Cucina & Co

Following on from my previous review of Cucina Bar & Restaurant, we ventured across the road to continue eating at Cucina & Co. This place had a great industrial feel to it and we were quickly seated on the black communal table.

We started with the pumpkin focaccia and I instantly fell in love with this dish! The pumpkin base was delightfully appetising, along with the prosciutto and fresh tomatoes it combined to make a cracker of a starter. I use the term starter lightly because this was so filling that we were a bit worried of what was to come.

The Pizza Royal and Pappardelle Giuseppina were our other favourites. The buffalo mozzarella was of high quality, and I could taste the milky/creaminess in the cheese. The base was thin and crispy, yet it had a slightly chewy texture. These are the pizza bases which set the standard and it’s worth coming here just for this experience! I don’t get to eat Pappardelle much, but I can really see the appeal with this pasta. The large flat shape really soaks up the ragu sauce and holds onto it. The lamb and pork ragu was tender, succulent and flavoured beautifully.

Unfortunately I wasn’t a huge fan of the nutella desserts. The fried pizza dough drizzled with nutella was way too dense and doughy for my liking. The nutella calzone was just an explosion of nutella! As much as I love nutella I was seriously overwhelmed with the quantity of it, and add to the fact that I was so stuffed from all the food, it did not go down too well.

Luckily we finished off with a limoncello which helped ease the digestive system a bit! This one was really tasty and I cannot wait to open a bottle which an Italian friend gave us last month. It seems like an alcohol which I can get used to!

We’d like to thank Enzo and his team for the invite and hospitality. We enjoyed the food here and will revisit in the future.

Cucina & Co.
Approx $40 AUD per person
Address: 325 New Street, Brighton VIC 3186
Phone: +61 3 9530 5324
Website: www.cucinaandco.com.au

Cucina & Co. Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Cucina Bar

We were invited to dine at Cucina Bar and Cucina & Co, and as a bonus we got to dine with @bearabbit & the mischievous +1! They were already at Cucina Bar when we arrived, I don’t think there’s ever been a time which they’ve been late. We were seated by the window ledge looking out to New St in the beautiful coastal suburb of Brighton.

After a quick and warm welcome from Enzo, we were on our way to sampling some great food! To say that the portions were decent was an understatement. We initially thought that we were going to be sharing all the dishes between us 4, until we realised that we were getting our own portions. We started off with the Sardine Beccafino. I’m a huge fan of restaurants using underappreciated fishes, and this dish is a reminder of how great sardines are. As I bit into it, I could hear a crunch followed by an explosion of flavours in my mouth! There was the sea flavour from the sardine, rounded up by the sweetness of the sultanas and orange. It was fantastic, I couldn’t fault it.

Having eaten rice my whole life, you wouldn’t think that rice could excite me anymore. Oh it can, it definitely can! These Arancini balls were some of the best I’ve ever had. Crispy on the outside and the rice inside was not dense at all. The cheese coated each grain of rice beautifully, I was in rice heaven! This is the carb I need in my life, I wouldn’t mind waking up to this every day.

 

When the platters of Tagliere Salumi (cured meats) and Tagliere Formaggi (Italian cheeses) came out, I started to get worried because we were supposed to go across the road to eat at Cucina & Co. Never ones to back down from a challenge we persevered. The best way to tell if an Italian cheese platter is good is to cut into the buffalo mozzarella! If the texture is smooth and creamy then you’d know you’re onto something good. This mozzarella ticked all the boxes and it had a prominent milky taste. The other hard cheeses were equally as good. I also enjoyed the cured meat platter especially the salami. The fat to meat ratio was perfect, if I was to consume saturated fat, this would be my go to meat!

We came, we conquered, and then we were ushered across the road to eat some more. It was a great start to our night at Cucina Bar.

