Righetto Osteria Romana, Haberfield

January 3, 2015 by Hayley Leave a Comment

A Haberfield Italian Experience

There was quite mixed opinions about this restaurant after my family and I dined here for my brother’s birthday. There was some fun, some rudeness but ultimately decent food.

The Meal
Having ordered two platters of Buffalo Mozzarella and Prosciutto we were disappointed to hear they were out of prosciutto and were consoled with platters of Caprese alongside our Suppli. Caprese salad is both mine and Darryn’s favourite salad so it was not hard to impress us. The tomatoes were seasonally ripe and refreshing and the mozzarella soft and milky. What more could you want?

Caprese Salad

Being Italian cuisine, and with guests, we opted to ordering our own dishes (not something my family usually does, especially when dining out). I ordered a special, the Lamb Cutlets, which was a good size but really not much more than a plate of lamb. It is obvious they have a good meat supplier but being a little undercooked for my liking the quality was a little lost me. As a side I ordered the salad, which, along with Darryn’s main, took close to an hour to bring out. As it became obvious that our dishes had been forgotten Darryn got the attention of the wait staff to inform them. I wouldn’t say they were “rude”, a fact I am sure Darryn disagrees with, but they were definitely dismissive and unapologetic. Making excuses as opposed to immediately rectifying. When my salad did eventuate it was basic but fresh.

Lamb Cutlets

My advice would be to stick to complex and traditional Italian dishes, full of tomatoes and basil as this seems to be their strong suit. Pinching a small amount of Darryn’s dish, Polpette, soon escalated as I began moving much of the herby, tasty plate of three large pork and beef meatballs onto my plate and mopping up the rich tomato sauce with my remaining bread. I would argue that this meal redeemed any frustration from the service. This was forgiveness was only reinforced by the next course.

Polpette

Dessert was perfect. Taking advantage of the abundance of berries this season the dessert special was a berrylicious version of the traditional Tiramisu. Layered with Savoiardi biscuits, raspberries (similar to the Summer Berry Tiramisu) and a marscopne cream. The raspberries we summery, sweet but hung onto a delightful tang and served as a “sour” relief from the sweet cream, a relief from the sweet.

Berry Tiramisu

The Atmosphere
We came to Righetto for my brother’s 17th birthday and for this celebratory purpose it was very fun. Staff members would come out of the kitchen throughout the evening singing, dancing and smashing pots and pans together to Italian tunes. This, in addition to the special treatment my brother received as the birthday boy made the night very memorable. It did however make conversation borderline impossible. I have, what Darryn describes as “dog hearing” and was seated in the middle of the table perhaps assisting my positive outlook of the evening. Darryn was very frustrated. He was essentially excluded from any table conversation for the evening.

Restaurant decor

More fun restaurant decor

Dancing and singing

Masked musician

This restaurant was quite a battle to consider. Really great aspects seemed to be closely followed by disappointing negatives.

Overall
Rating: 6 out of 10

Pros:
Made the birthday boy feel very special
Gave us a couple of rounds of free limoncello shots
Dessert!

Cons:
Music was too loud (especially for Darryn)
They forgot a couple of dishes and were not apologetic

Details
Address: 103 Ramsay Street, HABERFIELD NSW 2045
Phone: (02) 9799 5500
Website: http://www.righetto.com.au/
Booking: bookings@righetto.com.au or dimmi

Il Goloso, Haberfield

December 20, 2014 by Hayley 1 Comment

Arguably the best pizza sauce in Sydney

Everyone knows when people help you move house you must repay them with pizza and, if age-appropriate, a case of beer. Well, when my family helped Darryn and I move into our current apartment in Ashfield, we were required to fulfil our pizza and beer promise. This is when we first called Il Goloso in Haberfield. Since then we have rarely strayed and, when we have, it was to our disappointment.

