Tag: italian

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Asian Fusion Café Italian Korean

Amuze – Darlinghurst NSW Restaurant Review

This is not a criticism of Amuze at all, but as I was driving to Amuze in one of Sydney CBD’s many 40 km/hr zones a man in a white Porsche Cayenne aggressively tailgated me, beeped his horn at me, then ultimately did an illegal U-turn through double lines. As I was looking for parking near Amuze I once again saw this man, still in his car, parked adjacent to one of the only free spots directly outside the restaurant. As I didn’t want to be assaulted by this bad man I had to keep driving and eventually park around the corner.

Amuze salmon steak

I had the salmon steak ($19.50) consisting of a piece of pan-fried salmon atop salad with spiralised zuchini, sun dried tomatoes and carrot and a side of potato. The salmon itself was delicious, with crispy skin and a partially cooked inside. I’m surprised how much I enjoyed the spiralised zucchini salad – it was really tasty with its zesty flavours. The potatoes had a nice fried exterior however I felt the interior was too starchy.

While I ate outside, the interior of the restaurant looked really nice. There’s plenty more on the menu that I’d like to try – the cafe pride itself on a number of Korean inspired dishes, and has a few Korean chefs.

Will come back soon I hope.

UPDATE 15/11/2020

So I did come back, five days after my initial meal – this time with my partner and one of our emergency medicine friends.

Amuze cream cheese pancakes

The cream cheese pancakes ($17.50) were good. The pancakes themselves were soft with a complex slightly sourdough-like flavour, and not too sweet (yum). There was a huge serving of cream cheese topping (yum), compote (yum), and fresh strawberries and blueberries (standard).

Amuze spaghetti white truffle ragu

The spaghetti white truffle ragu ($19.50) was delicious! The sauce was creamy and flavourful. The sausage mince added additional bursts of flavour atop the sauce. The spaghetti was cooked a bit too al dente for me, but still yummy.

Coffee ($3.80 for a latte), was unfaultable – very good.

Closing comments – while Amuze bills itself as Korean-Italian fusion, my impression is that their menu consists of either Korean or Italian dishes. The three dishes that we’ve tried (and the chicken parma that my ED colleague tried – not pictured or reviewed) were all firmly in the Italian camp of things, with no real Korean touches. I wonder if the other half of the menu – which consists of kimchi ramen and bibimbap among other things – have more Western elements in them. Not a complaint – just an observation.

4.5/5

Amuze
1 Burton St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
0487 037 757

Categories
Italian

Da Mario – Rosebery NSW Italian Restaurant Review

After being thoroughly disappointed by Lucio Pizzeria earlier in the week I took a gamble went for a second round, this time at Da Mario in Rosebery. My partner wanted to stay in, so I made a phone order and drove to pick up my two pizzas.

A fair warning first – as the pizza is takeaway and framed by a cardboard box the photos are not very good. But the pizza was delicious.

The Mortadella (mozzarella, fontina, mortadella and crushed pistachio – $26) was delicious. The fontina cheese flavour was dominant in some bites, and the mortadella in others. Overall a perfectly tasty pizza with a few great flavours.

This Diavola pizza (tomato, mozzarella, hot ‘nduja paste and extra basil – $25) may be the best pizza I have eaten ever. Each of its basic ingredients, the tomato, mozarella, basil and ‘nduja paste had their own strong, delicious flavours. The freshness from the tomato and the basil were paramount, while the mozarella was mellow, and the spicy ‘nduja paste provided an unexpected kick. Delicious.

UPDATE 13/11/2020

salsicce con friarielli

The salsicce con friarielli pizza ($25) was only ok. It was not so flavourful. The “spicy sausage mince” was not spicy at all. The broccoli rabe was a bit too wilted for us. I can’t recommend.

Calzone salame

The calzone samale ($22) was the tastier of the two we got on the second round. It was almost like a pizza and calzone combined, as the exterior was sauced with some cherry tomatoes. The interior was filled with a yummy and tasty ricotta and salami.

Even though I got take-away I can also comment on the service. The boys behind the bar at Da Mario were happy to provide an additional pizza box for me to store my RICOS TACOS in from around the corner.

Da Mario in Rosebery has to be the best pizza I’ve ever had in Sydney. Give it a try soon.