Cucina Bar
Approx $45 AUD per person
Address: 312 New St, Brighton VIC 3186
Phone: +61 3 9592 1592
Website: cucinabar.com.au

Cucina Bar & Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Tipico

We would like to extend a warm thank you to Tipico for inviting us to dine at their restaurant. Tipico is a modern Italian eatery located in Windsor. It’s really nice to see these new style Italian restaurants popping up around Melbourne, as Helen and I have always loved the twist they put on certain Italian dishes. Does Tipico hit the mark? Unfortunately not. Even though we’ve been blogging for a while, it does not get any easier to give criticism to any restaurant. The reason for this is because we classify ourselves as food lovers, and not food critics. I think I’ve set the tone for what is to follow, so please read on for my thoughts on Tipico.

It was not a good start for us for the night. There was a mix up between them and their marketing company, so we arrived without a booking. They finally managed to find some seats for us, so we sat down awkwardly. The feeling was kinda like rocking up to a party which you’re not invited to. Anyway, put all that aside, the place was buzzing and the vibe was cool so we were excited. There were exposed concrete walls, and a huge bar area, a great formula for a place to hang out for some drinks. We were seated along the window and my back was facing the bar area. I will mention that it was a bit weird to have people towering over me behind my back as I was eating though.

So onto the food… we started with the chicken liver pate with polenta bread, and the kingfish with orange dressing. I tried the pate by itself, it had good flavour but was a tad runny. The polenta bread on the other hand was not very pleasant at all. It crumbled like a shortbread and was a horrible match for the pate. It made it hard to taste the pate when my mouth was full of crumbs! Regular bread would have been a way better choice for this dish.

The kingfish with orange dressing may as well have been renamed to ‘kingfish with orange zest’ because that was all I could taste. The zest was really strong and fully overpowered the kingfish, which was such a shame because the kingfish looked to be good quality. This dish could be benefited with a touch of sourness in the dressing to make it appetizing. It should also be noted that for $22, the portion size for this kingfish dish ranks as the smallest out of all the ones I’ve ever had.

For mains I got the Tagliolini spanner crab pasta and Helen got a Prosciutto pizza. My pasta sauce tasted clean with good seafood flavours, however it was lacking the punch I was looking for in a pasta sauce and tasted a little watered down. I was searching everywhere in the pasta for some spanner crab, and it must be either really mixed in, not much of it or a combination because I struggled to find any. Please see pic – if any of you can spot the crab, let me know! It would have been nice to get some bits of crab to provide a contrast in texture. Helen’s pizza was pretty good. It was cooked well, had a great base, and the Prosciutto they used was beautiful! It only there was more of it, we barely got 6 pieces of it, there was still so much real estate to be used. We’re not looking for it to be packed like an American pizza, but for $25, a bit more Prosciutto would be appreciated. The buffalo mozzarella didn’t have any texture and just disintegrated in my mouth, it was also lacking the milky taste found in good buffalo mozzarella.

I won’t go too in depth with the pannacotta dessert, as it was just dense and just tasted like sweet almond flakes.

So in summary, was the meal awful? Honestly it wasn’t. The food was just very ordinary, and failed to shine or make an impact. I can’t help but think that for the price, the portions could be better, and I couldn’t help but notice they were skimping on the ingredients a bit. Consumers don’t mind spending a bit more money when they eat out, but with prices such as $34 for the pasta and $25 for the pizza, let’s see the spanner crab and let’s put a few more pieces of prosciutto on the pizza! These are the differences between a reasonably priced as opposed to overpriced. As it stands, we don’t foresee us returning to Tipico, but we do hope that Tipico takes some of my opinions on board and improve further. We wish nothing but the best for Tipico.

Tipico
Approx $50 AUD per person
Address: 242 High St, Windsor VIC 3181
Phone: +61 3 9089 0768
Website: tipico.melbourne

Tipico Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Cosi Bar Ristorante

Not too long ago we were in the mood for some Italian and decided to check out Cosi in South Yarra. Ratings for the restaurant were quite high and positive so off we went. Cosi is a fine dining restaurant with a lovely intimate feel. Upon entering you’ll notice the dim lights and white table cloths. Staff were also very friendly and efficiently seated us.

For mains I ordered the Tagliatelle with blue swimmer crab, tomato and smoked butter. This was SO delicious! Oh the flavours from the smoked butter and the generous chunks of crab meat. This was a dish to die for and we would happily order this again. The pasta was also super fresh.

