BiBo Pizzeria is an Italian restaurant specializing in Neapolitan style pizza and focuses on using fresh and natural ingredients along with straight from Italy products. The first BiBo restaurant to open is on West 4th in Kitsilano and their second location is at McArthur Glen in Richmond, where Sherman and I were invited to visit along with Nick and Joyce. There are not many restaurants at McArthur Glen too, only BiBo and Neptune Noodle Restaurant. In addition, there are not many Italian restaurants in Richmond!
Walking in, the interior is bright, spacious and the high ceiling helps with the ventilation. There are a couple of long communal tables, a large bar, tables on the other side of the restaurant and of course a wood burning oven.Rating: 4/5.
The selection of cured meat includes the thick, meaty and firm salame piacentino, the neither too salty nor chewy coppa piacentina, the soft and not too salty mortadella and the good quality prosciutto parma. In addition, the marinated porcini mushrooms and artichokes are tasty with a hint of saltiness.
As for the selection of cheese, the parmesan has a heavy flavour, the asiago tastes really good with the honey and the fontina is smooth along with cheesy. The platter also includes focaccia, which is REALLY good. The focaccia exhibits plenty of char and is light, fluffy, crisp and well seasoned.
NEAPOLITAN PIZZA, "Mozzarella, pancetta and onions" ($?).
Rating: 3/5.
BiBo's Neapolitan style pizzas run from $16.00-$20.00 and the one we received is not on the menu, consisting of mozzarella, pancetta and onions. The pizza overall is well executed where there is plenty of smoky char, the centre is soft (but not soggy) and there is plenty of ingredients providing a cheesy flavour along with a salty component from the pancetta.
BRUSHETTA, "Toasted homemade bread with a selection of tapaenades and toppings" ($12.00).
Rating: 1.5/5.
Served on toasted homemade bread with a generous amount of tomato, onion, basil, olive oil and a slice of fresh mozzarella and drizzled with balsamic vinegar, the brushetta is not that good. The crumb absorbs a lot of moisture so the bread tastes unappealing soft, squishy and dense. The toppings are not well seasoned either, the tomatoes taste bland and does not save the wet bread. We ended up picking the toppings off and enjoyed the slice of fresh mozzarella.
TAGLIATELLE AI FUNGHI, "Fresh handmade tagliatelle pasta in a creamy sauce with Italian porcini mushrooms" ($18.00).
Rating: 2/5.
Up next, the tagliatelle tastes fresh and is not clumped up, but the pasta is a touch overcooked and past al dente. As for the very basic cream sauce, it is creamy but not flavourful. I kept referring to this pasta to something that would be on a children's menu and could not understand why Sherman kept insisting his pasta was very heavy. After a glance around the table however, every plate looked different! Sherman's tasted the creamiest, Joyce's had the most flavour, Nick's tasted a touch better than mine but still bland, and mine was just straight up bland.
TAGLIATELLE ALLA BOLOGNESE, "Fresh handmade tagliatelle pasta with bolognese sauce" ($16.00).
Rating: 2.5/5.
Wanting a variety and to make up for the cream sauce tagliatelle, we asked to try a red sauce and ordered the bolognese. This was a good choice because the pasta tastes significantly better and not bland at all. The bolognese tastes very light where you can taste the natural flavours from the tomato and is a basic red sauce. I say red sauce because the bolognese does not taste as hearty or meaty compared to other restaurants' that I prefer and tastes more like a basic tomato sauce.
SCALOPPINE DI VIETOO, "Veal slices dredged in flour, with Italian porcini mushrooms" ($22.00).
Rating: 2.5/5.
The veal entree is served with a choice of salad or potato, but we tried both. The potatoes exhibit a crisp exterior and taste soft, but do not have much flavour despite the shown rosemary. Moreover, the arugula with shaved carrot and tomato salad is missing dressing. As for the highlight of the entree, the veal tastes tender but dry and there is a hint of gaminess. The au jus is acidic and tart however, but we could not taste the mushrooms and the flavours are one dimensional.
BiBo Pizzera in Richmond is a a bit disappointing overall because the food started out great until we got to the brushetta. I would give the Kitsilano location on West 4th a try however because I sort of have a gut feeling that the food usually tastes better than what we experienced. When I visit the Kitsilano location, I would order the carpaccio di bresola, montanara and crudo pizza, ravioli and gnocchi pasta, beef ribeye and of course tiramisu!
POSITIVES
- Quality ingredients
- Above average pizza
- Great platter and focaccia
NEGATIVES
- Pastas are not that great
- Some dishes are average at best
Food: 2.5/5
Service: N/A
BIBO PIZZERA : RICHMOND LOCATION
1067C – 7899 Templeton Station Road Richmond, BC V7B 0B7Telephone (604) 279 8889
http://www.thebibo.com
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