Bites: Jamie’s Italian @ Perth

Jamie Oliver has finally landed in Perth.  After many months of anticipation, queues are the only obstacle between a fan and Jamie’s magical plate of pasta.  Watching Jamie cleverly construct his 15 minute meals yet received massive scolding on his Italian pilgrimage from the noonas many umpteen years ago has made me no less a fan boy.  However, even the quickest fingers only allowed me to book a date 3 weeks later.  Upon entering, the cheerful waitress brought us to our table and introduced us to our area waitress.  Water was quick to reach and the menu was presented to us.  As for the environment of the place, it was what the little darling describe as Jamie.  It was very rustic yet it had a very cozy feel in a way friends and family would gather here.  In fact, the menu itself shouts Jamie’s trademark of describing his food with very descriptive words.  But the noise was really quite over the top in the venue.  Definitely no romantic moments here haha.

 

After awhile, the complimentary Italian Bread Selection was served to us (but only upon asking).  Unfortunately, the obligatory olive oil and balsamic took a little more effort to come with us having to ask them for it.  Over all, the bread basket tasted OK but failed to make an impression.  Music bread was wafer thin and I expected a good crunch to it but as it unfolded in my mouth, I found the bread has actually gone slightly soggy.  True enough, I was not the only person with such thoughts as my mates gave me the same comments. 

 

After looking around the menu, we ordered a few appetizers to share with the Arancini being the first to hit the table.  For $9.50, you get 3 smoked mozzarella & porcini arancini. 

While I was expecting massive bursty flavors from the Arancini, it was ultimately the delicious spicy salsa that brought the dish to live with its great mix of sweet-spicy along with a hint of acidity giving life to the bland arancini.  Smoked mozzarella sounded a lot better in writing compared to eaten as the flavors were a little too subtle to make any real difference.  Still not a bad treat for $10 bucks in this city though we needed 2 serves for the 6 of us.

 

Next up were the nachos with fiery Arrabbiata sauce for $7.50.  While not your typical nachos, these crunchy cheesy goodness were absolute joy to eat despite missing out on the kick from the usual nacho mix of salsa and sort.  The fiery Arrabbiata (fear not, its quite mild), still gave great flavor which complemented the crunchy ravioli filled with creamy ricotta.  I really enjoyed this dish more than the Arancini.

 

Last appetizer for the table was the Pomegranate Salad @ $14.50.                                                                  For that money it was a really meager serve of fresh salad, baby herbs & crispy salumi, with sticky balsamic & pomegranate.  But for the quality and taste that we had on the plate, it was absolutely worth it.  I have mentioned in the past that price can be offset by the quality of a dish and this is one such instance when the fresh greens and salty salumi really created wonders.  Freshness of the dish was just top notch and the sweetness of the pomegranates were also spot on.  Perhaps having an Asian background makes this appreciate this more but really, it was a great appetizer! :)!

 

After  a bit of chit chat, our mains finally arrived.  But one problem was spotted immediately as we were waiting.  The wait staff were not the most friendly and considering it was around 8.30pm with fewer diners around, there ought be no excuses.  Requests for water attracted the most unfriendly glare and that was such a put off.  Hope they could be more accommodating like Jamie’s smile because what we had was on a whole new level of crap service. 

 

Our mains for the night:

 My sister’s seafood bucatini for $29.50 is pretty good for all the seafood you get.  Generous serves of seafood including some crab, scallops, mussels, clams and prawns really gave the sauce a flavor my sister liked.  Factor in the acidity from the tomato based sauce and it suited her palate well.  For me, the highlight was the use of tubular pasta which absorbed all the flavors when cooked slowly in a foil.  Pretty yum but the serving was a little small.  My sister who is normally a small eater polished the meal easily!

 

My main – Truffle Turkey Milanese @ $29.50.

Unlike the pasta., this serve was awesomely generous with a large crumbled turkey stuffed with cheese and prosciutto taking up the whole plate.  It came topped with  a fried egg, truffles, cheese and for that added shot of healthiness, the watercress.  The first few bites of this dish was really nice.  Oozy cheese and prosciutto was so tasty that the turkey did not need any sauce whatsoever.  I also spread the yolk over the schnitzel and that gave it that extra richness which really help the dish hit all the right notes.  But what happens when you are halfway through and feeling a bit full?  I found little encouragement from the dish to keep me going.  It was really nice but somewhere midway, I believe most people will find the dish a little dry.  This dish as advised earlier by a friend was definitely suited to share between 2 people with a few good sides.

