Archive for the 'Italian' Category

17
Jan
12

Prego, Floreat

By S.M. Leave a Comment
Categories: Italian
Tags:

Website: http://www.pregorestaurant.com.au/

Entertainment Card 2011/12: Complimentary MAIN for any MAIN purchased (up to $50 value)

SK and I had wanted to head to a new Italian place where we haven’t been to, so in a bid to find the place to visit before my trip to Singapore, we finally decided on Prego, which has received pretty good reviews on news.com.au as well as urbanspoon.

So off we went after a couple of drinks to Prego, and we found ourselves turning into this little car park at the back of the restaurant, and found a neat little spot. We were able to enter the restaurant from the back too, which made it very convenient. Lovely set up I say.

As we entered, there was this amazing classy-ness to this place. I felt underdressed to say the least (as I usually do anyway). But we were politely shown to the table and we had a nice little cosy spot.

The waiter, clearly Italian gave us our menus and then gave us some time to deliberate. During this time, I visited the restroom, and told SK to just order a wine for me, and she did a great job in ordering a Pinot Gris (or Pinot Grigio, eek. Memory fail again!), which turned out to be lovely.

Anyway, onwards with our orders:

  • Carpaccio tradizionale e moderno (raw tender beef carpaccio served two ways – truffle mushroom aioli / lemon, olive oil, pesto and parmesan)
  • Capesante al funghi (WA scallops lightly sealed on a bed of oyster mushrooms, served with mustard vinaigrette, chilli salsa and a sprinkle of tomato coulit)
  • Polleto e gamberi (duo of spatchcock and tiger prawns served with crispy gnocchi, baked Portobello mushroom in a lemon sauce and chilli salsa)
  • Special Pork for the day
  • Tiramisu to share

We were given a complimentary starter before we started our “feast”. Alas, I don’t remember what it actually tasted like though. Boo hoo hoo!

The carpaccio that I had was such a generous serving, and because of the olive oil, it made for this dish to be rather heavy on the tummy. That said, the taste was pretty out of this world (in a good way). I would probably order this again but share it with whoever I am dining with.

The capesante that SK had was less tasty than the carpaccio, and wouldn’t be something I would order if I were to dine at this venue again. It had all the lovely presentation that you would expect based on the description in the menu, and there is a generous serving of scallops, but with the price of $20.90 for that entrée, it is to be expected I believe.

 

 

The pollento e gamberi appeared as a lovely dish, but the overall taste of the dish was a little less than how it appeared to be. I have to say the spatchcock that I had at Bouchon Bistro was tastier. The crispy gnocchi did not leave me with too much of a memory, so I think it is safe to say it was average.

The special pork of the day was such a generous serving that it gave me a real surprise (OK, it was somewhat a shock but it wasn’t the strength of the shock if you know what I mean *wink*). The taste was apparently alright – not overwhelmingly good, but it wasn’t bad either. Average may be the word for it.

 

 

By this time, we were already full but wanted to have something sweet to end the dinner – so we shared a tiramisu.

It was, as with the other dishes we had for the evening, beautiful with presentation. And it had a lovely taste too! I quite enjoyed this dessert. (:

The service was one of the best I have seen in Perth, with the Italian waiter who served us ever so attentive and friendly. He spoke to us about how he came to Perth, and is now really into indoor soccer and is part of the indoor soccer association. And much to our delight, we also had a complimentary serve of limoncello liquor – YUMMO! I had a sip but because I was driving, we only had the one glass.

I do find the food here rather steep with prices, particularly with the entrée, but I would not mind coming back here after such a wonderful experience with the service, the overall classy ambiance (despite my not so classy style), and pretty decent food (particularly the carpaccio and tiramisu!).

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Rating by: S.T. a.k.a Miss Egg

Prego Restaurant on Urbanspoon

27
Nov
11

Modo Mio, Burswood

By S.M. Leave a Comment
Categories: Italian
Tags:

Website: http://www.burswood.com.au/Restaurants/Modo-Mio

Quoting from the above website:

“Modo Mio meaning ‘my way’ offers authentic Italian cuisine of unsurpassed quality, served with passion in a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Recruited from Milan, Chef de Cuisine Giampaolo Maffini has created a delicious menu that showcases his love for honest Italian cooking using fresh local produce and time-honoured, traditional family recipes.“

My first visit here was prior to the best musical I have watched (only twice)… and because of the musical, it was a set menu with which we were only given a portion of the full menu that Modo Mio had to offer.

I didn’t mind that one bit because I really didn’t know what to expect of this new place that took over the once well-known Victoria Station steakhouse.

Did not take us too long to deliberate on this because it was quite a  small variety of dishes to choose from:

  • Burrata con insalata di crescione e pomodori
    Burrata cheese, fresh tomato, basil, watercress salad
  • Prosciutto di Parma e melone
    Parma ham, rockmelon
  • Penne
  • Barramundi
  • Pizza Pollo (chicken)
  • Tiramisu
  • Panna Cotta

Excitement!

We were served quite promptly after our order was taken of some bread rolls, and some balsamic vinegar + olive oil + sea salt. Very well presented, needless to say (just look at what is a thousand words!). I thought the rolls could have been warmer, but it was all good (: I enjoyed the combination of all three condiments, and couldn’t have asked for a better start to the meal.

