The Entertainment Book has been a wonderful host of discount with various restaurants that are awesome. Unfortunately not all are awesome. My recent dinner at this the supposedly “favorite finalists” turned out a disaster and without much ado, the review.
The chili mussels were something the table looked forward to. The mussels were perfectly cooked before being mixed into a sauce that was in my opinion too plain. The flavor was very subtle which was good if you just wanted the taste of the mussels. Clearly enough too, the mussels were cook separately from the sauce before being tossed in it for a bit. Absolutely tasteless this dish. Maybe that’s why it did not come with bread to damp the sauce.
Next, we order a fettuccini to share. Our first impressions on this was one good despite the disappointing appetizer. The creamy red sauce look fabulous with cheese sprinkled on top. Chicken slices too, looked rather generous. And that is where it all ends. The fettuccini was severely undercooked. I have watched Jamie Oliver and Master Chef in Italy. It seems like they like their pasta slightly undercooked just below al Dante, and I am pretty sure this was not how it was meant to be. We were dumbfounded that a basic cooking can be so carelessly prepared.
Next was the Carbonara which was probably the best dish that night. Its pasta was cooked perfectly, the sauce was mild and it was over all a pretty good dish. For me, all it needed was a little more salt. Despite trying to avoid having too much creamy pasta, this was the only reliable dish that night.
Our last dish was the pan-fried veal schnitzel with thick cut chips, fresh salad and a red sauce. Another massive disappointment on a plate. Sauce was definitely lackluster. It was literally flat. Veal steaks felt as if it was just chucked onto a non-heated pan and left to “boil”. It was overall horrible. But hey, the cheep's were pretty nice.
Overall, my meal at Catalano’s turned out to be one massive disaster. This is a place that if you stop outside and wonder whether to try or not, just WALK ON. Not worth the time and money. Can definitely get better elsewhere. Diners clearly deserved better and this is one of the very rare times where my review has turned out so negatively. The only other time was at Sake Bar and another Thai restaurant.
WenY
