Bianca: I’ve long been a fan of Alessandro Pavoni, we previously dined at Chiosco, a few short steps from Ormeggio and Vanessa and I thoroughly enjoyed one of his Sydney Seafood classes early in 2019.
We were at Ormeggio celebrating Julians birthday. And what a view!
We opted for the A La Carte menu, with a minimum of three courses on the weekend.
Julian starting with Two Appellation Sydney Rock Oysters -w/ a granny smith apple & chilli dressing $5ea.
Some people get excited about diamonds… I get excited about bread. Organic Sourdough -w/ housemade ricotta.
Course 1 – Biodynamic Veal tonnato -w/ tuna emulsion & watermelon radish $32. A simple dish in theory, succulent chilled and diced veal, accented beautifully by the radish, I surprised myself how much I enjoyed this dish.
Course 1 – Charcoal Moreton Bay Bug -w/finger lime & lemon thyme $48. Where to start, with a lick of fire accenting the intense charcoal flavour and the intense tartness of the finger lime and plump juicy morsels of the Moreton bay bug.
Course 2 – Tomato Tagliolini -w/ scarlet prawns, almond & chives $42. The kind of pasta you dream about. For me, pasta has to be INCREDIBLE for me to even bat an eyelid. Nothing can quite compare to the Nonni’s. But I tip my hat to Ormeggio and the team. Scarlet Prawns are on everyone’s radar at the moment. I was first introduced to them at Alessandro’s cooking class, which is also where my mind was blown by his ‘roasted tomato water’. Forget about boiling water, cook your pasta in the nectar of the gods tomato water and you’ll never look back!
Course 3 – Jules skipped the carby portion of the meal, opting for dessert instead. The Charcoal Wagyu -w/ watercress, pickled red cabbage, black garlic & nasturtium $49. A deceptively clever dish, the wagyu was tender and cooked to a beautiful medium-rare, the sharpness of the pickled cabbage a clever addition eaten alongside the sweet and sour black garlic.
I typically go for potatoes when it comes to the sides department but there were none on offer on the A La Carte menu. Perhaps for the best, the Roasted whole baby Cauliflower -w/ peperonata, almond & chives $14 was delicious. I wouldn’t naturally think to pair cauliflower with a capsicum & tomato-based sauce.
Course 3 – I think I lucked out with the Suckling Pig – w/ textures of daikon, fennel pollen & dill $52. A hefty price tag but once you take that first bite you’ll understand why. A textural delight, with the crispy crackling, tender pork, slithers and caramelised pieces of daikon.
And finally, Course 4 – Coconut pannacotta, pineapple granita & lemongrass gelato $22. Now this wouldn’t have been my first choice but I opted for the pasta and took a backseat and let the birthday boy choose his own dessert, my statue is forthcoming. It was creamy, light, fruity but … missing chocolate!
Loved the food, service was mostly very friendly but the waitress called me Signora AND despite the fact that I am now in fact, an old married Italian woman… I don’t need to be reminded of it when I’m paying $350 for lunch!
Bianca