 

 

We had A.C’s husband with us on this occasion, who happens to be of Italian descent, and what better to get feedback than to ask the man himself! He had the burrata entree, and found it to be absolutely delicious. From memory, he cleaned his plate up nice and dry!

The prosciutto was my choice, and what a divine combination it was with the rockmelon! I was also given some cheese, and I tried every combination I could – every one of them worked wonders. I absolutely loved it. One of the fresher parma hams I have tried around in Perth, so do give it a go if you are a fan of this variety of meat.

 

 

The mains were not the usual mains you’d find in the everyday dinner menu, except for the Pizza Pollo.

AC’s husband who had this pizza loved it much, and said it was very good. It must have been because he just kept going and going and going!! I wish I had a bite of this but my pasta was quite a bit on its own, and with the rockmelon and parma ham starting to make its way through the digestive system, it was just safer to err on the side of caution with regards to overeating *winks*

I had the penne pasta, which was in a rich tomato based sauce, with some ricotta cheese on the top. I must say I am not the biggest fan of ricotta, but there wasn’t an overpowering amount of this, so I was quite glad. (: The serving of the pasta was just right, and the flavour just nice for me. I would have liked some sort of chilli to go with it (Asian, much?) but this was certainly tasty enough for me.

AC and SC both had the Barramundi, and said that it was nice. I must admit that the barramundi on offer in the dinner menu is certainly much better in terms of presentation and from the sounds of it (comparing my own and mom’s view of it with AC and SC’s)… the overall taste as well. Just on a side note that Mom doesn’t usually take fish as a main but because she couldn’t find something that was too suitable to her palate she decided to try the fish and was giving it such raving reviews, I almost fell off my chair! I had a try myself, and oooh la la! Absolutely lovely.

Dessert time!

 

 

During this evening, I think the desserts were the highlight for me (quite rare). I did not try the Pannacotta, but look at that generous serve of strawberries! It’s divine just looking at it. From what I heard, AC and hubby certainly enjoyed it. (: The Tiramisu was the star of the evening for me – by far the best I have tried in Perth in a while! I did give up on finding the greatest Tiramisu, and I figured since this is an Italian place, I really should give this one a go, and there was absolutely no regrets. There was just the right amount of cream, and sponge fingers and kahlua/coffee soaked in them. It was just absolutely beautiful. I love love love, and now every time I do go back there, it is a must-order for me – and this is usually when I start falling over the edge of ‘overeating’.

Service was delightful, and definitely worth complimenting. They were attentive, and were happy to explain to us the dishes (among our other visits) and what is popular. I love the set up – simple, yet so classy, and with the food so lovely (already been back there twice after this initial visit)… I will definitely recommend going to Modo Mio for some good ol’ Italian food!

Other dishes worthwhile trying:

  • Garlic Bread (it is not your typical garlic bread, is all I will say)
  • Snapper (another great fish dish!)
  • Squid ink pasta
  • Jerusalem artichoke soup (divine!)
Accredited online colleges have culinary arts classes if you would like to learn how to become a chef.
Having read Miss Egg’s lovely review, Miss L couldn’t help but add her two cents worth of photos and comments of Modo Mio.  The VERDICT – she loves it too…the setting, the menu, the food…the service!
 
Dishes ordered:
  • Fettucine al nero di seppia, granchio, zucchine, capesante, vino bianco $30 (Homemade black ink fettucine, crab, scallops, zucchini, white wine, garlic, chilli, fresh tomato) – One of the best pasta dishes I have tasted!  Not sure whether I’m influenced by the special black ink fettucine, the dish tasted divine, unlike those instant pasta sauce flavour you get at some Italian restaurant.  Must order!
  • Trota alle mandorle, zucchini farciti, gamberi di frume, salsa al limone $34 (Pan-fried ocean trout, basil, stuffed baby zucchini, yabbies, lemon butter sauce) – A total art piece in presentation, love the bright colours, the look makes you want to tear into the fish immediately.  Does not disappoint.
  •  Filetto di dentice e capesante con carciofi e patate $35 (Pan-fried snapper, seared scallops, globe artichoke & purple potato) – Another art piece on a dish, juicy and tender fish.  The purple potato is a surprise and absolute delight!
   
Attentive service throughout the night.  Great dinner – highly recommended to try.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Rating by: S.T. a.k.a Miss Egg

Modo Mio 
Telephone: (08) 9362 7551
Address: Burswood Entertainment Complex

Modo Mio on Urbanspoon

31
Dec
10

Pronto, Claremont

By natashalam Leave a Comment
Categories: Breakfast and Italian
Tags:

Pronto is an Italian restaurant located at the top end of bustling Bayview Terrace in Claremont.  It was a bright sunny morning when we arrived for breakfast one weekend.  The restaurant was barely open with only a few tables taken which were lucky for us.  I’d read reviews where people have to queue up for seats!  Maybe that was more for the lunch session.

We were greeted warmly by the waitstaff as we approached the counter and found the spot that we wanted quite easily – at the front of the restaurant looking out onto the street.  Rays of sunshine were beaming through the windows onto our table, a great dose of vitamin D for our skin (bonus!).  The interior of the restaurant is modern and had a homely atmosphere about it.  It was nice.