The Meal
It is only recently that we have started ordering the Insalata Caprese. It is Darryn’s and my favourite salad and what is not to like, it is one third buffalo mozzarella! The Caprese from Il Goloso is not the best we have had, for a couple of reasons. The first being that there is never EVER enough basil. We are lucky if there is three leaves in a serving. The tomatoes are generally not fully ripe. This last time we ordered we were sure they would be red and juicy, as this season has been a good one for tomatoes, alas they were not. However, credit must be given to the mild and soft buffalo mozzarella and the fruity olive oil used, which is delicate and not too sharp for the mozzarella. The bed of rocket is a nice touch too.

Insalata Caprese

The Bruschetta Pizza is a recent addition to our regular order. While it can be quite salty and oily, the toppings of fresh tomato and basil cuts right through this. The base in this pizza is exquisite! A wood fire, crispy and bubbly base with small patches of burnt bits and a crunchy crust.

Bruschetta Pizza

The Gustosa pizza is a new one for us this time around. Each time we try to order something new. Similarly to the Bruschetta Pizza the base of the Gustosa is bubbly with the burnt tips, however not as crispy. The tomato sauce on Il Goloso rosse pizzas is divine. You can taste the ingredients; garlic, tomatoes, herbs. It is not a sauce of acidic tomato paste masked with a bit of sweetness. The toppings on the Gustosa, mushrooms, salami, bocconcini, basil and the topping that made it; onion! Lots and lots of soft caramelised onion.

Gustosa

Diavola; this one is old faithful and my favourite on the Il Goloso menu. To be honest it is a glorified pepperoni pizza. Topped with bocconcini, salami and chilli oil this is the only remotely spicy dish on the menu, but my gosh is it good. The salami when hit by the heat of the wood fire start to crisp on top of the pizza and release their own oils to combine with the chilli oil. I find that this one above all others lets you really enjoy the pleasure that is Goloso’s sauce. Perhaps with limited toppings (in terms of variety not serving size) the tomato sauce is encouraged and not overwhelmed.

Diavola

Overall
Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Pros:
Best pizza sauce
Really quick delivery
Generous with servings and toppings (especially the buffalo mozzarella)

Cons:
Too close and easy for health reason
Not enough basil in the caprese

Details
Address: 60 Dalhousie Street, HABERFIELD, NSW 2045
Phone: (02) 9716 4344
Website: http://www.goloso.com.au/
Booking: info@goloso.com.au or dimmi

Recipe: Summer Berry Tiramisu

December 17, 2014 by Hayley 5 Comments

Ricotta meets raspberries

This is a real crowd favourite! Not only does it look great, by virtue of being full of berries, it is also child friendly and fun to make. I recommend this as a perfect Summer dessert.

This recipe is derived from a range of Tiramisu recipes I have made in the past, both berry and coffee-based. The quantities given below are very rough, as I tend to do everything to taste or depending on my mood.

A photo of a Christmas Summer Berry and Ricotta Tiramisu

Summer Berry Tiramisu

Ingredients

Ricotta cheese – 750g
Thickened cream – 300mL
Caster sugar – 150g
Savoiardi biscuits – 1 packet
Fresh berries of your choice (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and cherries) – a punnet of each
Frozen raspberries – 500g
Vanilla bean extract
Lambrusco or another sweet red wine – half a bottle
70% cocoa chocolate – 50g
Cups or serving dish – Serves 6

A photo of Savoiardi biscuits, Vanilla bean extract and Christmas lollies

Savoiardi, vanilla bean extract and Christmas lollies to top

Basic Method
Start by stirring the frozen raspberries in the Lambrusco and some caster sugar on the stove, quantities can be determined based on personal taste. I like to be able to still taste the tartness of the raspberries and the wine. Simmer until the raspberries roughly disintegrate into a syrupy texture. There needs to be enough liquid to soften the Savoiardi biscuits.

Lambrusco

While the syrup heats up, spread out a layer of biscuits in a flat shallow pan. While the syrup is still hot evenly pour all of the mixture over the biscuits. Then cover and refrigerate whilst you prepare the berries and start on the ricotta cream.

