Italian Kitchen 50-Layer Lasagna Dinner Sundays

I guess it isn't lost on anyone that going out to eat is an expensive proposition these days.  Hey, it wasn't a cheap venture at anytime for the last 10 years, but right now, it is something that might not fit everyone's budget.  I don't blame the restaurants as operative costs in general are through-the-roof.  However, Italian Kitchen is offering up a their 50-Layer Lasagna presented as a 3-course meal for $45.00 on Sundays.  You really could spend more than this at any chain restaurant at the moment, so yes, this is a good deal.  Jackie and I were invited to try this out on well, a Sunday!

Before we got to our lasagna meal, we were presented with an Amuse Bouche featuring a Caramelized Onion Arancini.  This little bite was quite satisfying with a crispy exterior.  Inside, the aborio rice was still chewy, plenty cheesy and robust.  It was hot throughout all-the-way to the centre.  There was just enough caramelized onion to add that taste to the background rather than being at the forefront.  This way, the cheesiness was still the star of the show.

As part of the 3-course meal, we both started with the Rock Prawn Caesar Salad.  When it arrived at our table, we were pretty impressed with the huge mound of baby kale, romaine, radicchio, herbed garlic croutons and shaved parmigiano reggiano.  Greens were fresh and crisp while adequately dressed in a creamy, cheesy and slightly salty dressing.  I found the ample amount of rock prawn to be cold-water crunchy with a sweet butteriness.  This was a nice start to the meal.

So onto the highlight of the meal, we had the Beef Cheek & Chanterelle Mushroom Lasagna that came in layers of pasta and beef ragù atop porcini béchamel and tomato fondue.  Despite being a special, this was a very good lasagna.  It all started from the tender and meaty beef cheek that gave this concoction plenty of body and meaty flavour.  The thin layers of fresh pasta were fairly al dente which added a nice texture.  The umaminess of the meat was quite apparent but the chanterelles only amped that part of the flavour profile.  This was all complimented well with the bright and tangy tomato sauce while balanced off by the creamy béchamel.  We couldn't help but make this more impactful with some shaved black truffle for a $12.00 supplement.

Another option to make this more bougie was the half of a 1lb Lobster for an extra $25.00.  This butter poached lobster was cut into half and served atop some squash purée.  The lobster itself was cooked properly where the meat was still a bit bouncy and plenty moist.  It was sweet and had the usual essence of lobster.  Personally, I thought the lasagna was plenty big and filling, so adding half a lobster tail wasn't all that necessary.  However, if you wanted to make this more deluxe and you wanted leftovers, then by all means, go for it!

For dessert, the included option is the Signature Zeppole made with brioche dough and filled with chocolate ganache.  A vanilla Anglaise was served on the side.  I've had many experiences with this dessert across the Glowbal Group of restaurants and I have to say it is very good.  The crispiness of the donut gave way to the soft brioche interior and then the semi-sweet ganache came bursting out like liquid gold.  I usually do not dip too much in the vanilla Anglasise as it tastes great by itself.

For an $8.00 supplement, you could opt for the Tableside Tiramisu instead where they prepare the dessert right before your eyes.  It started with ladyfingers that were soaked in espresso.  While they were soaking, the marscapone cream was being prepared and then spooned onto the ladyfingers.  To finish it off, chocolate was freshly grated on top.  This was also good since the dessert was at its optimal state.  No excess moisture nor dilution of flavour.  The lady fingers were moist without breaking apart while the marscapone cream was semi-sweet and rich. 

Now we didn't end things off like that because when at Italian Kitchen, you must have more dishes!  So we ended up trying the Tableside Mushroom Risotto.  The hot risotto was placed in a parmesan cheese wheel and tossed until all that cheesiness was incorporated into the already creamy risotto.  The result was a pretty rich and flavourful risotto that featured fairly al dente aborio rice (some portions were a bit soft).  The generous amount of mushrooms both added woodsiness and beautiful texture.  This was also quite the portion size as it would be hard for someone to finish it by themselves.

We also added the Pan-Seared Duck Breast with winter squash & caciocavello ravioli, chestnut purée, roasted shallots and fig jus.  This was a well-prepared dish where the skin was crispy and well-rendered.  It was also nicely seasoned.  The duck itself was cooked to medium where it was tender and remained juicy.  Loved the ravioli on the side as the fresh pasta was firmly al dente.  There was no absence of flavour to the dish with the sweet and sticky jus and sweet purée.  Overall, we felt the 3-course 50-Layer Lasagna meal a fabulous value for $45.00.  You get the same great food, ambiance and service for an inclusive price.  I know there are people who like to criticize The Glowbal Group, but for me, I've generally had great experiences at their restaurants.  This was no exception.  I will come back for this deal.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Reasonable-pricing on the 3-course meal

- Lively atmosphere

The Bad:

- Parking is a bit difficult to find and there is no validated parking in the adjacent lot