 

The breakfast menu was quite short, with approximately 11 – 12 items on the list.  The food on offered were quite simple, like the usual omelette, toast, eggs benedict etc.  For breakfast we had:

  • Iced Coffee and Orange Juice
  • Eggs on Toast ($15) with extra mushrooms
  • Eggs Florentine ($19)

  

I had the Eggs Florentine that morning which were poached eggs served with sauteed spinach and hollandaise sauce on Italian bread.  The dish was average for me as the hollandaise sauce was too creamy and didn’t have much taste to it.  My friend had the Scrambled Eggs on Toast and thought it was average as well.  The dish was big though.  I’d also noticed in the menu that they offer half serves of the dish for $11.  That will probably come in handy for those with a smaller stomach although the price is only $4 less.

Service was excellent that morning with the same friendly waitstaff that greeted us at the start attending our table the whole way through, and did a marvellous job.  The only drawback is the food,  they were pricey and didn’t satisfy the tastebud.  I might try the other restaurants around the area first before heading back there for breakfast the second time round.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Rating by: N.L.   

Pronto
Telephone: 08 9284 6090
Address: 16 Bayview Terrace, Claremont

 Pronto on Urbanspoon

27
Dec
10

Positano, Northbridge

By S.M. Leave a Comment
Categories: Italian, Mediterranean and Use your Entertainment Book!
Tags:

Website: http://www.positano.net.au/menu.html

Entertainment Book: 25% off total bill (up to $40 value)

It was time to celebrate S.C.’s birthday, and we though we’d try something a little different rather than going to the same ol’ same ol’.

So we took on a little research, which lasted a little longer than it really should, and by the time we ended up at a final decision, it was Positano, and good on us because we had the entertainment book to save us some moolah!

We made a reservation, and when I called, I was already being asked if I wanted a table inside/outside. When we got there, for some strange reason, we were asked again. More so, we were encouraged to take the seats outside (and this is winter!)… but we were too stubborn, so we pushed for some seats inside.

The waiter was less than impressed to say the least (what the?)… but we let that go anyway, and we were seated. The whole vibe of the restaurant oozed with posh-ness, and an air that we were not comfortable with (particularly when we were three very loud girls). In any case, we deliberated on the menu, and on several occasions were asked if we were ready to order. The discomfort rose.

In any case, we finally decided on:

  • Garlic Bread ($7.50)
  • Balkan Grill (Selection of cevapi (skinless sausage) & pljeskavica (beef patty) served with salad, Turkish bread & Tzatziki – A specialty from the Balkan Region) ($29.50)
  • Hot Casanova Pizza (Traditional tomato sauce, cacciatore sausage, bacon, mushroom, tomato Fresh chilli & mozzarella) ($25)
  • Lasagna
  • Bottle of Red Wine (chilled)

We initially wanted to order some Aranchini balls to start us off instead of the garlic bread, but after asking the waiter how big the serving was, we were sorely disappointed (and somewhat shocked) to hear that it was quite a small serve and all for $13.50. So when we changed our minds to the garlic bread, we had a sense that the waiter was not impressed (again, what the).

The red wine was L.O.V.E.L.Y. It was one of those red wines that was served chilled, and what a pure delight it was! Pity I cannot remember for the life of me, what the name of the wine was. :(

The garlic bread was average. It was nice and buttery but I definitely have had better after my conquest of finding the best garlic bread in WA!! Just kidding :)

S.C. ordered the Balkan grill, and it was a nice substantial size for sure filled with all kinds of meat, and the lovely Tzatziki sauce. The turkish bread certainly helped in terms of providing some carbohydrates to go with the meat. I had a taste of the meat, and it was alright. It’d be nice for someone who love their meat, and the Tzatziki sauce complemented the meat rather well. Overall, a heavy meal.

The Lasagna was probably the best dish of the night. It was served with a generous portion of tomato sauce on the top, and with A.C.’s very own generous serving of Parmesan cheese for herself, it was not difficult to like this dish. Being engaged to an Italian herself, I asked if it was good to her taste, and she said yes! :)

I had a taste of it myself, and it was really quite lovely.

In fact, it was one of the better Lasagna’s I have had. I know some people like theirs rich. But I prefer mine on the lighter side, which is exactly the taste that this one had.

The hot casanova pizza was not too bad. Lovely crust, but that was pretty much it. I still miss the days of lovely crusts from Lambretta’s, but I am starting to realise that it can be a bit of a task trying to find a good crusted pizza in WA.

Overall, the pizza and balkan grill had more or less the same liking factor for me.

The overall ambience of the place is somewhat quiet and posh as I’ve mentioned, so it was not somewhere we would have gone to if we knew beforehand.

I personally felt the waiters were a bit stiff, and I actually felt a bit uncomfortable because everything seemed so formal.

Unless I had a very good reason to, I wouldn’t be heading back there.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Rating by: S.T. a.k.a. Miss Egg

Positano Restaurant
Telephone: (08) 9227 1184
Address: 153 James Street, Northbridge 6003

Positano on Urbanspoon

23
May
10

Galileo Buona Cucina, Subiaco

By S.M. 2 Comments
Categories: Italian
Tags:

Galileo Buona Cucina’s hidden along Onslow Road, in Shenton Park near Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. I would never have known this place existed if not for the brilliant reviews they have been receiving on urbanspoon!

