Unexpectedly Authentic

by Zack Etkind
on Friday, February 03, 2012 12:00 AM

Located along Xuanhua Lu, in an area particularly devoid of other Western restaurants, Tiramisu could easily be dismissed as another weak local attempt at providing ‘authentic’ Italian food. After closer inspection however, one will be pleasantly surprised to learn that actual Italians own this restaurant, most of the food is imported from Italy, and some of the pasta is even freshly made in the kitchen. While this formula doesn’t guarantee success, it definitely warranted further investigation.

Tiramisu’s dining room is comprised entirely of sleek black wooden chairs and tables. The walls are decorated with vintage black and white pictures of famous Italian’s enjoying ‘La Bella Vita’. One side of the room features a drop down projection screen that makes the venue ideal for end-of-the-year company gatherings or team building events. The simple yet stylish décor allows diners to focus on what’s really important; the food.         

When eating at foreign restaurants in Shanghai, it’s common to hear diners proclaim their appreciation, “by local standards.” When it came to the mixed Italian cold cut platter (RMB78), or the tomato and mozzarella platter (RMB88), served as appetizers, the imported slices of prosciutto, salami, and mozzarella would have been considered high quality even by Italian standards. For entrees, Antonio, the manager, recommended the Ricotta cheese and Spinach Raviolis (RMB70), which are made on site, from scratch. The homemade pasta was light and had a particularly nutty flavor, complimenting the cheese and spinach filling. The raviolis were covered in a thick and hearty tomato sauce that was extremely flavorful without masking the more delicate flavors within.  Another entrée, the Seafood Pasta (RMB95), was prepared by placing all the ingredients in an aluminum bag and letting them simmer in the oven. While original, the spaghetti and tomato sauce came out tasting like something anyone could cook up in twenty minutes at home. The tiny morsels of clams, mussels, and calamari were bursting with the flavors of garlic and Italian herbs but unfortunately there were too few of them to make the dish truly satisfying.

The venue is rarely crowded with usually just a few couples having dinner at a time.  However this shouldn’t be attributed to poor service or low-quality ingredients but rather as a result of being located in an area uncommonly frequented by its target audience. If you do end up in the area, Tiramisu offers a quiet place to enjoy some genuine Italian cuisine.