Davin ordered the Spaghetti Marinara with white wine, chilli and garlic. This was also a really nice dish and had generous amounts of prawns and mussels. However we both agreed that my Tagliatelle dish was the winner.

For dessert we decided to share the basil panna cotta with berries and chocolate. We loved this! The panna cotta had the perfect wobbly texture and really tasted like fresh basil. It was an interesting and refreshing dish. I believe they may change the flavour of the panna cotta so it may not be available anymore. However we were so glad to have had the opportunity to try the basil flavoured one.
We thoroughly really enjoyed our experience at Cosi and felt the quality of their food was top notch. We will definitely be back when we feel like some fine dining Italian!

Cosi Bar Ristorante
Approx $60 AUD per person
Address: 68 Toorak Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141
Phone: +61 3 9867 39999
Website: cosirestaurant.com.au

Cosi Bar Ristorante Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

D.O.C Pizza & Mozzarella Bar

Davin and I were reminiscing how good the pizzas were in New York the other day which led us to of course have a sudden urge to eat some. Now, we have been hearing about how amazing D.O.C Pizza and Mozzarella Bar is in Carlton but just never got around to visiting them. Given our sudden craving for a good pizza, we thought what better time to check it out than now?

So off we went one very warm night. As soon as we got there we could see how popular it was. It was packed inside and out! We were lucky to be seated inside straight away as we noticed on our way out after our meal that a queue of people was developing outside, waiting to be seated.

Upon entering the first thing that came to mind was that it was a very simple, non-pretentious looking place. The decor was minimalistic, with wooden chairs and tables crammed inside and no paintings on the walls. It was all about the food, and food is what we came for!

I ordered the Pizza DOC which had San Marzano tomato, fresh DOP buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil. I’ve always liked my pizzas with minimal toppings. Davin who has always had a weak spot for seafood ordered the Pizza Tiger Prawns which had San Marzano tomato, tiger prawns, mozzarella, endive and fresh chilli. We also ordered a Caprese salad which had heirloom tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, black sea salt, pesto and balsamic glaze.

The food came out very quickly, and the pizzas looked amazing when they were placed in front of us. As soon as we took a few bites we both agreed that it was definitely the best pizza we’ve had so far in Melbourne. It didn’t have that special light, crispiness of a base like NYC, but it was pretty damn good! The base was very thin just how we liked it and the toppings were super fresh. Davin’s Tiger Prawn pizza had a generous amount of fresh chilli which gave it a lovely spicy kick and the prawns were top quality.

However we both loved the Pizza DOC just a little bit more because their fresh DOP buffalo mozzarella combined with the simplicity of the other ingredients was out of this world. It was one kick ass pizza!

The Caprese salad was also really good and the heirloom tomatoes were lovely and sweet. We couldn’t get enough of their delicious buffalo mozzarella.

For dessert, we ordered their old school mixed gelati and the flavours really made us nostalgic as it tasted so much like the icecream we had when we were young. Davin also ordered an Affogato which was really good and had the perfect amount of bitterness of the coffee and sweetness of the icecream.

Overall we had a really good experience. The food was great, the staff were super efficient and on the ball, and the pizzas were amazing. We will definitely be coming back when we’re in the mood for some good pizzas.


D.O.C Pizza & Mozzarella Bar
Approx $40 AUD per person
Address: 295 Drummond St, Carlton VIC 3053
Phone: +61 3 9347 2998
Website: docgroup.net

DOC Pizza & Mozzarella Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Caffe E Cucina

A nice Italian restaurant is always the perfect entree to a movie! When all we could find was a 9:40PM movie session at Jam Factory, we just knew that the stars were aligned for an Italian meal. Caffe E Cucina is one of the top rated Italian restaurants in the area, so the decision was an easy one.

Caffe E Cucina was opened in 1988 with a vision to introduce Italian hospitality to Melbourne. For a restaurant to be open for 30 years is a feat rarely achieved. Helen and I have witnessed numerous restaurants close down throughout the years, many which we considered of high quality. The restaurant business is truly cut throat, with everything having to work in harmony to have any chance of survival.