So I decided to ask the folks if they were willing to explore this new place with me, and to my delightful surprise, my usually-fussy momma agreed! :) Ah what a winner.

So I made a reservation and we made our way there early. The staff who took my reservation was very accommodating. They must have been pretty booked up the whole evening, so he offered me a table just outside on the alfresco area. I knew it was going to be a lovely clear night but I never really like dining out in the cold, and because they didn’t have any heaters outside, I requested if we could have a table inside.

He made a compromise and said if we could finish by 8pm, it’ll be perfect. To us (my family at least), 2 hours is already way past our usual meal time! So whee! We got ourselves a table inside the restaurant.

When you walk into Galileo, there is this sense of homeliness and warmth within the establishment. There’s a rustic feel to its furniture and its decor, which is always a plus for me!

Greeted by some lovely people, we were quickly brought to our table, and were presented single-page menus (which to me represented a place where they would rather focus on the quality on the few dishes that they offered, as opposed to providing variety). Our waiter for the evening then explained the different specials of the day, with such a clear concise explanation of each dish that was absolutely brilliant! Thumbs up!

We then took some time in deliberating what to order.

And it took a while… before we decided:

  • Home Made Bread
  • Bowl of Olives
  • Ravioli di Carciofi e Formaggio Pecorino (Artichoke Ravioli & Pecorino Cheese with Butter & Sage Sauce)
  • Cervo Alla Moda Di Sila (Wood Fire Oven Roasted Fresh Spicy Venison Girello)
  • Fish of the Day (Pan Fried Salmon with Mash and Asparagus)

The home made bread and the bowl of olives made their way to the table first. Was a tad disappointed with the bread to be perfectly honest. I have had much better home made bread served (complementary) at other Italian places, and this was not up there. The crust was chewy, and the bread, even though was served warm, should really have been a tad warmer. And this latter comment is just little miss fussy pot speaking. :) Was also expecting more out of the serve too.

The olives must have been marinaded (sp?!) in-house because there was a lovely distinctive flavour about it. Mom and I enjoyed it thoroughly!

Wasn’t long before our mains arrived…

The dishes came out looking splendid, particularly the Venison. Momma found it a bit too red for her liking, and couldn’t take more than a few bites, so halfway through the meal, Poppa and Momma swapped meals. I had a taste of the meat, and it was absolutely lovely. I would have devoured the whole thing myself but I was on a restricted red meat diet… so I had my fair share. :)

The Salmon was cooked perfect too. I didn’t try the other sides that came along with the fish, and surprisingly not dry!

The Ravioli was my personal highlight of the evening. The artichoke was such a perfect blend with the cheese, and whilst it looked like a rather small portion when it was served, it hit the right spot by the end of the meal. Wasn’t too much, and the butter gave such a beautiful fragrance to the dish. Woot!! I love this and if I were to go back, I might end up ordering this dish again.

The service during the evening was spot-on, and we left as a happy family. Would be going back there again sometime for sure, and with the Ravioli pretty unique (i.e. I haven’t seen this elsewhere!), I don’t see why I shouldn’t be back!

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Rating by: S.T. (a.k.a Miss Egg)

Galileo Buona Cucina

Telephone: (08) 9382 3343
Address: 199 Onslow Road, Shenton Park 6008

Galileo Buona Cucina on Urbanspoon

10
May
10

La Vela, Scarborough

By S.M. 3 Comments
Categories: Italian
Tags:

Website: http://www.lavela.com.au

Mom wanted to try somewhere different (I was giving them a treat… just because!). So on I went to the infamous Urbanspoon website, and started looking for something north of Perth (seeing how we never really do reviews up that way)… and found La Vela with really good reviews. And I thought, “why not! Let’s give this a shot”.

Made a reservation, and took a drive down Scarborough Beach Road in search for this easily-missed establishment.

When we arrived, we didn’t know if we were allowed to park where we did, but based on the parking signs, there really wasn’t any problem. :) So as we entered, there was a nice homely feel to the place, and the bar counter in which you would need to wait to be seated. Wasn’t long before we were greeted by a lovely waitress who took us to our table. We were able to choose our table too! So we chose one that was close to the glass panels so that there’d be some light sipping through (we love our bright lights).

As we contemplated the menu, we were served with some starters, which was made of cheese and seafood (mainly prawns from memory). Another place with complimentary starters! Kudos!!! Wahey!

Yum yum. I only had a bite of it because I’m on a no-seafood diet, but I thoroughly enjoyed the bite I had! I wish I had more, but Dad managed to devour the lot in no time anyway. :)

Wasn’t long before we made our order:

  • Garlic Bread – 4 slices
  • Tortellini Alla Panna (couldn’t resist as usual!) – Entree size
  • Barramundi Special (served with squids, prawns, chips, salad & Lemon sauce)
  • Bistecca alla Vella (Beef filled with mix of prawns, onions & cooked in a white wine mushroom cream sauce)
  • Glass of White Wine (don’t remember which one)

It had been a while since I found a place that served both entree and main sized meals for their food. So this was a plus for us since we don’t have too big an appetite that evening – at least I didn’t. The waitress was really patient with us explaining the Bistecca alla Vella to my mother who wanted to make sure she had what she was thinking (in other words, she’s fussy!).