 

For my side, I ordered Jamie’s famous polenta chips @ $8.50.  This alternative to chips were no less impressive when it came to crunch.  The polenta was beautifully seasoned with salt and for me, the crunch was simply spectacular.  Not to mention the smell of the parmesan melting on the polenta’s heat.  Superb.  No wonder it is Jamie’s famous Polenta Chip!  A great side to accompany any dish except the turkey Milanese lol.  Nevertheless, this is highly recommended!  Perhaps if one ordered the Veal with the salsa, that might have been perfect! :)                                                            

 

The little darling went on a little overload tonight due to her curious taste buds.  Her first main for the night was the Wild Truffle Risotto (entrée size) @ $13.50.                                                                                                                           I do not think I can put in  a different way compared to the menu.  Described as  “a real treat” with finely minced truffle, butter and Parmesan, it really was.  Delicious butter made the risotto silky rich and very creamy.  The rice were still very much intact but just had that creaminess from the sauce.  Darling thought it was yums although she found it a little salty towards the end!

 

Her next main was Jamie’s classic take on a good old Italian Tagliatelle Bolognese @ $12.50 for entrée size.As simple as it sounds, yet when someone tells you that they have made Pasta Bolognese, a good Bolognese needs heaps of love.  Perfect caramelisation of a celery, onion and carrot medley before slow cooking the melt in your mouth Pancetta and quality ground beef.  In my opinion Jamie’s version quite nailed it although for me, I like a little more acidity in the melt-in-your-mouth Ragu.  The herby crumbs gave it good flavor and texture although it worked more for the latter.  My biggest dislike of the dish was how the pasta was done perfectly al dente.  It was crunchier then I expected.  For me, definitely a silky Parpadelle over this or perhaps just 2 more minutes in the pot for the Tagliatelle!

 

The next dish on our table was the Steak Tagliata.                                                                                                         Biggest complain of this dish from JS was not the beautifully cooked steak or the rustic greens, but rather the lack of visibility of the meat.  This makes it seem as if there was almost no steak.  But true enough there was steak but not quite enough as the menu also stated 180g only.  Over all though, the flavors were great and the crunchy vegetables were really quite good according to JS.  I would expect so too considering all the various textures with the crunchy fennel, watercress, mint, chili, garlic, horseradish & lemon! :)!

 

The last two pastas we had on the table was the Spaghetti Vongole and the Black Angel Spaghetti.  Fishman did not need to be convinced to go further down the menu when he saw this on there.  Steamed sweet cockles with garlic, chili, white wine, parsley, butter & lemon.  All the magical ingredients that help seafood shine in its simplest form was on there.  The result should have been truly outstanding.  And putting aside a major complain, the flavors really spoke for themselves.  It was just really good.  It is a type of pasta that you would go for second or thirds unlike a cloying cream based one.  Unfortunately it was the saltiness that was a put off.  It was so salty we had to ask them to remake this pasta.  Speaking of which it came back saltier and Fishman was so unimpressed he could not be bothered asking for a new one.  This definitely needs fixing.

 

Yv’s order for the night is something no less spectacular in terms of flavors.  Scallops and other seafood were beautifully cooked in a seafood based broth that really excited the taste buds.  The squid ink pasta was also really nice, it was smooth and not sandy like some which I had eaten before.  Its color as well was really dark.  Nero!  However, similar to the  Pasta Vongolese, this turned out extremely salty too.  To our dismay, the waitress exclaimed that “it is meant to be salty, so it is just going to be salty even if it was made again”.  At that point, it felt no less than a slap on our faces.  We told you it was salty, so please go back and fix it.  Do not make unnecessary statements please? 

 

After a disappointing meal for both Yv and Fishman, I would not believe that they would bother with the Jamie hype anymore.  This was quite saddening for them as they were rather chuffed when we landed a booking.  From my point of view, it suddenly felt as if all the numbers of wait staff did not really make a difference to the dining experience if some of them continued to be immature.  More importantly, to insist that something that is bad will only come out as bad shows how amateurish they were in the kitchen and on the floor.  The waitress ought a rethink to be honest.  Also, it might be OK if we were the only ones with problems but from reading other reviews, many diners had similar problems too!