IMG_6886

After visiting Caffe E Cucina I can understand how they stood the test of time. The service first and foremost was simply impeccable. Our dedicated waiter was quite a charmer, and had a constant smile that threatens to take your woman away. We experienced this service in Italy as well, the charm, the wittiness, and the smoothness. They make you look foolish for not tipping. Our waiter also remembered our whole order without writing anything down, and did not get one thing wrong. He was always on the ball to the point where our wine glasses were never dry, but we didn’t even notice him pour the wine!

IMG_7873

Helen and I don’t place a huge emphasis on food authenticity, but if you’re someone who prefers authentic Italian food then Caffe E Cucina certainly delivers. The produce from the cured meats to the seafood was fresh. I couldn’t fault any of the dishes, there was nothing that steered me the other way. Picking any favourites here would come down to personal preference. I particularly enjoyed the swordfish carpaccio and linguine with seafood! The swordfish with the acidity from the grapefruit, pomegranate and tomatoes was fine tuned to perfection. An appetising entree that leaves you craving for more. The linguine with seafood was probably one of the best pastas I’ve had. Seafood already has so much natural flavour, so it’s always best to let it shine. That’s exactly what Caffe E Cucina has done. They haven’t overcomplicated this pasta and I was rewarded with fresh clean flavours. The linguine was cooked just right resulting in great texture. The respect paid to the ingredients was evident in all their dishes.

IMG_7869

IMG_7871

IMG_6881

Now I did notice a little outdoor balcony outside where I was seated. This was apparently the ‘Rolls-Royce’ spot of the restaurant! It’s so special that it only fits two people. Helen and I would love to give this balcony experience a go in the future, but it does lead me to my one and only minor criticism: $230 minimum spend! I understand that they may not want two people out there sipping on water for 3 hours, but $230 sounds a bit steep indeed…

Apart from this minor criticism which technically hasn’t even affected me yet, Caffe E Cucina really is the place to be for Italian cuisine in South Yarra. These guys are without a doubt the real deal, and we cannot wait to head back!.

imageedit_2_7428387608

Caffe E Cucina
Approx $65 AUD per person
Website: caffeecucina.com.au
Address: 581 Chapel St, South Yarra VIC 3141
Phone: +61 3 9827 4139

Caffé e Cucina Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Heartattack and Vine

IMG_6717

I’d like to share with you guys today a refreshing Italian restaurant located on Lygon Street. Now I know what you guys are probably thinking. Italian men standing at the front of their restaurant with menus, herding people in like sheeps! This is actually one of my pet hates, and I would never recommend a restaurant that does this. Heartattack and Vine is the total opposite of this unwelcoming stigma. They let their showcase of food, and the faces of happy diners do the marketing. We’ve walked past Heartattack and Vine many times after dinner. Everyone always looks happy and relaxed dining here. Having missed out on trying their food so many times, food frustration kicked in, and we made an exclusive trip to Carlton to try them out.

Heartattack and Vine is an Italian tapas style restaurant. They have an outdoor seating area outside, but since it was a warm day when we went, we opted for some indoor air con goodness. Dimly lit lighting sets a romantic and intimate scene. They showcased all their beautiful cichetti (tapas) at the front behind some thick glass. Staff were welcoming with big smiles on their faces, and we were seated straight away on the communal curbside bench. The dining area was small and cosy, and they soon realised how big our appetites were! We ended up taking up the space of 4 people with our food. The concept was simple, you walk up and pick what cichetti you want and either pay on the spot or start a tab. Cichetti were $3.50 each or 3 for $10. More substantial items such as oysters or house salads, had their own prices.

IMG_6718

IMG_8097

After ordering 2 Italian reds, we were on a mission. The cichetti were great value and we pretty much tried them all. I was asking what everything was just to satisfy my curiosity, but I knew I was going try all of them! We were truly impressed by the variety offered, and it wasn’t too carb heavy, which was a bonus. The dishes were simple yet with all the ingredients combined they worked effortlessly. The produce was extremely fresh, proof is with the seafood. It’s hard to disguise freshness with seafood, the mussels and oysters here were spot on! Figs, quail eggs, mascarpone cheese are some of the other delicious delights you may find on the day. I say ‘may’ because they are constantly changing their dishes to the seasonal produce. I’m not expecting to eat the same things next time I come to here, and that’s an exciting thought!