The garlic bread was served first and it was a lovely start to the evening. Nothing too special, but definitely a good-enough serving of the garlic butter to entice the tastebuds and keep them happy.

The mains were served shortly later, and when they served my pasta, I was glad (very glad) that I had ordered the entree size!

The Bistecca alla Vella was one of the best meals my mother has had according to her, and with her fussy taste, I’d like to think it was truly a gem! The prawns are actually hidden within the two pieces of meat, and the sauce was so tasty it brought me to a nice smile as I devoured my mother’s cauliflowers. :)

Don’t let the messy presentation of the dish fool you, but this Barramundi Special was rather special indeed. With a nice amount of squid and prawns, this is a seafood delight to anyone who loves it. The sauce was lacking a tad compared to the bistecca, but this didn’t deter father to finish it all off in style! Huge serving, and well worth the price of $34.

My tortellini alla panna is probably the palest in comparison to the two massive hits that my folks had ordered this evening but I ain’t gonna complain because it was tasty too! There was a nice generous serving of sauce/gravy, which made me a very happy camper. It was what you’d expect of the dish, so no extra points for them on this dish.

We enjoyed the service, and they were quick to react to our request, which is always a nice plus. We were greeted with a smile as we left, so you can be sure we will be back to La Vela sometime soon! As a matter of fact, mother has already said to bring the cousin to this place when he comes to visit at the end of May!

Lovely.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Rating by: S.T. a.k.a Miss Egg

La Vela
Telephone: (08) 9341 2362
Address: 78 Scarborough Beach Road, Scarborough 6019

La Vela on Urbanspoon

02
Apr
10

Lo Zucchero, Dalkeith

By S.M. 2 Comments
Categories: Italian
Tags:

Website: http://www.lozucchero.com.au/

This little hearty cafe sits in the middle of a residential area right in the soul of Dalkeith. So for those unsuspecting people like myself who don’t really drive in the inner roads, I would have never known about this place if not for good googlers like S.K!

The first time we decided to come here was sometime, back and since then I have been back quite a number of times, and haven’t been disappointed up till now (other than desserts which I will get to in a little bit).

As you walk in, you will realise that this is not the usual set up of any restaurant/cafe. It’s got a good size of a restaurant, and it’s got the set up like a cafe, except they’ve added efforts in making it look more homely… they even have handbags and shoes for sale on the right hand side! On the left are the drink fridges, and other little items that you can probably purchase if interested. A little something different from the ordinary for sure!

Our first visit there was for dinner, and subsequently, I have been there for lunch, then dinner then dinner again. Here are the items ordered (in no particular order!):

  • Bruschetta
  • Steak Sandwich
  • Chicken, sundried tomato, broccoli, creamy pumpkin, roasted walnuts and parmesan (Penne pasta)
  • Carbonara, saute of smoked bacon, pure cream, garlic, parsley and parmesan (Rigatoni pasta)
  • Chicken Saltimbocca, half a roast chicken with prosciutto, sage, roast pumpkin, potato and carrot with a thyme and white wine sauce GF
  • Risotto, wood fired duck and porcini mushroom risotto finished with marinated parsley and shaved parmesan GF
  • MILANO Italian sausage, peperoni, roasted capsicum and kalamata olives (Pizza)
  • MARGHERITA Roma tomato base, fresh mozzarella and basil (we added italian sausage!) (Pizza)
  • LOMBARDIA Roasted egg plant, capsicum, zucchini, ricotta, parmigiano & parsley (Pizza)
  • TOSCANA Baby spinach, butternut pumpkin, field mushrooms, fetta cheese and a touch of garlic olive oil (Pizza)
  • TRENTINO Assortment of mushrooms, fresh brie cheese, avocado and parmigiano (Pizza)
  • Assortment of dessert & Coffee (Photos will speak for themselves later!)

Because of the huge amount of things I have tried, I will just mention the ones that I really love, and give a generic review of the rest in terms of “entree”, “mains”, “pasta”, and “pizza”. :) And before I start on the review, I do apologise for the lack of photos to make up for the amount I actually tried – I had too much of an appetite for some meals more than others, so the camera did not get a chance to be part of the meal.

My favourite is really the pizza’s that they serve here at Lo Z. It’s the variety that they have, and the fact that they are willing to go into the more unconventional flavours like egg plant, butternut pumpkin, baby spinach, etc. etc. Ingredients that I haven’t seen much around here in Perth’s pizza’s. It’s perfect for vegetarians and unlike the meat pizzas, the ones with the vegetables provide a lighter tone for the tummy, so girls eat to your hearts’ content!!

I would recommend trying the Chicken Saltimbocca too – a very special dish that has the chicken skin all crispy, with the meat tender and juicy, with a nice serving of light gravy below too!

Bruschetta was lovely – a whole lot of onions though. So if you are not really an onion lover, this might be a bit tough to take in. The taste was perfect tho’! Would have loved the bread a little softer than it was when we tried it – a tad too hard. but kudos on the way the tomatoes came out!

