My Date With Food: italian

Showing posts with label italian. Show all posts

Qui Ristorante, Five Dock

"The discovery of a new dish is more precious to human beings than the discovery of a new star." (Brillat- Savarin)

Last weekend, I was browsing through my entertainment book for a place to dine, out of the many restaurants in the book, I decided on Qui Ristorante at Five Dock. Just because I never been to Five Dock and I read good reviews about this restaurant.

The restaurant was pretty secluded, located just right beside the library. After we reached there I pulled out my camera, I felt like I was being struck by lighting the moment I realised I didn't have my memory card in the camera (how can I ???)... *sigh* so my camera was pretty much useless for the night. Didn't want to miss this post, I tried my best to capture my dining experience using my mobile phone which probably has the worst camera ever.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was really cosy with a soft lighting that creates an intimate ambiance for diners, The service was exceptional, the staffs were warm and very welcoming.

We were really impressed by the entrees, they were really tasty and the size of the food in Qui was massive.

Entree 1: Garlic Prawns $16.00
The king prawns are cooked in napolitana sauce with garlic and chilli. The sauce was pretty rich and it was perfect with bread.

Entree 2: Salt and Pepper Squid $18.00

The staff served the salt and pepper squid equally among six of us, so the portion you see on the picture below is actually one sixth of the entree size. The lightly floured salt and pepper squid was really soft and the fragrant of the spices was really delightful.

Entree 3: Veal Carpaccio $16.90

The veal was cut thinly. It was smooth and lightly salted with a clean taste.

Entree 4: Salmon and Spinach Risotto $17.50

Being the special of the day, this Salmon and Spinach Risotto was the dish for the night for me. It was not overly creamy, I found the flavour of the cream and salmon were in the right balance, served with generous amount of spinach and the perfect texture of risotto. It was just delicious!

Main 1: Linguine Marinara $18.50(E) $24.50 (M)

The Marinara was the most ordered main for the night, It was really ambitious of me to actually ordered the main size instead of entree size. Even with the help of my husband we couldn't finish it, even my friend that ordered the entree size couldn't finish it too. It was just massive with lots of ingredients, however the taste didn't quite hit the mark for me, it was pretty average.

Main 2: Grain Fed Premium Scotch Fillet $28.00M

I didn't try the beef but according to my friend it was pretty good. He picked the pepper sauce to go with the steak.

Main 3: Pork with mushroom sauce $27.00

My husband had the pork, the meat was a bit dry but the mushroom sauce blown us away, it was so rich and creamy. It was the perfect mushroom sauce.

Main 4: Risotto Pollo e Fungi $15.00(E) $20.00(M)

The risotto was cooked with grilled corn fed chicken, mushroom and onion in creamy white wine sauce. Like the salmon risotto, it was delicious. Picture below is entree size.

Dessert 1: Vanilla Creme Brulee $9.00

The Creme Brulee was not the best as it's not firm enough and it could be better if the custard was more eggy.

Dessert 2: Chocolate Mousse $9.00

Even though the creme brulee was a disappointment, the chocolate mousse won us over. It was smooth, perfectly rich and lightly sweeten with a hint of bitterness in it, this is the best chocolate mousse I've ever had so far. This is the right chocolate mousse for you if you prefer dark chocolate over milk chocolate.

There were obviously hit and miss in terms of the food, but overall it was great value for money and a great restaurant for an intimate dinner with friends/families. If you ever need to visit a restaurant around Five Dock this is definitely a great option to consider.

Giorgios, Melbourne

THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE MEAL IN MELBOURNE

Finally, I'm back!!! Having been missing in action for so long, I'm finally back with this very special post. The main reason for my absence is due to the hectic workload during this financial year end, where I unwillingly put a temporary stop on my food/culinary adventure. But, I was lucky that even during this busy season, I managed to fly down to Melbourne last week to witness and celebrate my sister and her fiance's ROM (Registration of Marriage). I couldn't ask them for a better place to celebrate their special day. Giorgios is one the few places where I like almost every single food being served. Of course, the credit goes to my sister and her now husband, who picked the perfect selection of food for us to choose from.

My sister told me that she always come here for their dessert and after savouring them...I fully understand why.

Starter: Freshly Baked Garlic, Herb & Cheese Foccacia

A crispy mix of garlic and herb bread is always a great starter for Italian food. As a garlic lover, I really like the heavy flavoured garlic and cheese combination.