A photo of washed and prepared fresh cherries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and Lindt 70 percent cocoa

Fresh berries: strawberries, cherries, raspberries, blueberries and chocolate to top

Wash and slice the strawberries and coat them in a sprinkling of caster sugar then put them aside to allow the sugar to draw out the natural juices. Wash, halve and de-pit the cherries. Wash the remaining berries.

Into a mixing bowl pour the ricotta, cream, a couple of spoons of caster sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla, again to taste. Beat on low until well combined and slightly firmed. Refrigerate the ricotta mixture until the Savoiardi biscuits have cooled.

Once cooled you are ready to assemble into transparent cups or glass dish. Start with a layer of the syrup soaked biscuits, then place a layer of fresh berries. The carefully spoon over a layer of ricotta cream, try not to let the cream dirty the sides of the cups, this isn’t overly important but it kind of ruins the presentation. Repeat this order again; biscuits, berries and cream. Layer as many times as you need, I only needed to repeat once for single serve cups.

Top with shaved chocolate, some extra berries and I added a christmas lolly, for festive reasons.

Summer Berry Tiramisu

Overall

Pros:
Berries make the dish look really pretty and tend to impress
Once made they can be served up with no effort
Child safe and an adult favourite

Cons:
Takes at least an hour to prepare and another hour to set
Depending on the cost of fresh berries it can be pricey (feel free to stick to frozen berries)
Need to be refrigerated right up until serving (making them not ideal for picnics)

The Colonial, Darlinghurst – British Indian Cuisine

December 17, 2014 by Hayley Leave a Comment

A great Indian dining experience

It was a surprise to see the restaurant was quite empty, especially for 8pm on a Saturday night. We had made a reservation as we were celebrating our 3 month anniversary and didn’t want to miss out, this was not at all necessary.

As we tend to do, Darryn and I significantly over-ordered. We always forget the rather large size of Indian servings, however this meant that we had more dishes to taste. It also meant we had leftovers to take away, a fact that greatly excited hungry Darryn the next morning.

A photo of the Drink menu of The Colonial British Indian Cuisine in Darlinghurst

Darlinghurst British Indian Cuisine

Cocktails
These were quite a disappointment, I will give props for the effort gone into designing cocktails that were interesting and with an Indian flavour, but it just didn’t work.

I have been to The Colonial before, for my hens party (if you must ask), and was completely delighted by the Tamarind Martini. It was dry, tangy and the woman serving me was so proud of her addition of Blue Curacao to the bottom of that cocktail that it was very difficult not to enjoy the whole experience.

A photo of two indian style cocktails from The Colonial British Indian Cuisine in Darlinghurst

Corrito and Vodka Shikanjvi

After attempting to order the Tamarind Martini again, only to hear that they were out of tamarind (at an INDIAN RESTAURANT!) Darryn and I ordered the Corrito and Vodka Shikanjvi. Both sounded promising, the Corrito boasting Bacardi Rum, muddled lime, coriander leaves, Indian spices and Tobasco with ice and Coke. This was the barely drinkable of the two. Those who know Darryn and myself know that we can handle our chilli, a fact we will address a little later, however this drink had the burn of drinking a six-pack of Matso’s Chilli Beer to yourself. I said to Darryn at the time that it was “like drinking a winter cold”. The one redeeming feature was the limey mojitoeque taste that followed.

The Vodka Shikanjvi, with Absolut Vodka, lime, mint, and Indian spices, was something we were not willing to drink any more than a couple of sips of and this was only to try and identify why it tasted so familiar. This drink was sweet and salty, really salty. Darryn likened it to Indian chips in a drink, a taste that he dislikes. I, on the other hand, found it reminiscent of Ayran, a salted yoghurt drink from Turkey, or a very salty salted lassi. Unable to finish the staff were kind enough to remove the cost of this cocktail from our bill.