IMG_8098

IMG_8084

Heartattack and Vine offers an abundance of food to cater for any picky or adventurous eater. I don’t expect any two persons to eat as much as we did, but if you do decide to go a bit crazy, it certainly won’t send you broke. You’d be hard to find value like this, with quality to match. I have a feeling this will be one our regular go to places, and I hope it will be yours too!

IMG_8086

Heartattack and Vine
Approx $30 AUD per person
Website: heartattackandvine.com.au
Address: 329 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 3053
Phone: +61 3 9005 8624

Heartattack and Vine Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Zomato Meet Up @ Vivace

IMG_2290

Last week we were invited by Zomato and Vivace Restaurant for an exclusive Zomato foodie meet up and Winter warming Italian Feast! It was an intimate four course dinner by Head Chef Davide Ferraro and was set up in a lovely private dining room near the back of the restaurant. In addition, there were matching wines from Hancock & Hancock, Barone Ricasoli, Italy’s oldest winery, to compliment each dish. We were fortunate to have the Head Chef talk us through each dish, and a representative to also talk us through each wine. We were super excited about trying out the food and wine but more importantly, to meet other food bloggers!

Upon arrival, we were greeted with a glass of Prosecco, Italian sparkling wine which was very nice and crisp. We introduced each other to the other foodies and then of course like the others started snapping some photos. The beauty of this night was that there was no shame in taking as many photos as we wanted because everyone including the Zomato staff were snapping away with their cameras! It was the best!

IMG_2279

After all the introductions and photos we sat down and was served with an Antiplasti platter which included natural oysters, prosciutto and arancini. I love oysters and these were super fresh so I gobbled a couple of them up fairly quickly! The prosciutto was lovely, soft and wasn’t too salty and the arancini balls were full of flavour.

With the entree, main and dessert we were given a few options to pick from so Davin and I made sure we ordered different dishes so we could try more. For entree I ordered the pumpkin, goat’s cheese and potato croquettes with crushed amaretti, beetroot, capers and raisin. The sweetness of the fresh beetroot and raisin balanced out the croquettes beautifully. Davin ordered the caramelised scallops with cauliflower, chorizo, shallots, fennel and coriander. The scallops were cooked to perfection! The matching wine with the entrees was a 2016 Hancock & Hancock Fiano McLaren Vale, SA.

IMG_2276

We all got a pasta dish as part of the set menu which were pasta parcels filled with potato and leek, truffle and blue cheese sauce – all the things I love! Unlucky for those that may not like blue cheese but it was heaven for me. The portion was also very generous. The matching wine with this was the 2016 Hancock & Hancock Grenache Rose McLaren, SA. By the way, the staff were incredible and they were SO generous with the wine. They just kept pouring and pouring. I had to ask them to ease up at this point as I knew there were still a couple of more wines to try!

IMG_2268

For mains I got the Murray Valley 12 hour slow cooked, crisp pork belly. This was accompanied with rhubarb, apple, onion and ginger relish, thyme roasted squash and white balsamic sauce. The pork had the nice crispy skin that you would look out for and the sweetness of the rhubarb and onion and ginger relish balanced it out really well. I also liked the touch of the roasted squash. My matching wine was the 2014 Hancock & Hancock Shiraz Grenache McLaren Vale, SA.

Davin ordered the roast lamb loin with pistachio brioche crust, smoked eggplant, asparagus and sweet bread. He also really enjoyed his dish and his matching wine was the 2014 Hancock & Hancock Cabernet Touriga McLaren Vale, SA. Both of the red wines were nice but I have to say the Shiraz was the winner out of the two.

I have to say that by the time mains reached us I was already kind of full because of the generous portions (and pouring!) so I was definitely over capacity when it reached dessert, but who can say no to dessert?