Selection of Entrees

Entree 1: Salt and Pepper Squid

The squid was lightly fried, marinated in lemon pepper served on iceberg lettuce, spanish onion, tomato, carrot and aioli. The squid was soft, with the perfect amount of salt and pepper that wasn't over powering.

Entree 2: Vegetarian Thai Rolls

The rice pastry of the spring rolls is perfectly thin and crispy, with savoury filling of julienne vegetables, rice noodles and Thai spices.

Entree 3: Souvlaki Mezza

The cubes of lamb are marinated with Mediterranean herbs, garlic, spring onion and served with fetta, diced tomato, black olives and cos lettuce with pita bread. For a lamb eater, you will definitely appreciate the tender lamb that's bursting in flavour.

So far, the selection of entrees have been pleasant, I was looking forward for the next course.

Selection of Main course

Main 1: Spatchcock

We were impressed by the generous size of this twice cooked whole organic chicken. The moment this dish was placed on the table, we found the aroma really alluring. With the marination of paprika and lemon, the flavour was second to none. Served on the side were kipfler potatoes, orange, red onion & mixed Asian cress salad with orange jus.

Main 2: Prawn Risotto

Cooking risotto is never simple, it requires perfect skill and a bit of practice to achieve the perfect texture, I dare say the risotto here is perfectly cooked! And Giorgios has make its mark by choosing the best type of rice for cooking risotto, the Aborio rice. This rich and creamy risotto was cooked with shallots, cherry tomato, napoli & marscapone. I also found plenty of tiger prawns in it. As much as I like to finish the whole plate, It was absolutely impossible. The serving was HUGE!

Main 3: Eye Fillet Steak

This was the highlight of the lunch for me and my husband. When the steak was served, I could smell the strong aroma of truffle. The truffled mash potato with char grilled vegetables were really delicious. The highlight was not only the truffled potato, but also the tenderness of the beef and the exceptional flavour of the porcini demi glaze sauce that drawn out the best of the beef.

Selection of Dessert

Dessert 1: Pear & Lime Tart

The tart has a soft, smooth and tangy lemon filling. The balanced palate of pear and lime flavours, with a sensuous sweetness of the fruits left my mouth feeling refreshed.

Dessert 2: Tiramisu

When done correctly, Tiramisu makes a very impressive dessert. I found the mascarpone cream here really light, which is always a good thing.

Dessert 3: Sticky Date Pudding

Now, the highly recommended dessert by my sister, also her favourite here. The sticky date pudding was served warm with butterscotch sauce & double cream. I couldn't agree more with my sister. Their sticky date pudding is no doubt one of the better one I have ever had.This winter favourite cake reminded me to the one I had at Zellini's cafe in Randwick (Sydney). The moist muffin-like pudding is accompanied with the perfect butterscotch sauce that has a hint of salty after taste. This is one of those times when I couldn't stop stuffing myself until I clean the whole plate.

Gosh, what have I done? I can barely move after the meal.

Apart from my mum's cooking, this is undeniably the best meal I had lately.

Thanks to my beloved sis and her hubby for this wonderful meal.

This has been the most unforgettable meal I had in Melbourne.

"This post is especially posted for you guys!

Hope you guys have a Happy Marriage!!!"

You can find out more on their menu here

Giorgios

1235 High Street

Armadale- 3143

VIC, Australia

Ph: 03 9822 4664

Buon Ricordo, Paddington

"A good cook is a peculiar gift of the gods. From the brain to the palate, from the palate to the finger's end." (Walter Savage Landor)

Buon Ricordo has established a reputation for its finest food and service. Over the years, this award wining restaurant has been rated as Sydney's top Italian restaurant.The staffs are very welcoming and professional. It offers an intimate dining atmosphere with 5 star service and their signature truffle egg fettuccine is mind blowing!

Top: Funghi Trifolati ( Assorted mushrooms sauteed with garlic) $14.50

Centre & Bottom : Complementary

For the entree we ordered the Fagottini di carne to share, when the waiter found out that 3 of us will share this entree, he actually asked the kitchen to serve the sausages into three different plates. How thoughtful!

Fagottini di carne $32

(Picture only shown one out of the three servings)

One of my friends ordered the Funghi di Bosco, which comes with mushroom cap filled with bacon and almonds, swiss brown mushroom soup and gratin of portabella mushrooms and smoke provola.