5 Marios.

Da Mario
Shop 1/36 Morley Ave, Rosebery NSW 2018
+61 2 9669 2242

Da Mario Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
Categories
Italian

Lucio Pizzeria – Zetland NSW Restaurant Review

There’s lot of praise floating around for Lucio Pizzeria. After having dinner there tonight I don’t really think it’s warranted.

Lucio

The Lucio ($24), Lucio Pizzeria’s signature pizza, is a half margherita half calzone. It is an interesting concept to create a pizza in such a way. While the flavours weren’t bad, I just wish there would be more of everything – more tomato, more basil, more ham. The calzone filling of ricotta and ham was good, but underseasoned.

Campagnola

Lucio’s Campagnola ($24) continues the tradition of underflavouring. While the sausage itself had good flavour, the flavours on the rest of the pizza where overwhelmed with cheese and cheese alone. This was a very cheesy, oily pizza, and a little bit of salt, a little more mushroom or sausage, would have gone a long way.

If I had to give my meal at Lucio Pizzeria an overarching theme it would be that it is underseasoned, bland, yet very oily. My compliments where compliments are due would have to go to the pizza’s thin base. It’s not awful – but it’s expensive, and I definitely wouldn’t travel for it.

The next pizza on my hitlist in the local area is Da Mario in Rosebery. I hope they will not disappoint me as much.

3/5 unworthy of their medals. Simply did not live up to the hype.

Lucio Pizzeria
East Village 2, 4 Defries Ave, Zetland NSW 2017
02) 9697 3028

Categories
Italian

Beretta Cafe and Pizza Bar – Ramsgate Italian Restaurant Review

We had delivery from Beretta Cafe and Pizza Bar in Ramsgate for lunch one weekend.

The Calzone Pizza ($19.90) surprised me! This was my first ever Calzone, and I had chosen it as I thought it would be smaller and therefore less of a drama to eat at work. Normally I try to avoid pizza at work so that I don’t have to protect it from hungry eyes. I had no idea that the Calzone would be a full sized pizza, folded in half. The fillings were reasonably basic, with mushroom, ham, sopressa salami, but the taste was quite good. I think the entire thing was too much for one sitting, however, and packed it away to finish the next day.

The Beretta’s Bacon and Egg Roll ($10.90) was one of the better B&Es I’ve had recently, but at such a price you’d expect it to be. It is packed with bacon and eggs, and quite large. Definitely a full meal’s worth, or two half meals.

The Cheesy Garlic Bread ($8 for 2 pieces, note pictured is 2 servings), was ordered by my colleagues. I didn’t try it but the verbal handover was that it was quite good. They also enjoyed the Lasagne ($18.90) and the Ravioli Di Ricotta ($15.90) to a reasonable degree but again this is just heresay.

I can recommend Beretta Cafe and Pizza Bar. We’ll probably get food from them again this year. I’d like to try some of their other pizzas.

Beretta Cafe and Pizza Bar
211 Ramsgate Rd, Ramsgate Beach NSW 2217
(02) 9529 7017

Beretta Cafe and Pizza Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
Categories
Italian

Filante Woodfire Pizzeria – Banksmeadow NSW Pizza Review

Filante is a new pizza restaurant that has opened up in the midst of the COVID-19 respiratory pandemic. After getting ubereats from them a few times, I decided to up the ante (and save myself a bit of money) but visiting them in person.

I visited on a wet August night after work. There were anumber of people in the store doing their socially distanced thing around a large woodfired pizza oven.

Below are the results.

I liked the Burina ($22), a cheesy, meaty kind of pizza.

I got the patate e salsiccia ($19) specifically for my girlfriend, who loves potato but ate very little of this. This made me very disappointed.

I enjoyed the Romana ($20) pizza, which I felt had a little bit of everything, including weird things like egg.

I could have lived without the arancini with porcini mushroom and truffle ($6), however that is true in most cases. I normally only enjoy mini arancini as I feel they have a more superior exterior to interior ratio.

Despite the brief review, I enjoyed Filante. It’s some of my favourite pizza that I can get delivered to my home, and I plan to continue eating their pizza for as long as I can.

5 stars.

Filante Woodfire Pizzeria
19A Greenfield St, Banksmeadow NSW 2019
(02) 8005 2378