Steak sandwich is only available for lunch and it was lovely. Not the best around, but definitely one that I would be willing to eat again should I return there for lunch.

Pasta’s

The pasta’s were rather tasty, but the Carbonara that we tried the other evening had a tad too much saltiness to it. It’s either the bacon adding too much flavour, or the chef added more salt than usual.

Would love to try the other non-creamy based pasta’s next time I go. But for now, average.

Pizza’s

As I said, the pizzas here at Lo Z are the BOMB! Absolutely lovin’ them. They got the thin crust with a nice fresh taste to their dough. Lovely. Lovely. the next thing for me to try would be their dessert pizzas!

Mains

As mentioned, the Chicken was a special one, but the other mains that I have seen being served out of the kitchen made me drool all the same!

The lamb seemed to be a popular choice amongst the diners that I have seen over the last couple of occasions. The seafood options were also pretty hot. So keep in mind these!

Desserts & Coffee

They are quite average. I wouldn’t spend the moolah on desserts over here, but the coffee’s quite good. They do have some nice gelato ice cream should you be with some kids or if you are a ice cream lover yourself! Great way to end the evening especially during the summer months.

Overall, Lo Z is a nice casual place to be in, be it for lunch or dinner. I understand that there is breakfast in this establishment as well, and I might very well be heading there for some goodmorningsunshine moments!

Yet another place to add to my pizza-delights. :)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Rating by: S.T. a.k.a Miss Egg

Lo Zucchero
Telephone: (08) 9386 7733
Address: 99 Waratah Ave, Dalkeith, WA 6009

Lo Zucchero on Urbanspoon

12
Mar
10

Zafferano Restaurant, Crawley

By natashalam 10 Comments
Categories: Fine Dining, Italian and Use your Entertainment Book!
Tags:

Website: www.zafferano.com.au

Entertainment Card 09/10: 25% off (up to a value of $50)

Zafferano Restaurant is located within the Old Swan Brewery compound along the scenic Mounts Bay Road in Crawley.  Driving along this road always give me a dejavu feeling of going back to uni, memories of traffic jams coming from the south especially for the 9am classes!  Eeks!  However driving this time round for a meal here replaced the dejavu feeling with one of excitement! 

I’d dined in the Old Swan Brewery restaurant numerous times and recently even attended a wedding ceremony there, but had never been to Zafferano before this.  I have heard good things about the restaurant, mainly about it being posh and expensive but with great food so I had always wanted to try it.  The perfect opportunity came when we were contemplating where to take my mum for her birthday and my sister suggested Zafferano.  Yay!

“Zafferano is the owner’s fourth restaurant in Perth” – stated in their website..this statement brought great comfort, the owner must be very clued into the restaurant scene to have so many in Perth!  Our dinner will be great! 

Parking is limited and one must go through an underground driveway which leads to a parking lot in the opposite building if none is found outside the restaurant (Note: the parking is costly depending on how many hours you stay at the restaurant).  Having parked there, one must walk across the overpass bridge, through the Old Swan Brewery before arriving to what I presume is Zafferano’s back door.  Not a very attractive entrance I must say but I didn’t think it was worth the trouble going around to the front.

The restaurant itself is medium sized and has quite a nice ambience about it – dimly lit with soft lighting and checked floors, it felt like I stepped into a 80s Italian restaurant.  However the bar looked very modernised.  The host who took us to the table was very formal and serious, an image of an English butler came to mind as he served us.  Table was nicely set with wine glasses teamed with candle light which I thought was quite romantic, it glowed on the table. 

 

Zafferano is a seafood restaurant so the menu is full of all things crustacean with a few selection of meat and pasta dishes.  For entree, we had the following:

  • Ostriche alla Naturale Dozen ($29) – oysters natural, accompanied by shallots, red wine vinegar and cocktail sauce
  • Seafood Chowder ($36) – spicy seafood chowder, Zafferano’s signature dish

 

Oysters were delicious – they were huge, plump and most important of all, fresh.  Loved the red wine vinegar sauce that came with it, it added to the natural taste of the oyster without taking away the freshness.  The cocktail sauce on the other hand though was a bit strong and covered the oyster’s flavour.  The Seafood Chowder surprisingly was also very good.  It had a slight thai fusion taste to it and I had expected something thicker than what we got so was not too impressed at first, but subsequent tasting with the seafood pieces in it make it almost addictive, I couldn’t have enough!  Actually I feel like having one now while writing this review!  No wonder its their signature dish!

For mains, we had:

  • Paella con Gamberoni ($50) – large shelled tiger prawns served on paella rice with mussels and sausage
  • Salmone ($49) – grilled salmon fillet, with a red wine butter sauce, and served with mascarpone risotto
  • Tutto Mare ($50) – Zafferano’s grilled tasting plate of fish, squid, scallop and prawn over spicy fried rice accompanied with sauce
  • Arista d’Agnello ($49) – char-gilled rack of lamb served with eggplant parmigiana, confit bell peppers and red wine jus

and sides of:

  • Funghi all’ aglio ($17) – mushrooms in butter and garlic
  • Verdura ($14) – broccoli and asparagus with parmesan butter

   

The fickle minded me ordered the Zafferano’s tasting plate which came with a bit of everything, just how I like it.  Love this dish as I got to try everything in one plate!  I especially liked the scallop, grilled to perfection..I wish there were more of these on the plate.  The fried rice though wasn’t to my liking so I finished everything on the plate except for that.  I also liked the two Sides we ordered, okay I might be a bit biased as mushroom and asparagus are my favourite veggies but they were yummy, simple but delicious.  Sometimes less truly is more!

