Lucca's Trattoria, Robertson Walk

Really? The year is just halfway through and Wine & Dine has already officially decided that this (#01-12 Robertson Walk, 11 Unity Street) was one of the top restaurants for 2016? I'm sure we can do better, no? Little wonder my regard for the publication has dipped progressively throughout the years.  

Food was ok, but I'm not sure Lucca's Trattoria was deserving of that accolade. I have little idea too what is that Lucca's style of cuisine that the restaurant claims to serve. Does Lucca even have their own cuisine type? Most of the menu items could be found in most of the other Italian restaurants around. I'll admit some of the stuff were inventive takes, but.... Lucca's cuisine.... really?

Service was brusque and superficial. Didn't know why the waitress even bothered asking how the food was when all we got in return was a blank stare. She didn't looked like she cared, only that she asked. Pretty sure that she wasn't going to bother to feedback to the kitchen.

That's their Caprese. Not exactly a showcase of the restaurant's capability. Except of one to import produce and perhaps, a bit of fanciful plating.

We had a shot at their Gorgonzola e Frutta pizza. Gorgonzola, dried prunes, dates and apricots. Sounded like my thing. Sounded' was the operative word. What was wrong with this picture you might wonder? Well, the pie glaringly lacked the mottled blue bits for one with Gorgonzola. While some of the flavour from the cheese were present, they were at the middle of the pizza. Did I just imply stinginess? You betcha ass I just did. A good half of it was nothing but crust and tomato paste. 

The chicken liver and bacon pasta with Marsala sauce sounded like it might have been good as well. The sauce oddly reminded me of those found in the pork and potato with onion stir fry that my parents used to do. Very Asian kind of flavours which I did not expect coming from a fortified wine sauce and butter. Their bacon was neither salty not smoky. Hell I couldn't even taste any of the pepper. While I couldn't say that I disliked this, I would not order it again. I had a hard time trying to reconcile that taste with the word 'Italian'.