unpalatable

I am sitting at my friend's Italian restaurant that recently opened up. It distinguishes itself as more authentic Italian than the other Italian restaurants in the city. The owner likes to experiment with the dishes, which includes an olive oil ice cream for dessert. One of my favorite dishes is tagliatelle a la ragu.

So on a nice Saturday afternoon where I knew I had to work most of the day, I decided a nice pasta dish with the open air would be a better environment for work. A few things about this restaurant that I like is that it is the only one that serves pasta al dente. While the meal looked slightly different, in my quest to savor the first bite, I ignored the visual cues. It tasted different as well. After confirming that it was the right order, I started to question whether I had the wrong recollection of the dish. I even asked if they perhaps changed the recipe.

Lo and behold, it seems as if many of the locals complained that the dishes were too salty in general and the pasta too hard. The local palates and bellies do not react well to their pasta not being soft (as in their noodle dishes) or to cheese as milk products are generally scarce (hence, lactose intolerance - see got milk?). The wait staff were instructed to note whether the patron was "local" so that the kitchen would adjust the dishes for the different preferences. So what I got was a watered down, bland, overcooked pasta. I ended up sending it back, which I generally avoid doing (see a box of crayons) after trying to eat half of the meal and just couldn't bear it anymore. After all, I didn't come to this restaurant to eat Vitalian - Vietnam's rendition of Italian food. Perhaps next time, they shouldn't assume.