- 整體 3
- 食物 2
- 服務 4
- 氛圍 4
What Makes a Great Italian Restaurant?
I recently dined with a dear friend and chose Harry’s by Giuls specifically because their menu had my friend’s all-time favourite Italian pasta dish.
To start, we ordered the Octopus with Nduja (a type of spicy pork sausage) and garlic, along with a Burrata La Stella. Both were excellent—tender, flavourful and a promising start to the meal.
Then came the pasta mains. I opted for the Vodka Pasta with Scallops, Caramelized Onions, and Chili Flakes. However, after just a couple of bites, I had no choice but to send it back. The pasta was drastically undercooked. The sauce was thin, lacking depth and the scallops, if there, doing a great job of hiding.
The waiter kindly offered a replacement dish, so I decided to join my friend in ordering the Carbonara. Unfortunately, more disappointment.
While the pasta was properly cooked this time, the sauce was again, very thin and lacked flavour. The guanciale (cured pork cheek), which should have tender was tough, most probably from being over-fried rather than gently browned.
We ate our Carbonara reluctantly.
The moment of truth finally arrived when our waiter asked about our experience.
We were honest about not enjoying the pasta and a few moments later the manger came along to get more feedback. ( We appreciated this very much.)
Out of curiosity, I asked how they prepared their Carbonara sauce. The manager's response left me stunned: "We use cream and Parmesan cheese."
Wait… no eggs? And why cream?
A true Italian Carbonara relies on eggs and Pecorino Romano (not Permesan) to achieve its silky texture - not cream. This insight explained everything.
So, what truly defines a great Italian restaurant?
Authenticity, respect for tradition and mastery of the simplest ingredients. Unfortunately, Harry’s by Giuls fell short on all three when it came to the mains.
We sincerely thank the wonderful staff for their service and thoughtful gesture of removing the pasta from the bill