I still need to savor the main course, you know.

The artichoke was the first to come of the two. it was flaked with a generous portion of pecorino Romano cheese, a specialty from the Lazio region. Did I mentioned bacon? Yes, there were also an abundant portion of bacon showered on top of the plate. All in all, I think the "ace" of this dish is the wild artichoke, marinated with extra virgin olive oil of the best grade and supremely prepared. However, the presentation skill for this traditional cuisine was rather too “casual.” It seems like a dish that everyone could try it out at home. In my opinion, it was great but not too impressive.

The second antipasto however, was the highlight of the night. It was the cream of parmigiano reggiano topped by black truffle. It was the kind of cuisine that a gourmet would ask for before he dies. Think about it, the transcendence of western culinary art was collected in a bowl. Parmigiano reggiano, a.k.a. "the king of cheese," meet the black truffle, the king of vegetable! It was spectacular. The cheese puree was extremely rich while the portion of the delicate truffle was generous. As I was savoring this dish, I kept cursing myself for my ineptitude in speaking Italian, otherwise I could just walk into the kitchen and ask the chef how it was made. Yeah, it was the kind of dish that makes you want to improve your foreign language so that you can ask the chef for the recipe. Can someone teach me how to ask "How can you turn this famous cheese into a smooth puree without losing its characters?" I was really overawed by this dish from the first bite to the last.

After 2 starters, I decided to order one more starter. To be honest, I was too full for a real main course. It was the risotto of mushroom and black currant jus. The risotto was flavorsome and rich. Overall, the dish was good, but no great. I was of the view that I could do better with this Italian dish in some outlets in Hong Kong.

As good as my second starter, i.e., the cream of parmigiano reggiano and black truffle, this restaurant was great but not top gun. It was because they lacked consistence among all the dishes. A great one should be able to make the client wow with each dish of theirs.

Note that however, if you are a wine aficionado, this osteria cum wine bar is worth visiting for its wine list alone. The wine list is outlandishly long. There are virtually all the wines you can think of. They have one of the best collections of Petrus in Rome running in vertical. Of course, the ’90 vintage is for oil sheiks only. The 2003 Nero D’Avola from Sicilia that I ordered that night was cheery on the nose with distinctive flavor of chocolate; the tannin was very high, which went very well with my cheese cream and my mushroom risotto.

La Campana in Rome

Vicolo della Campana 18

Lunch on Oct 2, 2004

This eatery is reportedly the oldest one in Rome, opened around in the 15th century. Circa 1518, if you really want to know the exact year. The Zagat Survey says this one always turns out "basic" and "honest" Roman food and also awarded it with a very high grading for their food, second only to my favorite Agata e Romeo. The food aside, this restaurant warrants my visit just for the seek of its muturity. The common sense of a gourmet tells me that if an eatery can stand there like a stalwart for 5 centuries, it can’t be too bad.

I walked in the eatery at about half past noon – and I was obviously disturbing the lunch of the staff. Again, I was the first one and it seems like I was not expected at all. The staff gave me an enquiring look and waved me in. I must say the exterior of it seemed very wore-out while the decor inside was indeed very homey, nothing flashy, there were blank and white paintings hanged around the wall showing the relics of Rome. Rack full of antipasti was placed at the entrance to greet the patrons. The tables, however, was placed in an "elbow-to-elbow" fashion -- no wonder the Zagat survey gave it a "hustle and bustle" comment, I guess you have to expect a little cramping if you visit at peak dinner time.

I asked for a menu as I sat down. But to my amusement, the staff gave a copy of the menu with 2 pages only. The idea that I was sitting in a “tourist trap" instantly got my nerves. In Hong Kong, there are some restaurants notorious for distributing 2 versions of menu to different clientele. The version to the tourists, especially to the Japanese, of whom are always regarded the most well-off among tourists, is much more expensive than the one handing to the locals. Am I eating lunch in mirror restaurant in Rome to those scandalous restaurants in Hong Kong? Fortunately, this was not the case. I was being too suspicious. "The perform and suffer great things is the spirit of Roman," as it was written in the bas relief of Vittoriano. No, the Roman do not do spiteful tricks like this. The menu was in copy and hand-written version solely due to the fact that the dish change daily, as all the locals around was receiving this menu in the same vein.

