LOCATION: 278 Shaanxi Bei Lu (Click on LOCATION to go to full City Weekend Listing)

CITY WEEKEND GOURMET WEEK MENU

available april 16-23

PRICE: RMB 199/person

TIMES: All the Day

I. Antipasti

• Fresh Tomato Salad With Buffalo Mozzarella

• Soup

• Mushroom Soup With Black Tatuffo

II. The First

• Sicilia Spaghetti

III. Main Course

• Grilled Australia Beef Fillet With Potato and Vegetables

IV. Dessert

• Homemade Italian Tiramisu

GOURMET WEEK EDITORIAL REVIEW

YOU wouldn't expect to find a fine Italian dining experience on the eight floor of the Golden Eagle shopping mall, but actually for the past year Toscana Italian Restaurant has nonchalantly produced some of the freshest Italian cuisine in the city. The brains behind the establishment, Mr. Davide Sun, is likewise meek about his exotic history: He spent years in Italy singing Italian opera before returning home to China where today, along with Shanghainese restauranteur Luca Weng, he masterminds new eateries. In fact, Toscana came to be born when a few of Sun's friends suggested he open a bar where they could enjoy a fine glass of wine and maybe get something to eat, too. Bring in a head chef from Rome, an enviable wine list and a prime location on Nanjing Xi Lu, and voila, you've got Toscana--which lucky for us is participating in City Weekend's Gourmet Week 2007.

Toscana emphasizes quality, homemade ingredients. Upon settling down into our soft, red velour cushioned seats, our waitress presented us with a basket of home-baked bread. The olive roll and whole wheat bun were both still warm from the oven. We soaked in the atmosphere as we waited for our first course: As soon as you walk in it's as if you've been whisked away to a warm, outdoor Italian trattorria. Faux grape vines hang from the walls and ceilings. Strums from an Italian accordion serenade you through sips of Argentine Malbec, the finely chosen house wine, and photos of Florence hang from the rustic white stone walls. If you use your imagination, the lanterns that drop down from the ceiling could be hanging from wooden beams up through which you can see a starry sky. The five course set menu started out with an ensalata caprese: slices of tomato alternate with slices of fresh mozzarrela cheese drizzled with pesto. Next came a cream of mushroom soup sprinkled with truffles. Our favorite dish appeared next: the Sicilia spaghetti. I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't what came: an aromatic plate of spaghetti tossed in a tuna sauce and topped generously with mussels, clams, shrimp, squid and fish. Capers, olive oil and garlic suit this flavorful dish, while raisins add a sweet touch and red peppers a slight spicy tang. I made the mistake of devouring practically every bite of the pasta, and so I needed to take a breather and collect myself before the fourth course, a filet of beef bathed in a fresh homemade peppercorn sauce. My companion and I almost asked for just one serving of dessert, so stuffed we were; but as soon as the homemade tiramisu came out from the kitchen, we greedily agreed that we each wanted our own. I dreamt about the tiramisu that night: Each serving comes in a clay cup. Fresh mascarpone cheese dusted with chocolate powder hides soft, slightly tipsy lady fingers. I scraped my cup clean, and finished off the meal with a fresh strawberry topped with whipped cream.