Portobello Restaurant Burnaby — Restaurant in Burnaby

I went here with my wife for dinner, we had the namesake Fungo Portobello Gratinato for appetizer, and Ossobuco Classico and Spaghetti Con Gamberi as the main dishes. The Fungo Portobello Gratinato (Stuffed mushrooms) was very good, in fact, I'll attempt to make those at home. The Ossobuco Classico (braised veal shank) while good, would have deserved a more pedestrian name like "Beef Stew". The fancy name and description on the menu made me expect a little more, but in the end was your standard beef stew. Things go a little downhill from here on the Spaghetti Con Gamberi (Spaghetti with prawns and halibut). The description on the menu included "vodka garlic" (very intriguing) and "light spicy tomato sauce" (this is ambiguous; is it a light tomato sauce that's spicy or is it a slighty spicy tomato sauce?). Turns out that it is only a light tomato sauce, no hint of spiciness at all, and also no hint of this "vodka garlic". I even made sure I cleansed my palate by rinsing my mouth with water. It was very underwhelming, something I would expect to be served at a cafeteria. At 75 dollars before tip for one appetizer and two mains (no drinks or desserts), this restaurant was disappointing. What I did notice was that every other table in the restaurant was drinking wine. There was even a sign on the wall that read: "A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine". I realize that pairing food with the right wine can make the dining experience more enjoyable, but I also believe that the dish should be able to stand on its own and not rely on a wine pairing. Otherwise, the atmosphere was good and the servers were prompt...

First time coming to this Italian restaurant and we were blown away by their hospitality. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by the kind woman at the front desk. We had a reservation forn2 and she asked us if we wanted to sit "outside" or "inside". There really was no "outside". They're all indoor seatings but the "outside" ones are right to the side after tithe entrance and therefore it's a much brighter surroundings. The "inside" a lot more darker and moodier, which was what we picked cuz it was our date night.

We started with the burrata as appetizer and it was perfect! The burrata was soft, rich, and creamy. You can tell they use high quality olive oil and Balsamic. We used some of the warm, crusty bread they served on the side to mop up some of the leftover juice from the burrata.

I ordered Linquini ala Vongole for me and it was to die for. Perfectly seasoned, good amount of clams, al dente pasta, and buttery white wine sauce. My fiancé ordered the gnocchi made it was a bit of a let down. They're definitely made in house, but they're too soft for our liking and we thought that the rosè sauce is a little bland and could use a bit more salt.

Everything else was impeccable though. Service was at fine-dining level. Our waiter was so polite and attentive, without being overly over the top. He kept checking on us at just the right time, even placed our sparkling water in a cooler, too. The venue is so clean, quiet, comfortable, and romantic. Will definitely come back again to try their other menu and dessert. Highly recommend if you want something more than ordinary...

I think Ive found my people! Haha, but seriously I love this place and their people. Took my Mom for dinner here tonight, and as we walked in the door another couple of customers said " you are going to have a happy belly". We were greeted by a friendly woman (one of the owners?) and shown to a cozy corner table. Walking through the dining area, other diners looked to be enjoying themselves, lots of smiles and visiting happening. We had plexiglass between the tables which was comforting. We ended up ordering two kinds of white wine, both imports from Italy and described to us by our friendly server (nice Aussie young man). For dinner we had the spaghetti di mare and the braised shortribs. Amazing! Bursting with flavor, piping hot, and generous portions. The seafood in the pasta was fresh and delicate, the shortrib tender and slow cooked. We ended with the homemade lemon ricotta cheesecake (wow) that had berry coulis, fresh berry, and an slight almond flavored whipped cream for garnish. Also ordered the lemon sorbetto served in a lemon shell. So refreshing and beautiful to look at. Even the coffee was stellar. The owner came over several times to see if we were happy, which we really appreciated. We also appreciated the white linen tablecloths, heavy cutlery, and pretty wine glasses and dishes, it really does add to the experience. Oh and the homemade bread with oil ...yummm. When we left the owners, chef and servers all wished us a good night, waved from the kitchen and thanked us for coming. I cannot wait to go back and already planning...