On Thursday we had the chance to try out Chengdu’s newest western restaurant – Cafe Mosaico. There are a couple”Italian” eateries in this city, some of which I’ve tried and the rest of which I’ve heard were awful before I went ahead and wasted my kuai on them. At the beginning of last week, Jeff told me there was a new option in town – an actual Italian restaurant complete with an actually Italian chef who spent time cooking in NYC and elsewhere. I was intrigued.
Arriving at the restaurant felt a bit like a time warp because the entrance is located on East Tongzilin, a road I frequent but somehow had never noticed it’s newest arrival. The exterior is as inviting as the interior is lavish, yet comfortable. The owner is a worldly Chinese guy whose “day job” is tiles – his tiles have outfitted some of the world’s nicest hotels. He described opening a restaurant, Italian specifically, as his “hobby.” To authenticate said hobby he hired an Italian chef from Modena, Italy and created an interior ambience resonant of a fancy European lounge, complete with small dining rooms aptly titled “Roma,” “Milano,” etc etc. Our good impression didn’t stop with the decoration. Overwhelmed by the fact that every dish on the menu looked appealing, our host asked the chef if he would make our decisions for us, which turned into a deliciously drawn-out tasting menu. Retrospectively I realize this method prevented us from ever noting the average portion-size, as all our courses were passed out tapas-style. I prefer this elongated, European way of eating but given Mosaico’s prices it would be useful to know the actual portion size of an 110 RMB pasta dish (roughly $16 – not bad by American standards, quite spendy on this side of the world). Regardless, the Chef did impress me, which I consider relatively hard to do as my life has been blessed with some pretty incredible, varied, and authentic Italian food – from Italy to NYC to DC and ETC. I’ve been doubly blessed with a dad who can cook Italian food better than most, or at least many. So – Mosaico’s food was a pleasant surprise, although I am willing to concede that 8 months away from this type of fare probably worked in it’s favor.
tortelloniii
We started with a plate of really good prosciutto and melon, followed by the pan-seared scallops doused in an orange juice reduction. The scallops were tiny but tasty, and the reduction was a fantastic compliment. I let the chef know I was seriously after homemade pasta, which he obliged for the next two courses. First, a duo of homemade tortellinis – one stuffed with roast pumpkin, parmigiano, and nutmeg (YUM) and the other stuffed with ricotta and spinach, topped with walnuts in a balsamic cream sauce. The contrasting flavors on opposite sides of the same plate was definitely one of the highlights of the meal. Next came beef ravioli smothered in a tangy wild mushroom sauce with a blue taro potato puree. Our main course was seared, sesame covered Tuna. Jeff found his piece to be a little overcooked, but mine was perfect. For desert – Tirimasu; again, completely made from scratch. Not to mention this whole affair was accompanied by multiple bottles of wine, and I got to appreciate the food and wine with not one but two charming financial consultants.
seared tuna mignon...yes please.
At only two weeks old the place was relatively empty, which I assume is due to the double whammy of high prices and lack of awareness amongst ex-pats, yet. In time I can see Mosaico gaining in popularity for both foreigners and Chinese alike, as it provides the unique, private, *expensive* setting that fancy Sichuan restaurants offer and so far no Western restaurants (outside of 5 star hotels) have managed to create. I was also assured by the owner that he is in no rush for Mosaico to fill up – he was completely confident that the quality of the food will speak for itself, as people slowly give it a try. I’m not sure when we’ll get the chance to return (as I’m only 40 days away from NYC Italian) but in the meantime I will positively recommend – the prices are worth the experience and the food quality; our meal there was memorable and much appreciated.
