The June lunch was at an Italian restaurant in the eating precinct of Chippendale and the restaurant specialised in Sicilian cooking.
We were a large number this month with 41 ladies attending the lunch which included 4 guests.
The restaurant was in a large space and able to cope very easily for this number.
In keeping with the Italian theme the ladies were greeted with a glass of Santa Margherita di Valodobbiadene Prosecco 2019. This was a well balanced Prosecco – initially sweet in the mouth and with a dry finish.
The lunch was a two course meal with a canape to start and petit fours to finish.
We started with a tasty flavoursome Porcini Mushroom Arancini and Rosemary Focaccia with olive oil
The entrees were a choice of two :
Capasanta – Hokkaido Scallops with Cashew Cream and Salmon Caviar
Crudo di Salmone – Ora King Salmon, Green Apple, Fennel, Cucumber
Capasanta – Hokkaido Scallops
This entree was the choice of more than 80% of the ladies and was considered a well balanced dish, very delicate with an interesting combination of flavours. The scallops were cooked perfectly, still juicy. The cashew cream was a little too rich for some whilst others found it delicious. The caviar was a little light in portion size on some of the servings but with a large number it is not easy to get portions all exactly the same.
Overall, a well cooked tasty dish with gorgeous presentation.
Crudo di Salmone
This was a dish of textures and balanced flavours. The crunch came from the green apple and fennel with the soft texture from the salmon and herbs and were melded together with a light oil and basil dressing. A tasty refreshing dish.
The mains were a choice of three :
Tonnarelli – Artisanal Squid Ink Pasta, Queensland Spanner Crab and Spicy Pork ‘Nduja’
Vucciria style Swordfish Rolls, Smoked Eggplant Puree, Confit tomato mint
Korobuta Pork Neck, Caponata Cream, Roasted Pistachio, Jus
The accompaniments with the mains were Rosemary roasted potatoes and tomato salad
Tonnarelli
This dish was a favourite main course. The pasta was cooked to the correct firmness with subtle flavours from a good portion of crab and the Nduja giving the dish a chilli hit. Enjoyed by all.
Swordfish rolls.
This was a subtle dish with the swordfish delicate flavour complemented by the crunch of the outer crumbed coating.
The smoked eggplant was a strong base for the dish.
Korobuta Pork Neck
This was a generous serve of pork neck that had been sous vide for 36 hours resulting in melt in the mouth meat.
The jus was tasty and worked well with the meat. Minimal caponata on the plate but this dish was all about the meat.
The accompaniments worked well with this choice.
Fresh ingredients in the accompaniments
To finish we had a plate of Chocolate Hazelnut petit fours to share which were a perfect sweet finish to a meal of unique dishes and generous portions.
The wines on the day were :
White : 2020 Terre di Vita Deci mani Lucido Sicilia DOC
A lot of character for a young wine made from 100% catarrallo grapes.
Red : 2017 Don Giovanni Terre Natuzzi Chianti Classico Toscana
A flavoursome, well rounded Chianti.
It was noted the wines were well matched and complemented the food and good to see local wines with the Italian food.
This will be noted as a favourite restaurant as there were a number of comments along the lines of “I will return”.
This is what chefs like to hear and this chef and his team were able to present unique dishes with generous portions of food.
The owner and chef talked to us about the food and cooking methods and what the restaurant is about. This was informative and gave some insight into the dishes.
The floor staff were friendly and helpful. A wonderful lunch experience in an inviting space.
Sydney Ladies Wine & Food Society 