Location: 1906 Haro St., Downtown

Kodiki and I went out for lunch yesterday at Adesso since I got a Groupon for it. Apparently the $50 voucher was only to be used during dinner but I phoned the owner and said it didn’t say that anywhere on the Groupon. I argued a bit but he managed to honor the Groupon for me.

It was unexpected where it was situated because it was right in the middle of a residential area. The signs were clear though and it seemed like a nice little tucked restaurant perfect for those dates. Inside was dark but had a very romantic atmosphere. I sincerely apologize for the dark photos, I shall remember to use flash for these types of restaurants.

Peach Bellini

• $6
• sweet and nice balance with alcohol
• however, Kodiki has had ones with slush and much more sweeter. Adesso’s didn’t exactly quite deliver to her expectations

Gnocchi pomodoro

• $12
• homemade potato gnocchi, tomato sauce, and grana padano (grainy Italian cheese)
• you can tell the gnocchi was homemade, and it was interesting with the texture. It wasn’t as mushy like mashed potatoes but wasn’t as firm to say it was like a baked potato. It was as if it something else was added to make it more.. juicy
• it was just the tomato sauce with the gnocchi.. we both got tired of eating it. The acidity of the tomato sauce wasn’t appealing and the textures of the sauce and the gnocchi were too mushy for us to enjoy

Linguine alle vongole (recommended)

• $14
• with manilla clams, garlic, white wine, and olive oil
• I am always in search of really great tasting pasta. I know people always say it’s a simple thing, you can make it at home, why pay for it etc etc… but honestly to have it well done, it’s hard to find in Vancouver.
• I love the simplicity of this dish; the flavors work so well together. Garlic, oil, clams, and the hint of basil… just makes me want to eat it again

Risotto funghi

• $14
• roasted mushrooms, porcini puree, grana padano, arugula, and hard boiled egg
• everything was rich and starchy except for the arugula. I couldn’t even detect the cheeese
• if you enjoy the rich flavors and just that, this may be for you. As I said before though, one dimensional things only get me so far.
• this is just a cultural thing, but since I’m asian, this was nothing special. I’m used to having rice like this. It can have a lot of potential, but the flavors here didn’t work for me.

Tiramisu (recommended)

• $8
• coffee and marsala soaked sponge cake, mascarpone mousse
• this was the first time I actually had the sponge cake soaked. A lot of the other restaurants try to keep the cake and creamy, but when I bit into this one, the flavors just spilled out into my mouth. Dare I say this is the best tiramisu I’ve had so far?

Overall, Kodiki and I had a good experience. It may be a bit on the pricier side, but it definitely had real authentic Italian flavors. Since the Italian craze in Vancouver and all those cheap pasta places, it was hard to find a decent Italian restaurant without going too overboard on the pricing. This should, however, be saved on those special occasions.

Verdict: I might return with someone special