    

Putting bad experiences aside, Fishman decided to give Jamie’s one last shot at retaining its pride, the desserts.

For his dessert, he ordered a trio of sorbet @ $8 which turned out to be a sorbet of apple, passion fruit and blood orange.  This for him was his highlight of the night.  It was refreshing, with the fruity flavors hitting all the right notes.  It has sweet, sour and a slight bitterness with the blood orange but over all, it was perfect.  He was happy.  Or at least I hope he was haha.

 

For my sis and I, we decided to go with something sour to give us a little kick.  We both ordered the Lemon tutti frutti.The meringue on top was not quite as good as I expected but the lemon curd was still every bit satisfying.  My sister on the other hand was not quite impresssed.  But hey, for $8.50 it was hard to complain.  My tart would have been at least $10 at Nahm Thai and is easily $15 dollars at Guillaume’s Bistro.

 

Yv’s dessert was the Tiramisu @ $9.50.  If you are  a big fan of coffee, this is for you.  For me, I would have preferred something more subtle to end the night with.  This was by contrast rich, and intense in coffee flavor.  Downfall?  The sponge needed a lot more moisture.  At least twice as much soaking time.  What was even more appalling was the fact that it was not moist yet it was served as if it was so sloppy it could not stand.Tiramisu.

 

The little darling’s Poached Winter Fruits with Frozen Vanilla Yoghurt @ $10.                                                             It was a hearty dessert which darling thought was quite nice.  I tasted a little and found it quite nice although I did not feel it was anything extraordinary. 

 

Over all, my experience at Jamie’s Italian was pretty good.  While Yv and Fishman had something to lament about, I was lucky enough to have made the right choices and had a really good evening despite the poor service.  To be honest, I felt that the evening could have been more pleasant if the waitress could accommodate our complaints and made improvements.  Saying that, who not be tired of trying to get to the flavors of the pasta if we had to face a mound of salt in each mouth. I mean like seriously?  It is about the salt.  UNLESS, everything was pre-made in a large pot then there is no real remedy.  Despite these hit and misses, there were some real questions such as the pricing which have garnered heaps of praises for this new kid on the block.  A meal at Jamie’s can be really cheap or really normal (considering Perth’s ludicrous prices).  If one goes for a simple 2-course, it can be as cheap as 30 dollars but if you had the full course, it might be closer to $60 depending on what you choose.  Reasonable or not, it is up to your wallet :)!  For me, it presented an above average quality for its price and would definitely re-visit if I land a booking or manage to go really early and skip the queue.

 

There you go, a review of Jamie’s Italian in about 5 pages. Even I am sick of reading what I type =.=!

 

WenY

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Bites: Crust @ Victoria Park

Crust Pizza has been from my memory about a 2 year old franchise in Victoria Park.  Its that sort of thing which the little darling says she want to try and we kept mentioning it but never actually did go and try it.  Fortunately, one can make amends and recently, I received an invitation from Crust Mount Lawley’s Michelle to go and give their latest offering a shot.  To celebrate the summer season, Crust Pizza has decided to reinvent the classic Margherita and to finish the meal on a healthy note, a caramelized fennel salad.

 

Crust @ Victoria Park!

 

The Heirloom Tomato Upper Crust Pizza @ $19 is one of Crust Pizza’s new offering.

For this price you get delicious flavors which for me highlighted the intensity of the tomatoes.  The tomatoes under the pizza oven has developed to the extent where it start caramelizing creating that plump juiciness which just oozes when bitten into.  I could barely fault with the tomatoes being the main element except for its content!  It was perfectly ripe, juicy and just perfect in so many ways.  While that for me was an extreme highlight for such a pizza, I on other hand do question the existence of the buffalo mozzarella which as my photo shows look no more than dollops of mayonnaise.  It barely had any effect.  For $19 it soon becomes a question of value as such old school Margherita was executed so close to perfection but its content did not suffice.  For me, I could have passed on the buffalo Mozzarella but definitely double up those tomatoes.

