Lately when I have risotto in a restaurant, the rice is always hard, almost crunchy.Is it supposed to be?

The rice in risotto is meant to be 'al dente' which means 'to the tooth'. In Italy it has some texture or chew to it but it is not crunchy. When it is cooked the starch comes out of the rice and makes the sauce creamy. Many restaurants either under cook it or overcook it as it is tricky and needs attention to time it just right.

Risotto Al Dente

No, it should be creamy. A good risotto takes about 20 minutes of cooking with constant stirring. I had risotto in Lucca, Italy and it was too firm and not creamy enough but what to do when eating their national dish... choke it down and make it better at home.

Send stuff back when it isn't right and don't have them recook it. Just get them to take it off your bill as it just isn't good enough. The kitchen has to know when something isn't right. Who is going to tell them>

The restaurant has failed in creating a good recipe. The risotto is cooked all the way but the only problem is the recipe. Risotto is supposed to be creamy

no it's suppose to be soft this is a sign of under cooked rice it wont hurt you but it's not very pleasant to bite in undercooked rice only Pasta is to be served al dente

edit

W the good risotto is in Mialn

Risotto alla Milanese

Never-- it's supposed to be firm but smooth. It's probably being held in a steam table without being stirred or it's cooked by someone who can't cook it right.