By Sherman Chan,
Special to The Post

The first plate was the Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio with honey mustard truffle aioli, mesclun greens and shaved parm. Sliced thin and buttery, the AAA beef was the exact texture as expected. The aioli was lightly earthy with a background sweetness. Our other appie was the Bruschetta al Pomodoro. This was crunchy bread and fresh tomatoes. I thought the garlic and oregano olive oil was aromatic and impactful, but it needed more salt.

The Spaghetti alla Vongle came with aglio, olio, pereroncino and vino bianco. The pasta was al dente pasta and properly seasoned, coated with slightly spicy olive oil. The dish was everything I wanted it to be. There were enough fresh clams adding brininess. The Papardelle "Rosche Rosche" featured braised beef short ribs, free-range chicken and Italian fennel Sausage. It was hearty and robust. The short ribs were tender while the sausage was aromatic and meaty. The chicken was a touch dry but par for the course with free-range chicken. The sauce wasn't heavy though as it was lightly tomatoey and meaty.

We went for the Osso Buco & Risotto alla Milanese. There were very generous portions of veal shank. It was mostly tender with some buttery and fatty bone marrow. As for the risotto, it was surprisingly chewy. There was plenty of parm which added a salty nuttiness that complimented the sweetness of the onion. So Robba da Matti has fair prices and the food is above average.

Robba da Matti

1127 Mainland Street, Vancouver, BC

The Good:

• Fair prices, fair portions

• Above-average eats

• Good for people watching

The Bad:

• No A/C, so the inside is downright hot during warmer months

• Without the outside seating, there is very limited seating inside

Sherman Chan is the #1 ranked food blogger on the Vancouver portal of Urbanspoon.com. Read more of his reviews at www.shermansfoodadventures.com.