Ray Shu

Review of Ristorante Il Pagliaccio **

This rating is a reflection of the price and my ex...

This rating is a reflection of the price and my expectations for a 2-star restaurant. Not a place I would recommend to anyone.

Technically, the food was well prepared, but it was neither creative nor interesting, and almost all dishes left me wondering a) is this one dish with two parts or two dishes that happen to come together, b) why is the aftertaste so bitter, c) what did I just eat because I have already forgotten, or d) all of the above. The flavor combinations mostly ranged from subtle to more subtle to interesting in a gimmicky way. Of the 8 courses, only the turbot stood out as both well prepared and delicious.

This is one of the few times I find myself agreeing with the detailed reviews here (mostly negative but too nice to give less than 3 stars) and wondering what the folks at Michelin and Zagat were thinking. Yes, I recognize that this is a 300 mistake, but I'm owning up to this mistake. I just wish other reviewers used the full range of 1 to 5 stars.