Funghi di Bosco $32.00

When the waitress realised that three of my friends wanted to order the 500gm T-bone steak, she actually recommended them to share the 6 weeks 1KG grain fed beef instead. She pointed out that the quality of the beef is beyond belief, it's at its highest quality. Eventhough on the menu it says the beef is to be shared by two, but she reckoned it will be enough for three as well. So the three guys went with her suggestion.

And lucky they did, because it is surreal!

Coastata di manzo $175

1 Kg Rib of grain fed beef, aged 6 weeks, grilled and served with sea salt and lemon.

(Can serve two or three. Picture only shown one out of the three servings.)

If I haven't tried the 6 weeks grain fed beef, I would think the T-Bone steak is really good, but because I've tasted the best one already, the latter was no comparison.

Bistecca alla fiorentina $56.50

(Grilled 500gm grainfed T-bone steak)

Now, the best part of the meal was the most reputable truflle egg fettuccine. On the menu all the pasta is served entree size, but they could do main size too upon request. I wasn't sure if the entree size is enough, so I asked the waitress. She told me they only recommend entree size for the fettuccine, because it's super rich and she didn't want me to have too much and hate it, so I listened to her. Always trust the pro!

Fettuccine al tartufovo $ 34.50

The fettuccine was served with a rich creamy sauce and fried egg, but it isn't any regular egg, it's truffle egg. The eggs are kept in an air-tight container with truffles and they infused the truflle flavours into the egg yolk. The waiter then added some Parmesan cheese and tossed the pasta on the table. While he was tossing, the aroma of the truffle hit us like a wave.
This is one of those I-will-remember-for-life dishes. Just brilliant!

And I understood why it is only recommended for entree size, because it is really really rich and creamy, you wish you can have more but you know you will get sick if you do.

By looking at the picture you might think it looks very ordinary, but I dare say the taste is truly extraordinary.

The flavour of the truffle egg is simply indescribable

The restaurant doesn't earn their reputation on great service for nothing. From the moment we stepped into the restaurant, they really did try their best to make our dining experience an unforgettable one. When we asked for our bill, the staff actually asked if we need her to organise any cab.

Again, how thoughtful!

Ristorante Buon Ricordo

108 Boundary St

Paddington, Sydney

Ph: (02) 9360 6729

Reservation is essential

Operating hours:
Friday and Saturday: noon - 2.30pm
Tuesday to Saturday 6.00 - 10.30pm

La Piazza, Bankstown

“My idea of feng shui is to have them arrange the pepperoni in a circle on my pizza” (unknown)

Hi guys, I just went to Italy yesterday!

Just kidding...but I did find a hidden treasure in Sydney, more like a hidden Italy in Sydney.

Again, this place was recommended by my friend MT.

La Piazza is located within the Banktown Sports Club. Believe me, this place is surreal. I would never expect such a place exist in Sydney, let alone Bankstown. When I walked inside, I was absolutely captivated by the charm of the place. Along the way to La Piazza, there was a restaurant with an old train station theme, there were two old classic trains inside the restaurant, you feel like you were brought back to the past. It was amazing.

But the best part was not this restaurant. It was La Piazza, the entrance reminded me of Harry Porter. It felt like I was entering a magical world. I wouldn't reveal too much about the place, I hope my photos would convince you to make a trip there. Because, this is the ultimate dining experience everyone will not want to miss. I was hipnotized by the beauty of the place. Believe me, you will feel like you are actually dining in Italy.
The food was excellent too. Overall, is a must visit place for everyone.

Another good thing about this place is, if the place is full, you can put your name down for a table and they will give you a pager, so you can walk around the club and they will page you when your table is ready.

All the photos you've seen so far, was taken in La Piazza. Isn't it amazing?

Farnese (Mozzarella, garlic, prawns, basil and chilli)  $18.00

Pizza Bresaola (mozzarella, air dried beef, extra virgin olive oil, rocket and shave parmesan) $22.00

The pizza was really good, probably the best pizza I had so far.

You know it's a good pizza not only because the taste is good but when you bite it, the cheese is not dry and the whole layer will not go off from the base like those from the franchise shops. The base is thin and the crust is crispy.
Two thumbs up for the pizza!