Kitchen Igosso

A low dining counter more reminiscent of sushi bars than trattorias makes obvious the Japanese aesthetic behind this slim Italian bistro. Run by the Japanese owners behind the late lamented Café Igosso, is an elegant mid-priced option for date night. The set menu is a solid bargain: RMB 180 provides a sample appetizer platter, grilled stuffed squid, a pasta, thin slices of a perfect medium-rare sirloin roast with a side salad, finished with a frothy yogurt mousse tart. The bacon and tomato pasta and spaghetti pescatora were toothsome but failed to measure up to the other dishes. Better was the steak tartare. Mixing one’s own tartare guarantees it’s done to taste and provides for superior presentation. The platter of hand-minced beef, which contains no fat, is carefully circled by fixings, with additional capers and onions brought out speedily upon request. The peach tiramisu is free-form and delightful.
The exposed brick décor, delicate presentation and obliging wait staff (who speak English, Japanese and Chinese) only add to the pleasantly muted atmosphere of this Japanese-Italian dining experience.