 

The next pizza which the Peking Duck Pizza @ $24 came recommended by close friends and the store owner Michelle herself.

This pizza unlike the vegetarian Heirloom Tomato one was covered by a generous amount of shredded duck meal and bok choy.  Its flavors felt close to a typical Peking Duck but could have been better with if those fresh pungent spring onions.  The flavors were really good all in all.  For me the only thing that my fussy side faulted with is the crust of this.  Not quite used to such rough and crispy edges for my Peking Duck dish.  But hey, this is a pizza is it not? Overall, this was a pretty solid performer.  It had quality and consistency albeit my dining companion found the sweetness a little too intense for her liking.

 

And the refreshener to lift the mood off the gueey cheese was the Caramelised Fennel Salad

If this dish is all about the caramelized fennel, then this is already a winning recipe.  But because the fennel is part of the dish and not a dish of its own, it has to gel with the rest of the lot which includes crumbled ricotta, proscuitto, fresh greens and roasted hazelnut.  For me, it was pretty good if not for the lack dressing which made this too dry.  Just felt as if there is not enough moisture as all we were given was a small packet to pour on top. Over as a salad it was not bad but definitely could have been better.

 

Now that I have eaten as much as I could, I was stuffed and jaw was partly aching from my attempt of trying to down both pizzas which failed miserably.   I cannot thank Michelle enough for this special invitation as I am now able to tick Crust of my list of to places try for 2012.  What Crust has offered me today is a very unique combination of pizzas which buck the trend of what is considered typical.  But with  a price that is not in any way cheap, Crust face a whole lot of contention including Italian staples like Ciao Italia or Il Padrino and even Australian Champs Little Caesars and  Olympic pizza champion Delizioso.   Nevertheless, I believe the Pizzas such as the Peking Duck are there to stay as fans will always look forward to the outstanding flavors the Crust has an offer and while a well composed Pizza Margherita is likely to sell, the few tomatoes are a hard buy for its price.  It either has to be a fair bit cheaper or a whole lot more tomatoes :)!

 

WenY

BItes: Catalanos @ Victoria Park

The Entertainment Book has been a wonderful host of discount with various restaurants that are awesome.  Unfortunately not all are awesome.  My recent dinner at this the supposedly “favorite finalists” turned out a disaster and without much ado, the review.

The chili mussels were something the table looked forward to.  The mussels were perfectly cooked before being mixed into a sauce that was in my opinion too plain.  The flavor was very subtle which was good if you just wanted the taste of the mussels.  Clearly enough too, the mussels were cook separately from the sauce before being tossed in it for a bit.  Absolutely tasteless this dish.  Maybe that’s why it did not come with bread to damp the sauce.

 

Next, we order a fettuccini to share.  Our first impressions on this was one good despite the disappointing appetizer.  The creamy red sauce look fabulous with cheese sprinkled on top.  Chicken slices too, looked rather generous.  And that is where it all ends.  The fettuccini was severely undercooked.  I have watched Jamie Oliver and Master Chef in Italy.  It seems like they like their pasta slightly undercooked just below al Dante, and I am pretty sure this was not how it was meant to be.  We were dumbfounded that a basic cooking can be so carelessly prepared.

 

Next was the Carbonara which was probably the best dish that night.  Its pasta was cooked perfectly, the sauce was mild and it was over all a pretty good dish.  For me, all it needed was a little more salt.  Despite trying to avoid having too much creamy pasta, this was the only reliable dish that night.

 

Our last dish was the pan-fried veal schnitzel with thick cut chips, fresh salad and a red sauce.   Another massive disappointment on a plate.  Sauce was definitely lackluster.  It was literally flat.  Veal steaks felt as if it was just chucked onto a non-heated pan and left to “boil”.  It was overall horrible.  But hey, the cheep's were pretty nice.

 

Overall, my meal at Catalano’s turned out to be one massive disaster.   This is a place that if you stop outside and wonder whether to try or not, just WALK ON.  Not worth the time and money.  Can definitely get better elsewhere.  Diners clearly deserved better and this is one of the very rare times where my review has turned out so negatively.  The only other time was at Sake Bar and another Thai restaurant.

