Si_FlyGuy
02-18-2006, 12:07 AM
Il Sogno (http://www.ilsogno.org/)
- Food rating 5/5 (I felt like I was a judge at Iron Chef)
- Ambience 5/5 (do all bathrooms in Italy smell like a high end boutique?).
- Service 5/5 (Superbly trained waiters who work in perfect synergy - never thought that I would use a business buzzword in this context).
- Price $200 for 2 (incl gst but excluding alcohol and tip).
- Time spent there 2 hrs (food delivered in perfect timing, appropriate for each stage).
- Cole's Notes (because I am not as eloquent as the other reviewers): The most memorable and romantic dining experience.
We have all heard the adage that 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts'. Undoubtedly, we have all been to restaurants where the food was good, but the service was subpar, and vice versa. Sometimes, it could be little details, such as an impatient waiter, or a kitchen who fails to time the meal correctly. You will find none of that at Il Sogno. This is unequivocally my first true complete package fine dining experience.
Upon entering this quaint restaurant, for a post-valentine, valentine's dinner, we were greeted by a pleasant fellow who exchanged our coat with a numbered tag. It didn't take too long to find out that these were some of the finest trained waiters in the city.
I should add a caveat that we ordered the feature items, and that none of them appears on the regular menu. It was also tough to remember all the italian ingredients, so please bear with my incompetance in italiano.
I thought that I should list this in point form to save you guys from my dry babble. The four courses were part of this 'chef's surprise' set that we ordered.
Hor d'oeurves - truffle chips, a couple of jumbo prawns (with goat cheese, 12 year old balsamic vinegar, and other stuff), and wild boar sausage. Simply outstanding.
Misc food - bread with house made red pepper butter (YUM!!)
Course 1 - Squash flan with funky vegetables (very delicately crafted dish of something that I would never thought that I would like in a million years).
Course 2 - Pasta: Mini dumplings with 4 cheese on some delicious sauce. Another fabulous dish - each dumpling was so perfectly done, it seemed as if there was a separate chef cooking each one.
Course 3 - Ribeye Steak (only cooked rare...just cuz the chef said so) on an eggplant salad. Even my gf, who detests rare steak, felt that it was the best steak that she has ever had.
Course 4 - Melted chocolate inside a chocolate cake, grilled pineapple, pineapple sorbet.
Bonus from the kitchen (just cuz) - ice cream sandwiched between a mini chocolate cookie burger. Some berry drink.
I ate so much, that I need to take a nap...which is what I'm going to do right now. zzzzzzz
- Food rating 5/5 (I felt like I was a judge at Iron Chef)
- Ambience 5/5 (do all bathrooms in Italy smell like a high end boutique?).
- Service 5/5 (Superbly trained waiters who work in perfect synergy - never thought that I would use a business buzzword in this context).
- Price $200 for 2 (incl gst but excluding alcohol and tip).
- Time spent there 2 hrs (food delivered in perfect timing, appropriate for each stage).
- Cole's Notes (because I am not as eloquent as the other reviewers): The most memorable and romantic dining experience.
We have all heard the adage that 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts'. Undoubtedly, we have all been to restaurants where the food was good, but the service was subpar, and vice versa. Sometimes, it could be little details, such as an impatient waiter, or a kitchen who fails to time the meal correctly. You will find none of that at Il Sogno. This is unequivocally my first true complete package fine dining experience.
Upon entering this quaint restaurant, for a post-valentine, valentine's dinner, we were greeted by a pleasant fellow who exchanged our coat with a numbered tag. It didn't take too long to find out that these were some of the finest trained waiters in the city.
I should add a caveat that we ordered the feature items, and that none of them appears on the regular menu. It was also tough to remember all the italian ingredients, so please bear with my incompetance in italiano.
I thought that I should list this in point form to save you guys from my dry babble. The four courses were part of this 'chef's surprise' set that we ordered.
Hor d'oeurves - truffle chips, a couple of jumbo prawns (with goat cheese, 12 year old balsamic vinegar, and other stuff), and wild boar sausage. Simply outstanding.
Misc food - bread with house made red pepper butter (YUM!!)
Course 1 - Squash flan with funky vegetables (very delicately crafted dish of something that I would never thought that I would like in a million years).
Course 2 - Pasta: Mini dumplings with 4 cheese on some delicious sauce. Another fabulous dish - each dumpling was so perfectly done, it seemed as if there was a separate chef cooking each one.
Course 3 - Ribeye Steak (only cooked rare...just cuz the chef said so) on an eggplant salad. Even my gf, who detests rare steak, felt that it was the best steak that she has ever had.
Course 4 - Melted chocolate inside a chocolate cake, grilled pineapple, pineapple sorbet.
Bonus from the kitchen (just cuz) - ice cream sandwiched between a mini chocolate cookie burger. Some berry drink.
I ate so much, that I need to take a nap...which is what I'm going to do right now. zzzzzzz