The very first time I heard of Gusto 101 (@Gusto101TO) was when a few foodies tweeted that Gusto 101 had forbidden that they take any photographs inside the restaurant. Seriously?? So when my friends suggested they wanted to dine here, I was totally on board to see what was so pretentious about this place that they didn’t allow a few happy customers to take photos!
With that being said, no I didn’t bring my DSLR but decided to take pictures with camera phone to see if anyone would stop me! 😀
We’ve heard that Gusto 101 fills up quickly for dinner service so we weren’t expecting to be seated right away but we thought wrong.
Bread to start: I liked how it was presented in a paper bag
Menu was 2-3 pages on a clipboard
Calamari Fritti ($8.50)
- Crispy calamari, jalapeno & cucumber giardiniera, roasted garlic aioli
- These crispy calamari were served crunchy and piping hot, but to my disappointment they were incredibly greasy
- Every time I took a bite of the calamari I would have to turn it upside down to let some of the oil drain a little bit
Beef Tartare ($14.50)
- figs, ricotta cream, truffle oil
- My one friend claimed that these were the best beef tartare that he has ever had… but I beg to differ
- I don’t think I’m too picky when it comes to beef tartare but this one was quite a poor representation. Maybe if it weren’t so oily, it wouldn’t have given off a thick and gooey texture
- In terms of taste, I thought it was under seasoned compared to the tasty yet light ones that I usually prefer
Spaghetti Chitarra alle Vongole e Gamberi ($16.95)
- manila clams, shrimp, white wine, asparagus & prosciutto broth, grape tomatoes, toasted bread crumbs
- I’m seriously a sucker for pasta. I love clams. I love shrimps. So naturally the generous combinations of the 2 things I love over a bed of pasta was just stellar!
- Though this dish may be a tad too greasy I thought there was lots of action going on in here in terms of flavour with the white wine giving my taste buds a little kick
Salsicce ($16.50)
- tomato, mozzarella, Italian spicy sausage, roasted peppers
- You can probably guess what my next statement would be by looking at the shiny picture below
- Yes, I wanted to dab my entire napkin on top of the pizza to soak up the oil
- I have lower-than-average tolerance for spicy foods so clearly I didnt order this but with all the spicy italian sausage and oil going on, I sort of had to eat my way around it :S
It’s a shame to say that this particular venue didn’t dazzle me because it was a very picture-esq space to be dining at. Perhaps I just unlucky that day. On a side note, I’ve noticed that they have an amazing patio for the summer to grab cocktails. Oh wait, did I mention that its a rooftop patio? 😀
IHaha I love this restaurant! And yes, the upstairs patio is quite nice. If you ever go back try their octopus salad. My friend quite enjoyed the burger as well