 

WenY

Bites: Il Ciao @ Applecross (Revisited)

Two weeks I re-visited Il Ciao to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Despite recent reviews saying it has dropped in quality, there were no significant issues with the food we had. At il ciao, there is always a wait and no bookings are allowed for group of 7 and less. Nevertheless, the free pizza slices kept the waiting patrons happy!  While we waited, I was snapping around trying to get accustomed with my new toy.

Using my workmate’s Canon 30D! I can tell you one thing for sure, you’d be surprised what this trusty aged machine does! It really produces some fine pictures!

The appetizer for the night:

The chili mussels were flavoursome with its flesh more well cooked than most places.  However, the missing richness in its tomato taste failed give us the perfect start.

 

After the mussels, the girls were back to their usual antique.

The ladies :)

 

For our mains, we each ordered one and pretty much shared it around the table:

Fishman’s scotch fillet was one of the superb dishes that night.  While it did not offer all the qualities of a dry aged steak, the scotch fillet did not feel lacking in anyway.  It still was cooked to order albeit slightly overcook, but the most amazing part of the steak was the sauce.  Creamy goodness with mushrooms and chopped tomatoes.  Just a good mix of sweetness, saltiness and acidity.  Slurps!

 

Nee and I both ordered the Ruspante alla Diavola or the chicken char-grilled and marinated with chilli, rosemary and white wine  served with a side of Spaghetti Bolognese.  I have had this before and like 3 years ago, it did not disappoint.  This is easily a good chicken roast with a tasty outside and a moist inside.  Seasoning was flawless although Nee did struggle with the heat a little.  Bolognese side is definitely worth that extra dollars adding.  While they do not use wagyu, the mince still felt moist and juicy.  Definitely my pick at Il Ciao!

 

The little darling’s lasagne was also pretty decent.  If there were any wishes, it would be more of that rich tomato sauce and of course some béchamel to go with it.

 

Traditional Ligurian twirled pasta with ricotta cheese, sundried tomatoes and Italian sausages in a fresh tomato sauce was  Yvonne’s choice that night. While it tasted OK I thought that the pasta could have been a little softer.  There were some instances that it felt significantly undercooked!

‘

And lastly the birthday girl!  Finally 18 now! Happy birthday ;)!

 

And ok, the little darling and I

 

 

WenY

Bites: Modo Mio @ Burswood

If I were a chef, I believe the greatest joy would be a diner’s appreciation for food cooked my way.  Unpretentious, inspired and creative.  For Giampaolo Maffini, that is exactly what he does at Modo Mio or ‘My Way’, a restaurant that has been gaining momentum ever since its launch.  With pleasant reviews, this was the perfect  venue for the little darling’s 20th birthday dinner with the guys considering how well Modo Mio has been promoted for its personalised service and authentic, but more importantly, tasty food.

While we waited for the rest to arrive!

 

 

For the night, we ordered a few dishes to share among ourselves with the pizzas coming out first.

Pizza Asiago e pollo which had a tomato based topped with chicken, Asiago , onion, pink peppercorn & mozzarella.  As simple as the ingredients might seem, it actually is really delicious.  The pizza ingredients was tasty and not too salty.  It felt balanced.  But what really made me like the pizza was the crust.  I am known for hating Italian pizza crusts.  Why?  Simply because most places tend to have it in the oven until the crust becomes overly hard and dry.  Despicable! But at Modo Mio, it was GOOD!

 

While the Pizza Asiago e Pollo was good, the Pizza al Prosciutto stole the show!  Like the chicken pizza, it was a tomato based pizza but this time with parmesan, mozzarella, Parma ham, and rocket salad.  Again simplicity was at its best.  The pizza was delicious, crust cooked till the perfect, prosciutto well salted and the cheese and tomato sweetness were just spot on.  But if it can be done, it would be great if the prosciutto can be more well placed.  As this pizza was shared, it was actually quite difficult to eat because the prosciutto often get dragged off from one slice to another.  Moving on to our mains!

 

The star:

Carre d’agnello in crosta di nocciole, salsa al timo e tortino di zucca or Oven baked lamb rack with a macadamia crust, thyme jus & butternut pumpkin flan.  Overall, the lamb was the best meat dish for the night.  There were many reasons why we liked it so much!  For me, crust coating the lamb rack was simply delicious and magnificent.  Also, the meat had a pink-ish middle showing it was cooked to perfection.  Following on, while I am never a fan of pumpkin, the flan that accompanied the dish was actually NICE!  It had a creamy centre which complemented the meat well. Overall, this dish was the best among all that we ordered! 