IMG_2265

IMG_2264

I ordered the dark Belgian chocolate fondant with fig, mascapone and honey gelato. The chocolate fondant was sooo good and oozed with warm, sticky chocolate lava when you broke into it with your spoon. Combined with the honey gelato it was delicious! Davin got the Panna cotta which came with white chocolate and vanilla, fresh strawberries, balsamic and pistachio praline. I could only manage a spoonful to try this but it was also yummy and the panna cotta had a nice wobble to it. The matching wine that came with our dessert was the 2009 Craigmore Botrytis Mudgee, NSW. Because I was so full and sweetened out I could only manage a sip!

Overall the food and wine was great, the service was outstanding and staff were so accommodating and friendly! We also loved being able to chat and socialise with other food bloggers and foodies and just openly take photos and talk about what we love – FOOD! So thank you Zomato and Vivace for having us, it was a great experience and we loved it. Until next time!

IMG_2266

Vivace
Approx $70 AUD per person
Website: www.vivace.com.au/
Address: 317 Bay St, Brighton VIC 3186
Phone: +61 3 9596 9511

Vivace Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Thirty Eight Chairs

IMG_5583

Firstly, apologies we haven’t been posting as often as we would have liked to. With moving to our new place, selling our old home AND exams for me, it’s just a tad hectic to say the least! Hopefully once everything is settled, we’ll be able to get back into doing what we love doing – eating and writing about it!

So recently we found a little gem which has probably replaced one of our usual favourite go-to places. If you are in search for some yummy Italian food, look no further. We were recently recommended to try out Thirty Eight Chairs and they certainly did not disappoint!  This small and intimate restaurant has a limited number of chairs but serves fresh and delicious Italian dishes. It is nestled in a quiet alley in South Yarra with some tables spilling outside of the restaurant. Being a bit chilly on this particular night we opted to sit indoors. Because it is small, it is essential that you call and make a booking!

IMG_5577

The staff are all Italian and are so warm and welcoming, you feel right at home as soon as you enter. We were seated at a quaint little table near the back. We ordered some Italian red wine, recommended by the staff there when we asked for something similar to a shiraz. They let us test and then have this wine imported from Italy for their restaurant, it was a 2012 Lecorbe, Toscana. It was so good and had the right complexities to it. We wanted more but it was the last bottle!

IMG_5575

For starters we ordered the Bresola di Wagyu which came with parmesan cheese, croutons and sicilian citrus oil, and the Cicale di Mare, which were the Moreton bay bugs with lemon butter sauce. The wagyu slices were SO soft it just melted in your mouth! Combined with the other ingredients it was heaven in your mouth. I could have eaten that whole dish to myself but of course had to share with Davin. The Moreton bay bugs were really fresh and cooked to perfection. The lightness of the lemon butter made the natural flavours of the bugs the star of the dish. It was a very enjoyable dish.

IMG_5578

For the mains, I ordered the Gnocchi al Pomodoro, potato gnocchi with red datterini tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. I absolutely love gnocchi so couldn’t say no to trying it. It was so delicious! Each bite of the potato gnocchi was light and fluffy and did not feel heavy at all. The datterini tomatoes gave it a lovely light and enjoyable flavour to it. I cleaned it up pretty quickly!

IMG_5586

IMG_5582

Davin ordered the Linguine ai Fruitti di Mare which had linguine, seafood vellutata in tomato base, crab meat, deveined prawns, orange zest and bread crust sauce. Again, amazing dish and the flavours all came together so well, it wasn’t a heavy pasta dish and you could eat lots of it. We were both impressed with the pasta dishes. We also ordered the the Caprese salad to go with the mains which had Roma tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella DOC and basil. I loved the buffalo mozzarella, it was fresh and with the tomatoes and basil, a match made in heaven.

IMG_5588

For dessert, we ordered the Meringa, Crema, Fragole to share. It had meringue, vanilla cream, fresh strawberries and berries compote. Um, yes please! It had everything I loved in a dessert. When it came out we just literally scoffed it, it was so good! I would definitely order that again, and maybe just for myself next time. Staff also gave us complimentary dessert wine to go with our dessert.

Overall, we had a great experience. From the great food and wine, to the lovely service, we can assure you we’ll definitely be back!

