Michelin gone flat

I love Italian food. Pizza, pasta, Monica Bellucci. Yummy.

A country that produces such a wonderful being can't do too badly with its cuisine, right? Yes. But at a restaurant tipped by some as Beijing' best Italian meal, the experience was, well, not exactly as awesome as Monica.

Sadler Ristorante (10- 65591399) was set up by Claudio Sadler, an Italian two-star Michelin chef - a rare find in Beijing where Michelin is known more for tyres than food. Nestled inside the lovely Chien'men 23, a calming enclave of Beijing I can never get sick of, the restaurant has a chic and clean decor, nicely lit in the day with generous daylight.

Some reviewers have even hailed the place as "Italian cuisine at its finest", so naturally, I went there with high expectations. But alas, the supposedly star-studded meal failed to move the heavens.

It got off to a really good start though. The bread basket (more plate than basket actually) came with five different types of dough delights and an amazing pre-appetiser before the three-course lunch. It was a mousse made from parmesan cheese, garnished with a crispy fried parmesan fritter and balsamic vinegar gelatin (below). Soft, creamy and a great spread on the warm and fluffy bread.

The dishes that followed were a little less impressive. The pasta appetiser was tasty but also a tad unusual on the palate - spaghetti tossed with zucchinis and cherry tomatoes, accompanied by dashes of green and brown sauces with a hint of fish stock and roasted vegetable and breadcrumbs (I think). It was just an all-round odd combination. The breadcrumbs in particular, did not go well with the spaghetti.

Next was seafood soup, very much like a stew of fish and shellfish. It was aromatic and the seafood, very fresh - always a treat in Beijing, where fresh seafood is as rare as clean air. But what spoilt it was the cous cous inside the soup. It soaked up the soup even before you could slurp much of it.

Finally, the dessert of panna cotta. It tasted of sweet vanilla, but somehow did not really sweeten the meal. Rather bland way to end a rather ordinary meal.

To be fair, the wine and wait staff were superb. The waiters and waitresses were friendly and attentive, without being overbearing. Also, I was there for the set lunch, which was about 160 yuan per person (without alcohol). Perhaps, just perhaps, the best is saved for dinner?