TOSCANA: A Taste Trip Through Italy

One evening, I and my friend were driving to Kemang. We were planning to pick up the tickets to Joko Anwar's musical play "Onrop", but that didn't work out because the tickets to the seats we wanted were already sold out. Not wanting to go back with empty hands and empty stomachs, we decided to grab a bite around the area. And then we stumbled upon an Italian restaurant incidentally. I have been craving Italian foods for the past few weeks ever since I watched "Eat, Pray, Love" so I suggested that we go in.

At the first glance, Toscana didn't look like much from the outside. However, the minute you entered to restaurant, you will immediately feel like you were being transported to a charming eatery in a secluded valley somewhere in Italy. We were greeted by a butler who showed us to our table and we noticed that most of the clienteles were expatriates. Smoking area is available which is always a plus. The overall look of the place felt very authentic. The dimly-lit cabin-like interior gave off very warm and romantic vibe. With no annoying music blaring from speakers, the tranquil ambience is sure to keep the conversation going with you and your date.

With Italian foods, my mind instantaneously thought of a few items. Pizza, pasta, gelato, and wine. And those were exactly what we ordered. 

 The complementary bread basket. A staple in any Italian restaurant. Served with cream cheese and olive oil.

They say that to know how good a cook really is, you just need to order the simplest item on the menu. So, for our first course we decided to go with the simple Margherita Pizze. The tomato and mozzarella pizza, cooked in an Italian wood burning oven, was not the best Mergherita pizza I've ever tasted, but it was still better than some generic restaurant chains' pizza and the portion was quite large for just 4 slices. 38k.

The second course was Pasta. A Canneloni Bolognese. A new item on the menu, the rolled fresh egg pasta filled with bolognese meat sauce and bechamel cream topping and cheese was clearly the star of the evening. As you cut through the layers of cheese, cream, pasta, and meat, and scooped it into your mouth, it literally melted on your tongue. 48k.

For the dessert, we had a scoop of Kiwi gelato. I was expecting more acidity to the gelato, so I was a little bit surprised when the flavor was actually quite tame. Not too sweet and not too tangy.  The perfect balance. It was refreshing and a nice palate cleanser. 20k.

Finally for the wine, we ordered 1/2 litre caraf of red wine (house pour) to compliment our meals. It was quite nice for a house pour and it was not absurdly overpriced like in some mall-fine-dining-resto. So it made me very happy. The wine had a hint of peppery flavor and a nice fruity finish. 95k.

With a five-star service, great foods, and wide price range, Toscana is the kind of place that I would definitely come back to again for another appointment and perhaps with a company with little more of a romantic liaison in nature ^_~*

Toscana

Jl. Kemang Raya No. 120

Ph. 021-7181216/17

Blackberry PIN No. 25512DF3