Comments for the other dishes were good too except for the Tiger Prawn Paella.  My mum ordered that but didn’t quite like it.  You win some, you lose some I guess.  I had too much on my plate to try the other dishes so no comments from me.

Having finish the mains, we moved on to the desserts and had:

  • Affogato al Frangelico e Biscotti ($19) – hazelnut gelato affogato with frangelico syrup and homemade fudge biscuit
  • Graffe di Mela e Creme Pasticciera ($19) – warm apple and custard doughnuts served with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream
  • Special dessert for the night – Tiramisu ($19)

  

Nice names with the desserts - they sounded so complicated and posh.  I ordered the Hazelnut Gelato Affogato and I must say, it’s the BEST I had so far in ages.  The warm and bitter espresso hit the silky hazelnut gelato turning it into a creamy coffee sensation.  AWESOME! That combind with the homemade warm fudge biscuit is the greatest.  I wanted more!  The other two desserts didn’t fare that well in the poll though – my sister didn’t like the Apple and Custard Doughnuts and didn’t finish it (they ended up in my stomach =)).  Was ordinary I thought.  My mum didn’t like her Tiramisu either.  Oh dear, she didn’t fare too well with her choice of dishes.

Overall it was a great night for me personally as I nailed it with my order of entree, mains and dessert.  First time ever!  The others on my table did not fare as well as me, with the alternate hit-and-miss.  Service was so so that night, the waitstaff was courteous but not friendly and they took ages to clear our table and to give us the dessert menu after our request.  The restaurant being full might be the contributing factor but still, surely it’s not acceptable for a fine dining restaurant and for the price we are paying for our meal!  Personally though I would go back for an occasion and armed with the Entertainment Card discount, the price wasn’t as steep as could be.   The restaurant does live up to its reputation.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Rating by: N.L.  

Zafferano Restaurant
Telephone: 08 9321 2588
Address: 173 Mounts Bay Road, Old Swan Brewery, Crawley

 Zafferano on Urbanspoon

10
Dec
09

Fratelli Restaurant, Sorrento

By natashalam Leave a Comment
Categories: Italian, Mediterranean and Use your Entertainment Book!
Tags:

Entertainment Card 09/10: Complimentary main course when another is purchased  (up to a value of $35)

Fratelli Restaurant is located along West Coast Drive in Sorrento in the upper corner of a shopping centre complex.  One needs to climb a flight of stairs before arriving at the restaurant itself.  The outside of the restaurant looks pretty simple but the inside reveals a classic setting with a warm ambience.  It supposedly boasts a panoramic view of the beach looking from the inside but we were not able to enjoy such a view as it was too dark by the time we arrived.

Service was prompt as we sat down with offers of drinks and water on the table.  The restaurant was not that busy at that time so we got alot of attention.  We proceeded to order the following:

Note:  comments only on the dishes I actually tasted.

Entree

  • Garlic Bread ($5.20) – Fratelli’s secret recipe, fresh from the oven and served warm and crusty
  • Italian Sausage ($16.50) – Grilled spicy sausage served with a capsicum jam and fresh lemon

We were too eager to consume the food and so I had forgotten to take a photo of the Garlic Bread except for that one last piece on the edge of the plate which proved the tastiness of the bread.  One of my friend has a palate for sausages especially the foreign type so we ordered the Italian Sausage to try.  The sausages were chewy and a bit oily for my liking but it went well with the rest of the people so no complains there.

Mains

From the pasta corner, we had:

  • Linguini Marinara ($25.90) – Pan fried seafood tossed with linguini in a napolitana sauce
  • Chicken Florentine ($23.50) – Penne mixed with herb marinated chicken, sauteed onion, fresh garlic and spinach in a creamy parmesan cheese sauce

 

The Linguini Marinara was a huge serving and had big chunks of fish, prawns and calamari strewn through the linguini.  The napolitana sauce had the right consistency.  Great dish!  I did not have a chance to try the Chicken Florentine so the picture of the dish would have to suffice – looks good though doesn’t it.

From the mains, we had:

  • Seafood Risotto ($29.90) – Prawns, scallops, calamari, mussels and fish sauteed in a perno and onion cream sauce and finished with a fresh basil
  • T-Bone ($30.50) – T-Bone cooked to your liking on a roasted root vegetable champ, fresh greens and drizzled with a rosemary jus and bearnaise sauce
  • Veal Sirlon: Chef’s Choice ($32.90) – Prime steak from the grill served on a potato and spring onion fritter, topped with a drambuie and porcini sauce
  • Lamb Shanks ($28.50) – Slowly cooked with roasted vegetables and blended into an aromic sauce served with roasted potatoes
  • Warm Chicken Salad ($23) – Marinated chicken, sundried tomato, roasted almond, feta cheese, spanish onion and mixed lettuce in a honey mustard cream dressing

    

I had a taste of the Seafood Risotto and it was superb.  Normally not a big fan of risotto dishes, I was sold after the first mouthful.  Once again, big chunks of seafood with the risotto and large serving overall.  I like how the risotto was soft (I have had crunchy risotto before, yes..crunchy and that’s definitely not a good taste) and the sauce blended well although it got too creamy at the end, we could hardly finish the dish. 