IMG_5574

Thirty Eight Chairs
Approx $60 AUD per person
Address: 4A Bond St, South Yarra VIC 3141
Phone:+61 3 9827 5553

Thirty Eight Chairs Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

48H Pizza & Gnocchi Bar

IMG_4894

Recently Davin and I were invited by the lovely owners of 48H, Fabio and Michele, to a complimentary Italian culinary experience. They proudly claim to be Melbourne’s first ever pizza and gnocchi bar and so we were quite excited to check it out.

Although this was a sponsored dinner, we reminded ourselves that we had to be honest with our thoughts on our experience. And of course we wanted to share this experience with you too!

Upon arrival, we were greeted warmly by Fabio, who shook both of our hands and welcomed us inside. The restaurant itself was lovely, with the rustic brick walls, wooden tables and a touch of modern lighting. It wasn’t too big of a restaurant so it gave you that cozy feel which we immediately liked.

IMG_4909

Fabio gave us their menu and took his time talking us through all their dishes. He provided some recommendations then asked us if we were interested in trying anything in particular or if we were happy for them to decide on the dishes they wanted to serve us. We were more than happy for them to run with it as we were open to anything and everything!

He started off by pouring us some bubbles, their NV Prosecco ‘Tasi’ DOC imported from Veneto, Italy. Now I don’t normally drink sparkling white wine but this was exceptional. It was crisp and refreshing and actually went very well with the meal. They were very generous throughout the whole night with the pouring.

IMG_4893

The first dish served was the salmon marinated for 48 hours and served with butter, black salt and herbs. It came with fresh, warm homemade bread. It was a lovely a dish and the olive oil that the salmon was marinated in was smooth and luscious, you could have plenty of it! The salmon portions was presented in a cute jar and was also very generous.

IMG_4897

Next up was their potato activated charcoal gnocchi in gorgonzola (blue vein cheese) sauce, radicchio and vin cotto. Oh my gosh this dish was amazing! Those that know me know that I love all cheeses especially blue cheese. This sauce was made to perfection. You could really taste the blue vein but at the same time it was not too intrusive. The charcoal black gnocchi was also so soft, light and fluffy. It did not feel heavy at all and you could eat lots of it!

Fabio explained that all their gnocchi is made with gluten free flour which makes them lighter and easier to digest. You could really taste and feel this when you’re eating it. The only thing I would have to say is that the presentation could probably have been a bit better. But I cannot fault the dish.

IMG_4900

We were then served one of their pizzas – the Lipari which consisted of Sicilian cherry tomato sauce, prawns, caper berries and organic oregano. Again this was an amazing dish and Davin’s favourite. The lightness and sweetness of the cherry tomato sauce combined with the perfectly cooked prawns and the thin and light pizza crust was a match made in heaven.

The pizza dough is where their 48H ethos comes in because they make sure that the dough is leavened for at least 48 hours to ensure that the pizza is light and aromatic. Again, you could really taste this.

Finally dessert was a twist of the traditional panna cotta where just the fatty part of the milk was used to create the dish. With the addition of blood orange syrup for sweetness, it made it a very interesting dessert.

IMG_4907

Throughout the meal, Michele who is the chef, also often came out to happily talk with us about his dishes and the fresh produce he uses to maintain the high quality of the food. You can tell that both Michele and Fabio are so very passionate about their food.

Even though we expected the great service they provided because after all, we were invited, we did quietly observe around the restaurant and saw that they were also treating their customers around us with just as much care and respect. They seemed to be attentive, chatty and warm and welcoming to everyone which was a good sign.

Overall, it was an amazing experience. We really enjoyed Fabio and Michele’s hospitality and would definitely recommend 48h to others. Although the presentation of the dishes is probably not up to the level of other high quality restaurants, the food itself was top quality, fresh and tasty. So if you’re ever in the mood for some Italian, do check them out!