The starter I ordered was the pappardelle in salsa anitra, in short, pasta with long-boiled duck and its sauce. To tell you the truth, I really had no idea what I was ordering because the calligraphy of the writer was too artistic. What I did know was that this was one of those “oggi lo chef consiglia,” the chef recommendation of the day. It turned to be a rewarding choice for my adventure. I always believe it is good to be adventurous at the dining table. No pain, no gain. To be a savvy gourmet, you can’t confine yourself to only those foods you once tried. You must willing to try something you have not tried or even something beyond your imagination. Anyway, the duck meat, no much but a chop of it on the top of the pasta, was very tender and flavorsome. I suspected it was boiled with some peppers, some tomatoes, some carrot (maybe, judging from the color of the sauce) and some innards of the duck; otherwise it was hard to gain the richness of this gratitude. It was delicious. You can make it even better if you sprinkle it with cheese after cheese. But you must savor it quickly before it get cold or else it will lose its high moment.

The main course I ordered was the Abbacchio alla cacciatora, which was pieces of baby lamb simmered with rosemary, garlic, wine and peppers. Baby lamb is my favorite. So I decided this was what I wanted the instance the waiter explained to me what it was for I have never tried baby lamb in this style before. Again, a rewarding choice for my courageous endeavor. The baby lamb was cooked so well that it has the “melt in your mouth sensation” with every bite in your mouth. You really don't need a knife for this dish; a spoon with a fork will do the trick handsomely. The lambs just fell apart themselves.

The wine, a house red wine cost around E4 basically has no traits to write home about. Yeah, I didn’t even bother to remember the name of it.

Judging from the dessert cart at the entrance, I said pass for the dessert as I didn't think it would be eventful.

Ditirambo in Rome

Piazza della Cancellevia 74-75

Lunch on Oct 1, 2004

Just a stone's throw away from the Piazza Campo de' Fiori, this a whiff of a restaurant was given a “Bib Gourmand” mark by the Michelin Red Guide.

I was starting to get used to the fact that restaurants featured in the red guide tend not to be as crowded as one might imagine. My rationale is that while E40 is much a bargain for a good meal and some decent service in a cozy restaurant when compare with those star-glided restaurants, they're still a bit hit-on-the-wallet for the major crowds, even by Roman standard, which explains why they aren’t fully-booked during lunch hours. Still, I’m sure that’s only for the lunch; at night, I believe most of them would enjoy a full house.

The starter I ordered was the gorgozola cheese and pears soufflé with balsamic vinegar. I have never imagined before cheese could play so well with a sweet and sour pair: the pears and the balsamic vinegar. It was refreshing. I was lucky that I was eating my lunch so that I didn’t have to share it.

As one antipasti was not enough, I ordered a soup as well. It was a ligurian soup with prawn tail and peas. While the prawn’s tail was mildly dipped with some breadcrumbs and then lightly grilled, it was not the best I have eaten – most restaurants in Sicily could do better. Anyway, this defect was compensated with a heavy scent of olive oil (of course) and rocket leaves. With the help from the spiciness of the rocket leaves, the soup was made less oily even with the peas and olive oil.

The main course, after two not-so-light starters, was the veal pudding. As a gourmet, this was some dish that I have to order just for seek to check out how could someone transform a chop of veal into a pudding. Amazingly, the outside of the veal pudding was in topaz color instead of brown, which I have no idea how they made it. The rawness is just -right. Beneath the pudding there lies a bed of beef livers, obviously cooked in mushroom broth. The verdict: Yummissimo.

The dessert I ordered was the semifreddo of chocolate with ricciolo. Sadly, the semifreddo is a bit over-freezed and did not taste great. It was in no way comparable to those I have had in Sicily. To the Sicilians, the word al dente also applies to semifreddo.

