Second Helping: Issimo at JIA

Each month, we return to a Shanghai institution to see how they’re holding up. Whether they’ve opened a new branch or just relocated, we sample the old classics and new dishes to see if they’ve stood the test of time.

Last September, the boutique hotel JIA that houses Issimo made headlines around the city after a gas line broke and the building caught on fire. Luckily firefighters arrived on the scene quickly, and the majority of the damage came from the activated sprinkler system. However the hotel, and its Italian restaurant Issimo, took the time to do a little refurbishing before reopening in January.

In a city where Italian restaurants open and close on a daily basis, it’s safe to say that Shanghai is pretty happy Issimo is back on the scene. Only subtle changes mark the dining room – new leather chairs and dark wooden tables, perhaps a shift in the bar setting – but they’ve retained their signature rustic design, and, it turns out, one of the best darn Italian menus in town.

Issimo’s menu is by no means sprawling, but it did take us more than our usual length of time to find our order, mainly because every dish sounded downright mouthwatering. The prawn fritter with fried calamari (RMB 68) lived up to its enticing description. A heaping platter of squid topped with a meaty shrimp arrived with a sprinkling of salt and pepper done just so, allowing the light and crispy batter to bring out the flavours of the ocean. The roasted veal carpaccio (RMB 138) did not receive the same careful attention when it came to seasoning. While the salsa verde garnish added a bit of zesty pop, there wasn’t nearly enough to go around, and a salt shaker wouldn’t have gone amiss.

The shaved pecorino on top of the ravioli with pumpkin and Italian sausage (RMB 98) hit the nose first, followed by a whiff of earthy truffle as the plate arrived at the table. It wasn’t long before the subtle autumn flavours of the pumpkin and sweet sausage worked their way into the mix to create five half moons of Italian perfection on a plate. The tagliatelle with drunken duck (RMB 158) was another pasta pleaser. The springy egg noodles held up against the meaty duck that had been braised into melt-in-your-mouth submission. Chunks of fresh tomato brought the dish back from the edge of being too heavy.

The Alla Diavoli pizza (RMB 128) had crust that would make an Atkins’ Dieter weep. Charred to perfection, it was chewy without being heavy and thin without being wimpy – in the end, a perfect medium for the tangy tomato sauce. The addition of ingredients was a triumph of self-control. With strategically placed drops of mozzarella, and the occasional spicy round of Napoli salami or basil leaf, the pizza allowed you to taste and savour each of its ingredients.

Unable to even consider the dessert options, we left more satisfied with a meal than we’ve been in some time, and already plotting our next trip back to Issimo.

2F, JIA Hotel, 931 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Taixing Lu. Tel: 3302 4997. Web: www.jiashanghai.com