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Tutto Bene

6/5/2011

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We have a great Italian restaurant, Giuseppe Arnaldo pretty close by but my colleague Tanya has been urging me to try Tutto Bene which is the same distance away but in the opposite direction.

We met up with Steve's colleagues and other halves on Friday night for drinks in Left Bank and a few (6) of us decided to go find some dinner together so I suggested Tutto Bene thinking that Italian would be good for all tastes and diets. I did think about Meat and Wine Co. but given that there was a vegetarian amongst us, thought it was probably not the most appealing!

A quick call just before 8pm to Tutto Bene secured us a table for 8:15pm. We were shown straight to our table and a drinks order taken. We all decided to plump for a main course with a view to perhaps a dessert afterwards. Red wine and white wine was ordered and arrived promptly.

Strangely enough for an Italian restaurant, there was no pizza or pasta. What they do have is a "risotteria" so risotto is the house specialty. Simon Humble is the executive chef at Tutto Bene and Antonio Carluccio himself as declared him the Risotto King of Australia!

As well as risotto there are various specials and meat and fish dishes. The braised duck risotto with porcini mushroom and sage proved to be a popular choice with 3 of us opting for it. I had had a heads up from Tanya that it was good and sure enough it was so delicious I could have eaten it twice. I usually get bored halfway through a risotto dish as it all becomes a bit samey samey but this was just divine. What would have lifted it to the sublime was if there was a grilled duck breast lightly seared so still pink in the middle lying on tip but I guess it would also have elevated the price. All duck risotto eaters were very happy.

A blue swimmer crab with tomato and chilli risotto was also ordered which I had the privilege of tasting and that was also good but sadly it arrived lukewarm. A quiet word in the waiter's ear and it was whisked away and returned piping hot. We're not sure whether it was simply nuked in the microwave or made again but either way there was a clean plate at the end of the meal so that's all that matters.

A vegetarian risotto of porcini mushrooms and truffle was also ordered and its consumer, Stacey, declared it delicious. We had one non risotto eater and she chose the fish of the day which was barramundi with some braised calamari. It looked like quite a small portion but I think it was good. No complaints anyway.

Dessert time resulted in a raspberry sorbet, two tiramisu creme brulee, a chocolate cherry thing and a cheese plate acoompanied by various dessert wines, muscat, port etc. All got eaten but my personal opinion was that main courses were better than dessert.

Having thought I could have eaten another dish of risotto, by this stage there was no way that could happen and really all that I could do was pass out! Luckily home was very close by. I really enjoyed Tutto Bene - so thank you very much for the suggestion Tanya! I promise I'll try the arancini balls next time to see if they better Giuseppe Arnaldo's!

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Number 5

5/5/2011

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Cumulus Inc.

1/5/2011

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Loved Cumulus Inc so much that I went twice in 2 weeks. I'd been before but only for coffee so when the girls decided to have a Sunday brunch I was super keen. They don't take bookings so we were prepared for a wait but surprisingly it was only ten minutes or so. The place was busy though with lots of chatter and clattering of dishes.

We ordered some freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice which was delicious and browsed through the menu. It was such a difficult choice and I was torn between the smoked salmon croque monsieur and the shakshouka which is baked eggs with roasted peppers and marinated Persian feta. I consulted with the waitress and she persuaded me that the baked eggs was the way to go so Charlotte and I had those and Emma ordered Lyonnaise sausages and homemade baked beans on sourdough toast with a poached egg. They cook their eggs at 60 degrees for 6 hours or something like that so they come out gelatinous with the perfect runny yolk.

Food did take a little while to arrive but with catching up to do it didn't feel too long. Looking at what everyone else was eating was interesting and it all looked so good even the plain fruit salad which is described in a much more appealing way on the menu as a watermelon salad with strawberry, vanilla yoghurt and mint.

Conversation stopped as our food arrived. Oh my the baked eggs are a delight and I have been craving them ever since. The pepper, tomato and Persian feta mixture was rich and sharp and tangy and salty and the eggs were rich and gooey. I'd have liked a little more toast to mop up the sauce but that's just a minor request.

Emma made noises over her sausage and beans so thumbs up there. Another round of juice and a Russian Caravan tea (love that malty tea) and there was a brilliant brunch and one I am desperate to repeat!

I tried to repeat the experience this weekend with Steve. He had heard about my baked egg experience so much but sadly his new found relationship with his iPad 2 meant we were late to leave so arrival at Cumulus meant no brunch but the start of lunch.
Undeterred we decided to have a great Saturday lunch and save the brunch experience for another time. The non breakfast menu is designed to be shared and is reminiscent of St John Bread and WIne in London. We had to wait 15 minutes for a table and service was a little slow to begin with but it got better.

We started off with a smoked corn and mussel chowder each which came in a little tumbler. There didn't seem to be very much of it for $12 but by the time I'd finished it I declared it just enough. It was deep and delicious, velvety and rich but not creamy with crunchy corn, soft mussel and a taste of the sea in the background. The cayenne pepper sprinkled on the top warmed the cockles. Perfect for a wintry day. A great start!

Next came the kitchen charcuterie selection presented on a wooden board. All of it was such good quality. There was some Wagyu bresaola with beetroot and almond, some prosciutto on par with the stuff at Giuseppe Arnaldo, pork and pistachio terrine and some Sicilian salami.

We also had some bread  -  a sourdough nutty / seedy one and a delicious brioche type with the best crust ever. Truly delicious!

Next came roast rabbit saddle, grilled leg, braised beans, leeks and tarragon and we chose a rocket, cucumber, radish, dill and salted ricotta salad as well as some baby roasts to go with the rabbit. Everything was just done so well. The rabbit was tasty and the beans and leeks a perfect combination. The sauce was perfect to dip the potatoes in. The salad was fresh and green and crunchy.

We saw others order the most amazing looking tuna tartare with crushed green pea salad. Huge chunks of pinky purpley tuna with some bright green salad. Truly beautiful! Can't wait to order it myself.

In conclusion, we like Cumulus Inc a whole lot. It gets a whole lotta love from us!

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    For those that know us, this section will probably come with no surprise! Steve and I love eating out so this is our record of our time in Australia.

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