Overall, the antipasti and main courses I tried were excellently executed and tasted zesty yet the semifreddo doesn’t worth a try.

Il San Crisipino in Rome

Gelato feast on Sept 30, 2004

I was having the time of my life this afternoon when I visited this so-called the best gelateria in Rome. I tried out four flavors in total. This is probably the only gelateria you'd see a queue outside.

The Armacognac, the honey cream (the signature one), the grapefruit and the Marsala, which is my favorite dessert wine from Sicilia. The first one, the Armacognac is made of vintage armacognac, not those you can easily buy from the market but special reserves that aged well over 20 years. The honey cream is San Crispino’s signature flavor and a must-try for anyone visiting this store for the first time. You can’t find it elsewhere. The third one, the grapefruit really blown my mind and from now on I would see fruits from a new perspective. It was made of grapefruit but it tasted better than any grapefruit I’ve ever had in my life – to the extent that I started to doubt that whether I have ever tried grapefruit before – and it lingered in mind like forever. The last one, the Marsala flavor, brought back all the sweet memories from my days in Sicilia. The beaches, the seafood cuisines and all those gorgeous confectioneries.

Ristorante Asincotto in Rome

Via del Vascellari 48, Trastevere, Rome

Lunch on Sept 29, 2004

As a veteran epicurean, I must admit I was intimated when I first walked into Asincotto. According to my Michelin red guide, this place serves regional Roman cooking and hence was coroneted with a “Bib Gourmand” trophy. It follows that this place should be a happening place full with a big crowd. However, it was not. Only 2 tables were occupied. I knew this place is a little bit "off the beaten path": but I didn't expect it to be this "off" during peak hours. Anyway, I decided to give Michelin a chance to see whether it worth all its due, for after all, I did give USA Today a try and was rewarded beautifully.

The decor was very cozy with dozen of beautiful paintings hanged on the walls. There was no al fresco dining and the restaurant was a very small one that seats only around 40.

The menu of it was a most unfuzzy one, all contained in 2 pages. HOWEVER, the wine list is where the amusement took its course: it was Tolstoy’s "War and Peace" of wine lists. I could hardly believe a restaurant as small as this one can have such a big cellar to store such wide range of collection of wine. By Roman’s standard, this wine list was very broad-minded. After all, most small restaurants in Rome tend to be very chauvinistic and it is not uncommon to see some of them only supplying wines from the Lazio region. There were wines from all over the world and there were some rarer choice too, like the red DOC from Sassicaia. Note that, the rarity was well reflected in the price: a good vintage like 1997 charged E250 for a bottle. But I was lucky to have chosen the Barbaresco Faset 1999. It was reasonably priced at E7 a glass. The nose was very cherry, with some hint of chocolate (or coffee, I wasn’t sure). The palate was very fully bodied, velvety, medium sweet but very well balanced, the tannin was medium and got a just-right vanilla finish.

The starter I ordered was the Trenette alle erbe con ragu d'anatra et pistacchio (what a mouthful), translation: traditional ligurian with ragu of duck and pistachio nuts. The pasta was generously topped with minced duck meat (simmered with very rich tomato sauce) and the plate was beautifully sprinkled with fresh pistachio around. The duck meat espouses seamlessly with nutty flavor of the pistachio. In all, this ligurian was a showcase of what is the al dente state for pasta. Mama mia, if this starter was a hint for the things to come, I was on my way to heaven...

