By Sherman Chan,
Special to The Post

The Milano with Italian ham, mushrooms and peas linguine was firmly al dente. This was a good match for the rich sauce and ingredients. This was garlicky. The saltiness of the ham and Earthiness of the mushrooms and sweet pop of the peas created layers of flavour and textures. The sauce was heavy and made it hard to eat. The Mamma Mia featured baby shrimp, baby clams, baby scallops and prawns in a garlic olive oil white wine clear sauce. Again, the pasta was appealingly firm, but the flavours were mild except for the amount of garlic. Despite the seafood, it wasn’t briny enough. The pasta was too dry.

Our favourite pasta was the Marco Polo. It sported diced chicken breast, baby shrimp, spicy Italian sausage and mushrooms in a spicy tomato sauce with a touch of cream. There was a low-rumbling spice that was accented by equal parts of tang and creaminess. The chicken was dry, but the sausage was meaty and also spicy.

 We had the basic Quattro Formaggi with mozzarella, bocconcini, provolone and feta pizzas. The thin crust was crispy at the edges, but not soggy in the middle. It had a good mouth feel. It was cheesy as advertised.

Overall, Italian Tomato did the job despite some hit and miss items. The prices were fair for the portion size.

Italian Tomato

8380 Bridgeport Road, Richmond, BC

The Good:

• Large portions

• Fairly attentive service

• Low key setting

The Bad:

• Hit and miss

• Not the most easy to get to spot

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