REVIEW: VENTUNO
Because of the lack of street parking around Walsh Bay, One Princess and I decided to park outside the Sydney Theatre (we saw The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), then look for somewhere to eat. At first we walked back toward the Rocks, passing Ottoman and the Sebel, before deciding to turn around and check out what was at the other end of the pier.
Ventuno sits almost opposite the Sydney Theatre and is unimposing from the street. An enormous machine tool sits at the front of the restaurant and occupies a good portion of the room. The decor of Ventuno really brings out the wharf/warehouse history of the location, although it did feel a little cold despite the warm colours and low lighting.
Ventuno holds itself out as specialising in enoteca (wine), pizzeria and birreria (beer). The menu definitely gives you a wide selection of each, and if I knew more about my wines, I would wax lyrical about all the European sounding names.
The prosciutto and mushroom pizza was excellent, although the prosciutto bordered on being too subtle for a pizza. Can I suggest that as well as cracked pepper, patrons be offered chilli oil with their pizzas? The pizza crust was amazingly thin and pappadum like in its crispiness (I don’t think I have tried crust as good!).
The pesto linguine with green beans and potato tastes so much better than it sounds. Unlike so many other places that serve pesto, the pesto at Ventuno was not overbearing yet was strong enough to give flavour to otherwise mundane vegetables. The “homemade” pasta was bitey and tasty, unlike the pasta most of us use at home (and which a lot of restaurants serve).
The semifreddo del Genoa (My bad memory means I am not sure about whether it was from Genoa) was wonderfully creamy and rich. It was accompanied with a prickly pear syrup (we didn’t know about this until it arrived), which absolutely made the dessert. Sweet but not too sweet with hints of passion fruit-like sourness. Perhaps one way to stop the spread of prickly pear is to eat it all! If only cane toads were so delicious!
Another thing to note about Ventuno is the excellent service for the price being charged (no main exceeded $25). They must be well rehearsed in dealing with the pre-theatre crowd, as the waitstaff appeared to handle it all with relaxed ease.
I am surprised I haven’t heard of Ventuno until now. Perhaps I live a sheltered life. Or perhaps it is a secret only shared between Walsh Bay trendoids and regular theatre-goers. In any case, Ventuno is too good a restaurant to be the reserve of a select few.
Details:
The Place: Ventuno
Where: 21 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay (Ph: 9247 4444)
Food: Italian
Tip: Indulge in good handmade pasta, share a pizza and try the semifreddo in prickly pear syrup
Butcher’s Bill: $75 for two (a starter, 2 mains, dessert and drinks)
Who should go: not just the pre-dinner crowd but also pizza and pasta lovers looking for an authentic Italian experience by the Harbour.