For the main course, I chose the cheese platter, for all the reason this was the first time that I’ve seen a cheese platter was placed on the main course column. It was a platter of cheese from local farms. I must confess I am a CHEESY person for I would order cheese platter whenever I see one. A collection of 7 varieties of cheese was nicely arranged on the plate, from the mildest to the strongest. The first 4 were obviously a preparation for the palate. Not too strong in flavor, but very creamy. And the fifth one, the blue cheese, was a really strong one: I would rather say this was the wasabi of cheese. After the fifth one, the sixth one tasted less staggering, but it was still luscious anyway. But if the fifth one was the climax, the last one, one that had been aged for 30 months, was really an anti-climax of this platter. The blue cheese was possessed with "in-your-face" flavorsome palate whereas the last one was possessed with a subtlety and richness that none could forget. When compare these two, I would consider the 5th one as Monica Belluci whilst the last one as Sophia Lauren. Layers after layers flavors were oozing from them that no gourmand could finish. On second thought, what seemed to be a too light a choice number 6 has its unbearable heaviness of being -- to contrast the richness of last one. Wow, grazie, my maitre d, for such skillful set up.

That came the dolce. An upper crust chocolatier like me would of course order its “Chocolate Decadence” (the footnote read: baked chocolate cream bordering on the illegal) from the menu. I was totally over-wowed when I first bite the chocolate cake in my mouth. Abundance of richness of chocolate was gushing out from each bite of the chocolate cake. I was literally gorging myself on my chocolate decadence and frankly, it was too good that I forgot any need to hide it.

Man, I was too full to eat dinner that night.

Ristorante La Parolaccia in Rome

Address: Via del Cinque 3, Trastevere, Rome

Dinner on Sept 28, 2004

Just like the leaflet of the restaurant said, you won’t find any other restaurant like La Parolaccia in Rome. In Italian, "La Parolaccia" literally means bad words -- and this name has been lived up luridly by its staff. The restaurant is famous in Rome not only for its authentic Roman cuisine, but also for the vulgarity and rudeness of its staff.

As I walked in the restaurant, I was surprised to find there was only one table occupied. The experience of a gourmet instantly triggered one question in my mind: am I being misleaded by the article of the USA Today? The next question came up to my head was: should I stay or should I go? Lucky for me, I stayed. Because what came next was really an eye opener for a veteran dinner like me. The staff shimmied to me and greeted me by his lousy Cha-cha dance and asked where did I come from. Shortly after I sat, in came a duo to start setting up for their show. Then within half an hour, the dining room was packed. Yes, I forgot, the Roman rarely start to eat before 8:30. At 8 o'clock, I was too early.

As I was reading the menu, a client squeezed next to my seat and peeked at the wood-paneled wall around me. I was only then realized that the woods on the wall were all written with writings from previous clients. And this client was obviously checking whether his remarks was still there since his last visit.

The antipasti I ordered was Rucatoni Alla Cencio (E6.5), a panni with cheese, eggs, peas and bacons. Thought it has a sensationally rich flavor of cheese, the pasta felt a bit too stiff, not al dente enough. Maybe one or even half minute more boiling would do the tricks. The main course I had was Mialino al Forno, the roasted piglet (pig suckling roasted with star anise, black pepper, and fennel). The roasted piglet, if execute well, could be a dish from heaven. However, the piglet in La Parolaccia was not so. It pale in comparison even to those I tasted in the food markets in the northern part of Italy, such an Asti. The skin of the piglet, which supposed to be very crispy, or even crackling, proved to be a real work for the teeth in La Parolaccia -- not a good choice for the elders or who had just came back from the dentist.

As the clock stroke nine, the duo started to perform. They sang, of course but the songs are only ostensible: you don’t need to be fluent in Italian to see that they are there more for their trash talks and teasing of the crowd. One of the performers, a Danny Divito look-alike Roman, was obviously making jokes that topped with juicy punch lines around. Though I didn't understand a single Italian words this Danny boy said, the body language of the crowd showed they were apparently having the time of their lives and none of them was being offended by the satirical or profanity of Mr. Danny. It was obvious. The crowd was not here for the food; their attention was on the live performance of the duo and the attitude of the staff. It was a demonstration of the Roman style of sense of humor.

In all, if you ask me is the food recommendable, I would say no. However, if you ask me whether this deserve a visit, I would definitely say yes. Why? Because this is where you can see a boisterous crowd, a bad mouthed gang of hostess, and a showcase of the Roman sense of humor in its truest sense.