Fine dining in Taipo

After we got the shoes we went to a new-ish Italian restaurant called Oliva's to eat. Taipo is not exactly the kind of place you go for fine Italian dining and I salute the brave souls who venture into this area with their parma ham and shavings of parmasean cheese. It's not easy to position a restaurant like this in Taipo, on a street next to hole in the wall noodle shops, Steak Expert and Chiu Chow "dar larng" restaurants lit with flourescent tubes and where no tablecloths or napkins are in sight. Anyhow, I read somewhere that the chef of this place used to work in some swanky five star hotel.

The decor was an exact copy of Amaroni's and Fat Angelo's - i.e. American family style Italian restaurant. Walls covered with black and white pictures of Italian looking dudes and dudettes from the early half of the 2oth century. Two massive chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Waiting staff in black from head to toe.

The big suprise was the cheap wine and beers. A bottle of decent Chilean cab sauv for 2xx, a half litre of hoegaarden on draft for 45.

We had roasted rack of lamb and pan fried duck brests in wine sauce respectively. Both were good - portions were decent sized and the veg was tasty but standardized (we both get the same veg). For desert we had apple crumble and steamed chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce.

At the table next to us was a family of four, kids wearing clogs and dad in T-shirt and track suit bottom. A few young couples here and there, one table of four with a lamma type gweilo and Chinese friends.

The bill came to 5xx which was not bad. They really should ditch the Amaroni theme and go for a more casual style. Afterall, they couldn't keep the table cloths clean, the cutlery don't match, and my main course arrived 15 minutes later than my husband's. I mean, if the joint looks like Amaroni's, people are going to expect the service and what not to be LIKE amaroni's. If they can't keep that up, they should try another style.