 

Red wine marinated Angus beef tenderloin, pan-fried foie gras, polenta & taleggio ravioli, onion, pommery mustard marmalade.   As we had just dined at Nine Fine Food the day before, the little darling and I were expecting a flavour filled foie gras that  would complement the angus beef like a pair made in heaven.  Unfortunately, this was not so.  Pan-fried foie gras was not magical but felt a little dry, as if it has lost its creaminess =X!  Beef was perfect but cheese filled ravioli felt bland. Not that this dish is not nice but our hopes for perfection was perhaps a little far fetched.

 

 

Another dish worth mentioning for the night was  the filled pasta with a cream sauce finished with shaved black truffle.  The sauce was superbs, pasta lovely and until now I still cannot think what was in there but oh it was good.  As there were less than 5 pieces, we each barely had one!  Nevertheless, it was lip-smacking!  The cream sauce had us drooling for more.  Myself? I spooned every bit possible onto my little pasta!  I have actually just checked the menu and this dish is off the list.  Rather unfortunate but I am sure it is a matter of time before it comes back on!

Perfection!

After having our dinner we moved on to a few desserts to try, for the little darling her dessert also served as a  birthday cake! A rather special one I would say!

Seeing basil did not scare the darling from her favourite dessert.  In fact, vinegar was almost non-existent! The traditional Italian custard with strawberry marinated in aged balsamic vinegar, and basil was to the little darling, ‘quite nice’!

 

For my sister, she chose to have the her normal Tiramisu!

This was finger lickin’ good! In comparison to a few that I have eaten, this is actually nice.  Perhaps it is just me because this does not have a liquor flavour that felt overly strong and neither were the sponge fingers drenched in concentrated coffee.  It felt just ‘right’.  Or at least it did for a person who does not drink coffee like me!

 

Lastly, my dessert was the chocolate pudding with marsala wine and sort but omagawd.  Almost died from this dessert.  The chocolate pudding was really rich but the overall experience was to me a little too ‘adult’. Rich chocolate felt slightly bitter, liquor soaked fruits and wine everywhere.  Ewwww!! But I think if you are into desserts that are not overly sweet, this might just be the one for you.  Just  my two sense but it could be wrong anyways !

 

Overall, I have to say that the small servings and rolling cutleries were not the highlight of the restaurant.  Neither was the venue which was draped in luxury only to be let down by the low ceilings making the place a little claustrophobic.  But if you are looking for good Italian food with a wallet to match, this might just be your cue.  Also, headwaiter was keen so serve and ensured that we were well taken care off.  Definitely had to thank the waitress Anke, that was assigned to our table of 16!  Priceless experience and, great place with little to improve on! Probably for a stingy pot like me, perhaps Giampaolo can double the size of my mains! :)!

 

WenY

Bites: Ribauldo’s @ Como

While it is hard to not fall head over heels with a Italian model or sports car, it is probably even harder to not drool over good Italian food. When a coupon website promoted an Italian 3-course meal for two @ $49, I was SOLD!  Many times have I passed the Kwinana freeway but I have never noticed this little eatery tucked among the many dwellings on Melville Parade. Ironically though both D’Tandoor and Pagoda on the same row were more noticeable with their bright  neon blue and red sign boards which reminds me of a certain place in Bangkok.   After calling countless of times, we finally managed a slot yesterday night.  As of now, my list of good Italian food consists of Spaghi’s or Ciao Italia which all in car terms would have been supercars these day. So how did Ribauldo’s fare in this stiff competition? Well head down to see what we ordered ;)!

Bread was a mix of hard and some crispy. A balsamic and olive oil mix has been a favourite of mine although Bruschetta is still my no.1 :)!  However, my housemate Nee taught otherwise and felt that the offerings in another restaurant was better.  But hmm, thinking of what she said, I too realise that the balsamic vinegar felt lacking.  Perhaps it was a little sweetness that was needed.  I did not eat the olives by the way, never liked the flavour ahah.  But fishman said it adds a unique flavour to the bread!

