Jason King
AmyHuangLa Locanda
December 8th 2006 08:16
65B Macpherson Street, Bronte, NSW 2024
PH 9389 3666
When you walk into La Locanda, you instantly feel like you are in a far away place. Maybe not Italy, but somewhere close. You are brought back to reality by the bustling street, Portuguese music, and young toddlers trying to pronounce "ragu".
Don't get me wrong, La Locanda is not a try-hard Italian joint. In fact, it is so good that it looks out of place in the beach-side, urban surroundings.
When you sit down, you are not offered a menu, as there is none. It is written up on a blackboard in the front of the restaurant, probably as it is always changing, so a position where you can read it is ideal. The menu itself is written in a hybrid of English and Italian, but mostly Italian. Surprisingly, the waiter came around to each and every table and explained the entire menu whether you were considering a dish or not.
As he was reading through the menu (I noted no female staff), I realized that the menu focused slightly on seafood. I also realized that the Pasta dishes (or Primi) looked all interesting, while the meat (Secondi) seemed to fall somewhat short.
What is poetically called "strudel di verdura" is actually damn good. It contains painstakingly thin slices of vegetable, between layers of puff pastry, with something that makes it taste like a gratin, maybe some bechamel. The vegetables were zucchini, carrot and leek. Although the waiter assures us it changes daily. Pretty close to perfection
The papardelle with duck ragu is very well done, with simple flavors. Somewhat unexciting yet a solid dish, if maybe a little to many peas. Definitely put cheese on this dish, as it helps dry up the liquid from the peas.
Ravioli di mare for a simple dish that really combines many cultures. The local Italian fishing village with very fresh seafood. The Traditional Italian staple of pasta, and the interesting French influence of the vermouth, fish stock and cream sauce. The ravioli themselves are made from crab meat and prawns, all minced very fine, wrapped in obviously handmade pasta, that was cooked a little too al-dente for my taste. All in all a very interesting and tasty dish.
The Maiale spezziato with braised cabbage and a prune sauce, is spicy marinated pork. The pork has a deliciously crispy char-grilled outside, and is impeccably tender on the inside. The cabbage, is well, cabbage, there is nothing special there. Cherry tomatoes dot the plate and add some acidity to cut the sweetness of the prune sauce. As the people from Iron Chef would say "This definitely brings out the natural flavor and quality of the pork". A very well rounded dish.
After all these dishes, we were all full, and desert passed us by. I glanced at the menu, Chocolate torte, pannacotta, semifreddo, gelati. Nothing really special there.
La Locanda is the authentic flavors of Italy, with the price tag of suburban Sydney, with its green decor, and funky Italian wallpaper, you will feel like you are in Italy. I would go back very soon.
Hope to see you there
Eric
PH 9389 3666
When you walk into La Locanda, you instantly feel like you are in a far away place. Maybe not Italy, but somewhere close. You are brought back to reality by the bustling street, Portuguese music, and young toddlers trying to pronounce "ragu".
Don't get me wrong, La Locanda is not a try-hard Italian joint. In fact, it is so good that it looks out of place in the beach-side, urban surroundings.
When you sit down, you are not offered a menu, as there is none. It is written up on a blackboard in the front of the restaurant, probably as it is always changing, so a position where you can read it is ideal. The menu itself is written in a hybrid of English and Italian, but mostly Italian. Surprisingly, the waiter came around to each and every table and explained the entire menu whether you were considering a dish or not.
As he was reading through the menu (I noted no female staff), I realized that the menu focused slightly on seafood. I also realized that the Pasta dishes (or Primi) looked all interesting, while the meat (Secondi) seemed to fall somewhat short.
What is poetically called "strudel di verdura" is actually damn good. It contains painstakingly thin slices of vegetable, between layers of puff pastry, with something that makes it taste like a gratin, maybe some bechamel. The vegetables were zucchini, carrot and leek. Although the waiter assures us it changes daily. Pretty close to perfection
The papardelle with duck ragu is very well done, with simple flavors. Somewhat unexciting yet a solid dish, if maybe a little to many peas. Definitely put cheese on this dish, as it helps dry up the liquid from the peas.
Ravioli di mare for a simple dish that really combines many cultures. The local Italian fishing village with very fresh seafood. The Traditional Italian staple of pasta, and the interesting French influence of the vermouth, fish stock and cream sauce. The ravioli themselves are made from crab meat and prawns, all minced very fine, wrapped in obviously handmade pasta, that was cooked a little too al-dente for my taste. All in all a very interesting and tasty dish.
The Maiale spezziato with braised cabbage and a prune sauce, is spicy marinated pork. The pork has a deliciously crispy char-grilled outside, and is impeccably tender on the inside. The cabbage, is well, cabbage, there is nothing special there. Cherry tomatoes dot the plate and add some acidity to cut the sweetness of the prune sauce. As the people from Iron Chef would say "This definitely brings out the natural flavor and quality of the pork". A very well rounded dish.
After all these dishes, we were all full, and desert passed us by. I glanced at the menu, Chocolate torte, pannacotta, semifreddo, gelati. Nothing really special there.
La Locanda is the authentic flavors of Italy, with the price tag of suburban Sydney, with its green decor, and funky Italian wallpaper, you will feel like you are in Italy. I would go back very soon.
Hope to see you there
Eric
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Comment by Anonymous
And you dont have to tell ne twice about the cheese, pasta with cream always needs cheese
Keep up the good work.
P.S. Thailand is great, but food wise hard to natch sydney infact. The cheap places on the street with awesome flavours are lacking in the quality of the ingredients, (which for less than $1 you dont mind at all), which is fine. But then the more expensive restaurants (gosh, maybe even $6!) which can afford good ingredients, are more tuned to western tastes, as westerners are the only ones who would pay that much for a meal, so the flavours a lacking. Kind of a catch-22. Still, my ultimate favourite place ti eat is the curry vendor on the street, who has piles of different curries and stirfries and other goodies cooked ready to go; you just choose what looks good. You can have four different things with rice for just over $1. Sweeeet.
Ed
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