Giving up on cocktails, we were relieved when our Kingfishers arrived; from here it was all positive.

A photo of two bottles of Kingfisher beer from The Colonial British Indian cuisine in Darlinghurst

Kingfisher – Indian Beer

The Meal
The food was amazing, each dish had its own flavour, there were levels to each of them and they tasted like the fresh herbs and spices used to make them. A real delight in Indian cuisine.

We will start with Garlic Naan and Pulao Rice, get these out of the way and onto the really tasty stuff. The naan was a little disappointing, given last time it was so hot and fresh, it seemed pretty cold and not as toasty. That being said, it worked to our favour as it meant we could leave room for our mains. The rice was a great base to the strong flavours that we drenched it with; a great long grain and nicely separated. Next time we will have to try the Pea Pulao, an alternative rice base, chock full of green peas. But enough about these…

A photo of garlic naan at The Colonial British Indian Cuisine in Darlinghurst restaurant

Garlic Naan ($3.50)

As we ordered, the waitress asked if we wanted our dishes mild, medium, or hot and (as we always do) we asked for hot. There was a small gasp and eye-widening from our waitress as she double checked our request, before suggesting we order some raita for the side. This led us to believe that perhaps ordering hot was a mistake, but we stuck with it as often people underestimate our “chilli bone” as Darryn calls it. As we ate our meals, not bothered by chilli, we pondered whether our request for hot had been ignored, for our own good, or whether we are just powerful and were underestimated.

A photo of Goan Fish Curry from The Colonial British Indian Cuisine in Darlinghurst

Goan Fish Curry ($19.90)

Goan Fish Curry is a dish that Darryn cooks at home, and while this was not as good as hubby’s, it was quite wonderful. The fish did not have a very fishy taste and separated nicely to be coated in the marvellous gravy. Not as coconutty as I have had elsewhere but the subtlety of the fish lent itself to a less intense gravy.

A photo of Kandhari Gobi, a cauliflower curry from The Colonial Bristish Indian Cuisine in Darlinghurst

Kandhari Gobi ($12.90)

Kandhari Gobi was our attempt to steer away from Aloo Gobi (one of my faves) and try something at least a little different. It turned out to be quite close in taste to Aloo Gobi just without potato. Perhaps cauliflower serves as some great equaliser in Indian cuisine. Regardless, this was a great dish. Not very much gravy in this one, enough to coat the cauliflower and pick up a little rice.

A photo of Pumpkin Masala from The Colonial, a British Indian Restaurant in Darlinghurst

Pumpkin Masala ($14.90)

Pumpkin Masala was spectacular. The pumpkin was caramelised on the outside giving the dish a delightful sweetness. This dish turned out to be the hottest of the four, not by any means overwhelming, still allowing the pumpkin flavour to command each mouthful. Darryn thought this was the best dish cold the next morning.

A photo of Kochi Prawn indian dish from The Colonial in Darlinghurst

Kochi Prawn ($19.90)

Kochi Prawn was my absolute favourite and that is saying a lot given how much I enjoyed the other mains. The prawns were huge and tasty, really tasty! The gravy was coconutty and sprinkled with curry leaf and mustard seed tarka that not only lingered in our mouth but got stuck in our teeth, which turned out to be quite enjoyable.

A photo of the restaurant interior and bar at The Colonial British Indian Cuisine in Darlinghurst

Darlinghurst Restaurant

Overall
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Pros:
The quality and freshness of the food
Meals and drinks were served quickly but not in a pushy manner
Clean and comfortable atmosphere with lovely wait staff

Cons:
Music was a little too loud (it was turned down later in the evening)
The garlic naan was a little cold
Cocktails not up our alley

Details
Address: 118 Crown Street DARLINGHURST NSW 2010
Phone: (02) 8084 6700
Website: http://www.thecolonialrestaurant.com.au/
Booking: bookings@thecolonialrestaurant.com.au

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