If you’re looking for a restaurant with delicious food, great service and a relaxing atmosphere, Basi is the way to go.
Eating delicious Italian food is what I do best, but what caught my eye about Basi was not only the food, but the decor. The design was not that of your typical Italian restaurant, so don’t look out for the predictable red checkered table cloths. Instead this restaurant focused on a much more modern look. The booths are very comfortable and the wooden tables are finished with unique carved designs, which I have never seen in an Italian restaurant before. On the back wall of the restaurant was a funky ‘60s blue mosaic design, which really stands out against the other minimalist white walls.
The medium-sized bar is very modern with bottles of wine and glasses stylishly lined on the back wall. There were six mini televisions that aligned the bar wall, which I found to be quite distracting. As night falls, the restaurant employees light candles around the bar, which is very beautiful and adds a romantic feel. Outside the restaurant lies a terrace which is beyond stunning, with comfy couches that go around the whole terrace space. There are white lanterns attached to the ceiling which are beautifully decorated. What makes the terrace even more amazing is that it is covered so that even as the temperature gets colder, it can stay open all year round.
Now let’s get to the good stuff: the food. On the menu you have the choice of taking a table d’hôte for $19.95, which includes an entrée and dessert with your main meal. If you decide to go for an individual serving it costs $13.95 and does not include an entrée or dessert. As I was looking at the menu, I noticed that all the dishes had Italian names and were described in French. This can be really frustrating for someone who is really hungry and is not familiar with either the French or Italian language.
The waitress was very pleasant and did not rush me as I decided on what to eat, which I really appreciated. She also explained all the dishes to me. As she was taking my order, I noticed the waitress holding an iPod touch, and asked her what she was using it for. She told me that the iPod is used to take orders and that the orders are then wired to the kitchen. I had never seen that before and it seemed like an interesting and inventive system. I took the table d’hôte option because I wanted to try something from every category of the menu, especially as it was priced so reasonably.
Before I received my soup of the day, I was served a warm pizza, with lots of cheese and tomato sauce. It made my mouth water to see all that cheesy goodness. After scoffing down that wonderful delight, the Stracciatella soup arrived. The soup is made with egg yolk, spinach and topped off with parmesan cheese. Unfortunately, the soup was nothing to brag about and I found that it lacked taste. I then ordered the fazzoletti, which means “handkerchief” in Italian, and which turned out to be folded squares of pasta with meat filling inside. I really liked the meat filling and the tomato sauce that accompanied the dish. For dessert I had the classic Tiramisu cake with an espresso. The cake was fresh, creamy and came with strawberries which really went well with the rich coffee dessert.
I recommend this restaurant because it is really quiet and relaxing. After a stressful day it is worth coming here so that you can unwind and stuff your face with delicious food. You also get the best service possible and, even better than that, it doesn’t burn a hole in your wallet.
Basi  is located at 77 Shamrock Ave. (De Castelneau metro). To make a reservation call: 514-750-0774