IMG_4896

48H Pizza & Gnocchi Bar
Approx $40 AUD per person
Website: www.48h.com.au
Address: 373 Malvern Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141
Phone:+61 3 9824 2573

48H Pizza & Gnocchi Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Seafood delight in Venice

19737008375_e7621f29ae_o

Venice is a city well known for it’s seafood, but with over 1000 restaurants, it’s clearly a land mine for tourists hoping to find a good seafood meal. Apart from the obvious places offering ‘turista menus’, there are a lot of other places which present themselves as offering the finest Venetian foods. A lot of these restaurants lure vulnerable tourists in, whilst offering food that’s below par.

I was determined to not be another statistic and did research on finding an excellent seafood restaurant in Venice. My research led me to this beautiful, cosy, 9 table restaurant called Osteria alle Testiere. This seafood restaurant is highly regarded in numerous articles, rated highly on Trip Advisor and also feature in the Michelin guide. Sounds like a winning combination to me! We wandered in for a late lunch, hoping to not have to wait. A beautiful aroma of fresh seafood welcomed us. The atmosphere looked casual yet classy at the same time. The restaurant was full and bustling, we couldn’t wait to join in on the action and taste the food. We were warmly greeted by Luca Di Vita, owner of Osteria alle Testiere. He said we wouldn’t have to wait long, and that a table would be available soon. True to his words, 10 minutes later we were seated and extremely excited.

Steamed spider crab
Steamed spider crab

The menu was a seafood lover’s dream! We wanted nearly everything on the menu and was in a real predicament on deciding what to get and whether we would be able to finish the food. We finally decided to order the sword fish carpaccio, steamed spider crab, spaghetti with ‘bevarasse’ clams, prawns in sweet & sour ‘busara’ style, scallops with orange and cervere leeks, and mussels ‘cassopipa’ style. Now the first thing I’d like to mention is the seafood was FRESH. Apparently the dishes are designed around the fresh daily seafood. We ordered a really dry and crisp local Tuscany white to enjoy with our seafood.

Swordfish carpaccio
Swordfish carpaccio

I really loved all the dishes and couldn’t fault anything about them. The dishes were clean tasting and simplistic. I’m a firm believer that with good seafood dishes, the chef should allow for the seafood to shine and allow it’s natural flavours come through. I find that a lot of chefs try to do too much with seafood, whereas I feel as though the seasoning should only compliment and play a supporting role with the dish. Osteria alle Testiere has achieved this perfectly, with every dish I am tasting the freshness of the seafood without any overpowering flavours. The sword fish carpaccio had the perfect acidity, the sweetness of the steamed spider crab came through, perfectly cooked al dente spaghetti flavoured by the natural saltiness from the clams, and the sweet & sour ‘busara’ sauce with the prawns were just to die for. I was a bit skeptical with this sweet and sour sauce because I automatically think of the Chinese version, which can really take over the dish. This busara sauce was really light and allowed me to fully appreciate the prawns.

Mussels "cassopipa"style & Scallops with orange and Cervere leeks
Mussels “cassopipa”style & Scallops with orange and Cervere leaks

We finished off with their homemade panna cotta for dessert. We tried to savour every bite as this was honestly the best panna cotta we’ve ever had! It tasted so milky and creamy, other panna cotta we have had just taste sweet. The texture was the real highlight of this dessert though, it was so wobbly that I was quite surprised it could even hold it’s own weight. I had never seen one made this well before. The lemon sauce and fresh berries that came with it just topped it all off! I was actually a little depressed after eating the panna cotta, as I was quite convinced that I may never experience a one this good ever again.

Overall, I absolutely loved every moment at Osteria alle Testiere. Luca was extremely friendly and provided a personable service. His recommendations on the wine, food and portions were spot on. The highlight was definitely the seafood though. I would say that this was probably the best seafood meal I’ve ever had. Now one thing I would say is that the price is certainly not the cheapest, and it makes for quite an expensive lunch. It would always be nicer to come for dinner but it’s extremely hard to get a booking. I thought the price was worth it, because dining at Osteria alle Testiere was one of my most memorable food experiences on our trip.

Panna cotta

Osteria alle Testiere
Approx €70 EUR per person
Calle Del Mondo Novo Castello 5801
30122 Venezia VE, Italy
Phone: +390415227220
Website: http://www.osterialletestiere.it/Testiere/Welcome.html