Healthy Food: Alio: Modern Italian, 10 course degustation menu with wine, Redfern (29 Jan 2011)

5 Baptist Street, Redfern NSW 2016
Phone: (02) 8394 9368
http://www.alio.com.au

Nice food on oversized plates

A lucky friend won a competition to have 4 people dine at Alio with matching wines included if the Degustation menu ($85 or $120 with matching wines) was ordered saving $35 each. Seemed like a great opportunity to try the restaurant which other friends had previously enjoyed using a Jump On It celebrating 10 years of being in business. From the very beginning our young waiter Jeremy looked after us with his friendly and accommodating nature. The maitre d’ was quite a flamboyant and lively chap who seemed very chatty with the diners as he swanned around the restaurant. Overall we were quite impressed with the food although I thought the plating and presentation didn’t really do the dishes full justice. Over-sized and heavy looking white bistro-style plates with too much space around the dish just seemed way out of proportion. Many of the wines sampled were highly quaffable and all served in half glass portions to match the dishes. Coffees and petit fours weren’t included but I felt it would have been nicer if they were as part of a degustation.

The slightly warmed Mixed marinated organic olives were good although I’m never a fan of the tiny ones — why bother I think, too messy to pickup. You can’t go wrong with 40 month old Reggiano Parmigiano that had great flavour, more please. The Alio hand made grissini was served with focaccia bread although I thought it was questionable counting this as one of the 10 dishes when so many restaurants provide bread complimentary. The Citrus cured kingfish with radish and orange dressing seemed to have notes of horseradish in the dressing giving it a nice kick. The large heavy plate seemed inelegant for such a delicate dish and perhaps would have been better suited on a nice thinner rectangular dish. Even though the look of Panfried scallops wrapped in pancetta reminded me of oversized witchetty grubs they soon became a favourite with the lovely bagna coada dressing — I’d happily order again. Great aroma from the Potato gnocchi with garlic prawns became another favourite and the matching 2009 Juniper Crossing Tempranillo was enjoyable enough to be savored on its own but was a questionable match to the food. A decent sized and tender Roasted lamb rack had a little bit of fat to cut away and came with an interesting dragoncello salsa. Matched with a lovely 2009 The Musician Cabernet Shiraz I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Coconut and lime sorbet was apparently home made which was super smooth and delightful as a palate cleanser before dessert, although can you really count this as a dish? The Poached peach was refreshing with the champagne granita which became a table favourite. I wondered if serving in a martini glass would have looked better making it also easier to eat from than a wine glass. Matched with a Beni Di Batasiolo Moscato had the right amount of sweetness without being sickly. To finish off the night coffees were extra. Most degustations I’ve had would usually include it though. The Flat white ($3.50) was strong and a little bitter, the Espresso ($3.50) not too bitter and hit the spot, the Hot chocolate ($3.50) smooth and chocolatey as hoped and the Mocha ($3.50) smoothly rounded with a good balance of flavour.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Friendly and efficient service, Nice ambience except for music selection at the time, Some tasty dishes that excited the palate, Good quality wines available

CONS: The background music selection was quite strange, The heavy over-sized white plates weren’t particularly elegant, Bread and coffees weren’t included with the degustation

MUST TRY: Panfried scallops wrapped in pancetta, Potato gnocchi with garlic prawns and cherry tomato, 2009 Juniper Crossing Tempranillo, 2009 The Musician Cabernet Shiraz, Beni Di Batasiolo Moscato, Mocha

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