 

A fresh garden salad was next and all I can say is MOOOOOOOOoooooooooo!

Fishman kept complaining that the little darling and I are unhealthy because we refuse to even touch it but blahhh!! I wanted to keep my stomach for the mains and dessert :P!

 

Now that we have reached the mains, I clearly understand why the patrons are divided over the food served at Ribaudo’s!  While most of the mains were decent, one was just atrocious! We ordered the following:

The Spaghetti Marinara had tiger prawns, fish, calamari, cooked in a sauce with garlic, onions, white wine, tomato, Basil and chilli, finished with fresh parsley and lemon.  End product?  A very delicious Marinara that carried a subtle seafood fragrant while packing  loads of taste in each strand of pasta.  The seafood presented was odourless with a strong garlic taste and a hint of spiciness.  For me, this was the winner of the night.  Fishman being a lover of seafood had plenty to comment on the way Australians misuse the word tiger prawn.  He said the size of the tiger prawns here are pretty much the same size as the head of the tiger prawns he gets back in Malaysia.  I cannot help but agree too.  However, the optically miniscule prawns did not stop him from loving this tongue-tastic pasta!!!  Nee Nee liked this too but the little darling did not have any because she is unfortunately allergic to seafood.

 

This next dish was really tiny! Vitello alla Griglia or grilled organic veal medallions served with creamy mashed potato finished with a red jus! As the veal slices were really small, it was hard for it not to be cooked through.  The end result was a slightly tougher than usual slice of meat which to my housemates and I is a little tiring to eat.  The mash tended to be dense and still had small bits of potatoes.  Not quite sure whether this was intentional or not but it was edible! Over all, a decent but not really recommended dish!

 

The next dish was the Lasagne con Pollo  or sheets of pasta layered with chicken sugo, Béchamel, Parmesan and Mozzarella.  While the initial impressions were good, a spoon of it had me think otherwise.  Overcooked pasta sheets which literally disintegrate  was not quite the way I would have liked it.  The chicken sugo were like broken bits of chicken tasting clay. The cream sauce was not enough to moisten the whole experience and hmm.  Ok put it this way.  I did not like it, neither did fishman and Nee Nee.  Little darling kept mum for the moment ahah! 

 

Lastly was the Pizza de Carne which had a good topping of chicken, olives and mushroom.  The cheese was enough, the chicken tasty but the crust was all but hmm not quite there yet.  Go around our dining table and you will find half eaten pizza crusts.  You then cannot help but conclude that the crust just did not satisfy!!

 

But it was not all doom and gloom even though the mains did not quite put up the show we expected.  Nonetheless, move over main and welcome the desserts!

The Vanilla and Raspberry Panna cotta served with Raspberry Coulis and Fresh Strawberry

 

Chocolate and Almond Semi Freddo served with Raspberry Coulis and Dusted with Cocoa

 

Both desserts turned out well for us. Without a doubt, the favourite for the night was the panna cotta which was uber smooth and to me I though it was very carefully served too!  Taking small scoops and a paying attention to the dessert, the little darling found a small layer of white chocolate at the bottom of the Panna cotta! Yummy!  Overtime, this Piedmontese dessert has been adopted by various non-Italian cultures. The Japanese for instance have reinvented the dessert in a way which incorporates green tea, an iconic Japanese beverage.  But going back to its roots, the Italians does it best!  As for the ice cream, it was pretty nice but ahah it tasted salty too =X!  Perhaps it is just a way to bring out the chocolate in this dessert?  I know many cooks use salt to help bring the flavours of the chocolate together, so I guess it really works!

 

Overall, our dinner at Ribaudo’s was quite a nice one with some hits and misses.  For the price of the coupons, it was well worth the buck!  However, the restaurant could do better with its pizza base.  It simply just went into the oven for too long!  Also, the veal should have appeared more generous as a main. The lasagne.. really was no more than canteen/cafeteria quality and should have been a whole lot better.  Luckily, the night ended sweetly with a delicious Panna Cotta which really lifted my mood from :( to !  In the end, is Ribaudo’s a supercar or a normal one? Well, Ribaudo’s is worth a try and perhaps paying full price will make a difference.  In fact, it had better make a difference because for the price it charges, it has a lot of expectations to meet! Over and out :P!

 

WenY