The Warm Chicken Salad was topped to the bream too as can be seen in the photo.  Generous serving of chicken pieces and veggies!  The only thing that could have improved the dish was probably the distribution of the sauce in the salad rather than having it at the side.  Maybe it’s healthier that way.

And who can forget the pizzas…the Gourmet type….

  • BBQ Chook ($24) – Cajun chicken, caramelized onion, crumbled feta, crisp proscuitto and home made barbeque sauce
  • Vego ($22) – Honey sweet potato, spinach, olives and goat cheese topped with chilli jam

 

The BBQ Chook Pizza was another great dish with thin crisp base and big chunky chicken pieces – very fresh and appetising.  One of my favourite dish that night.  An easy dish to eat and share as well.

After the big meal, some of us still had room for Desserts, so we ordered:

  • Latte & Cappucino
  • Chocolate Mousse
  • Tiramisu
  • Toblerone Cheesecake

   

The only thing disappointing that night was the desserts.  None of them made an impression and tasted quite bland.  Well, at least we tried them.

Overall, I thought this was a great restaurant in terms of its food and service.  A great place to try! 

They are open for dinner Tues – Sun (from 6pm onwards) and for lunch Fri – Sun (12-3pm).

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Rating by: N.L.  

Fratelli Restaurant
Telephone: 08 9447 0616
Address: 130 West Coast Drive, Sorrento

 

Fratelli on Urbanspoon

14
Nov
09

Catalano’s Cafe, Victoria Park

By natashalam 1 Comment
Categories: Cafe, Italian and Use your Entertainment Book!
Tags:

Entrance

Entertainment Voucher 09/10: 25% off (up to a value of $30)

Located on the ever busy Albany Highway is Catalano’s Cafe, a buzzing joint which according to the Entertainment Book has recently won STM’s Best BYO Italian Restaurant.  This cafe seems to be a crowd pleaser, always full during lunch time on the weekend.  I’d been here a couple of times before and always had a good impression of the cafe so we decided to grab a quick brunch here before heading to Swan Valley for a hen’s weekend getaway. 

Catalano’s is open 7 days for breakfast, lunch and dinner so there is never a lack of activity in this place.  It is openly spaced with tiny wooden tables and chairs haphazardly arraTable arrangements in the cafenged both inside and outside the cafe and has a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere about it.  We arrived quite early that day which made getting a table easy for us although we had to wait a bit before anyone came to seat us down.  -1 for service!  The service didn’t get any better after that.  The waitperson came to get our order after forever (ok, forever might be a slight exaggeration but when you are hungry, every second that passes counts!) and she acted as if she couldn’t be bothered with it all – she must be having a bad day! =(

For lunch that day, we had:

  • Chai Latte and Coffee
  • Catalano’s Burger ($9.50) – 100% beef pattie, Swiss cheese, egg, bacon, sliced fresh tomato, crispy lettuce, fried onion and bbq sauce
  • Alla Vodka ($19) – chicken tenders sauteed with baby spinach in a vodka, tomato and cream sauce garnished with pine nut
  • Chicken Mango Salad ($22) – gourmet lettuce, cucumber, capsicum, cherry tomatoes and pine nuts in a mango yoghurt dressing

Chai Latte & Latte Catalano Burger Alla Vodka Chicken Mango Salad

The drinks arrived and came the second complaint from my friend – they had actually left the tea bags in her Chai Latte and sprinkled chocolate all over it – it was a gooey mess by the time she took the bags out.  Not very impressive indeed.  =(

The food came and made up for some of the dissatisfaction.  I had the Alla Vodka, a spaghetti dish which tasted quite good with the big chunky chicken pieces although it was a tad dry.  The Chicken Mango Salad was massive and looked attractive – they were very generous with the chicken pieces and veggies.  The best dish was I thought the Catalano’s Burger which came with chips and a side of salad for only $9.50!  What a bargain!  The burger was substantial too and had fried egg in it which is quite rare in a burger.  Yum! A must try!

Overall, we were quite satisfied with the food but the service was not too great which I hope is only a once off!  I would like to go back there again in the future…

Note:  rating will be on the lower side due to the poor service.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Rating by: N.L.  

Catalano’s Cafe
Telephone: 08 9362 1121
Address: 266 Albany Highway, Victoria Park

Catalano's Cafe on Urbanspoon

« Previous Entries

Join! Like! Tweet!

Engineering Review in Food Perth restaurants

Engineering Review in Food Perth restaurants

Perth Food Engineers

Promote your Page too

Follow PFEngineers on Twitter

The Tweets!

Eaten & Digested

February 2012
M T W T F S S
« Jan    
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
272829  

Who's Watchin'?

  • 263,656 hits

Around the World

Locations of visitors to this page

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 28 other followers

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 28 other followers