My hard-working hubby has been extremely busy at work lately had not been let off work early for days and days and days now. So hard-working, in fact, that even on my birthday he didn't get home until well after the official work hours (you know - the 'nine to five' that no corporate firm seems to abide by?). Unwilling to be marred by the late hours, we happily trekked up to The Spit to have dinner at Ormeggio. We managed to catch the last rays of the sun and were stunned by a beautiful sunset at our table. The yatchs lazing around added to the calm and serene ambiance.
We decided to order their 6 course degustation (the 'menu creativo'). My hubby got the matching wines with it. We started with the complimentary appetiser - a deep fried squid ink ravioli with cured bonito and some other elements to it (of which I've unfortunately forgotton). It was interesting. The ravioli was really crunchy and though it looked light and crisp, was actually relatively more thick. As the ravioli did not have a lot of flavours in it, all was reliant on the cured bonito and the other stuff on top to impress the palate. And it did. It added just enough flavour to make it tasty yet delicate. So the dish scored high on its presentation, its taste and its texture :)
The bread served at Ormeggio is made and baked fresh on premise. How did we know this? Our waitress asked us if we wanted more bread half way through the dinner and when we said 'yes', she sheepishly just came out with one roll - explaining that the restaurant doesn't expect all diners to have extra bread and as it was late in the evening (which it was), this was the sole remaining bread. Can't hold it against them as the bread was sooooo good. Crunchy and warm yet soft and fluffy. YUM.
The first dish of the degustation was the organic grass fed wagyu beef buttuta served with burnt enoki mushrooms and an oyster mayo. The beef was raw but was so tender and smooth and flavoursome! The mayo was a delicious complement to the small beef slivers. The burnt enoki was a bit like crispified noodles. It didn't add much value to the dish but I guess it looked good.
Next up was an interesting white warm glop which smelled absolutely fanatistic! The white glop was a tiramisu of ling fish baccala with dutch cream potato spuma and crispy polenta. Oh the flavours were awesome! The fish was aparently cured in salt for 2 days then cooked in another method for another 2 days before it was prepared in some way to end up on this amazingly delectable dish being so wonderfully soft and creamy and tasty and what not. The cubes of crispy potenta were there to just be different to the smooth rich dallop, but I would have been happy with a creamy concoction :)
The ravioli dish which followed the creamy ling fish looked simple enough, and yet - just like it's predecessor, whetted our appetites with fantastic aromas. The ravioli was filled with romanesco broccoli, and there were bits of anchovies and capers scattered for added flavour. I never knew you could fill ravioli with broccoli but oh my - it was wonderful! The buttery sauce was spot on - not too greasy and yet, just enough to douse the pasta with that wonderful melt-in-your mouth feeling. Soooo good!
Our last dish before dessert was the veal. This was no ordinary veal. It was smoked biodynamic veal rump (cooked at 68 degrees for three days or something) served with vegetable ash (veges that have seeminlyl been burnt or dehydrated or just crumbed in some way), a toasted hazelnut puree, spring onion, radish and a bone mrrow sauce. It was really really tasty, really really tender (cooked medium) and really really un-veal like (in the sense that a lot of veal I've had previously had been relatively more dry, more tough and more chewy). I would like all my veal to taste like this in the future :)
Our pre-dessert was a wonderful strawberry granita with foam and lime. What kind of foam? Couldn't tell you. But the granita was thoroughly endoused by strawberry flavour. Cold and icey and yummy.
The usual dessert which followed this degustation was some mixed berry thing. As mixed berries is something I do not fancy, we managed to change the dessert to the 'barbajada solida'. This was an armedei chocolate and coffee barbajada. The traditional barbajada is an Italian drink, but on our plate, it was like a really really dense, really really chocolatey, really really strong coffee flavoured mousse thing. It was a touch on the grainy side (which I'm not sure if it's intentional) but it would have been better if it was completely completely smooth. it came with a caramel gelato which was sitting on an almond and mint crumble.
All up - food here is pretty damn good. The views and the atmosphere is spot on and we couldn't really complain about the service either. Definately a good choice from my dear hubby :)
sunset
We decided to order their 6 course degustation (the 'menu creativo'). My hubby got the matching wines with it. We started with the complimentary appetiser - a deep fried squid ink ravioli with cured bonito and some other elements to it (of which I've unfortunately forgotton). It was interesting. The ravioli was really crunchy and though it looked light and crisp, was actually relatively more thick. As the ravioli did not have a lot of flavours in it, all was reliant on the cured bonito and the other stuff on top to impress the palate. And it did. It added just enough flavour to make it tasty yet delicate. So the dish scored high on its presentation, its taste and its texture :)
deep fried squid ink ravioli with cured bonito fish
The bread served at Ormeggio is made and baked fresh on premise. How did we know this? Our waitress asked us if we wanted more bread half way through the dinner and when we said 'yes', she sheepishly just came out with one roll - explaining that the restaurant doesn't expect all diners to have extra bread and as it was late in the evening (which it was), this was the sole remaining bread. Can't hold it against them as the bread was sooooo good. Crunchy and warm yet soft and fluffy. YUM.
bread
The first dish of the degustation was the organic grass fed wagyu beef buttuta served with burnt enoki mushrooms and an oyster mayo. The beef was raw but was so tender and smooth and flavoursome! The mayo was a delicious complement to the small beef slivers. The burnt enoki was a bit like crispified noodles. It didn't add much value to the dish but I guess it looked good.
organic grass fed wagyu beef buttuta, oyster mayonnaise, burnt enoki
Next up was an interesting white warm glop which smelled absolutely fanatistic! The white glop was a tiramisu of ling fish baccala with dutch cream potato spuma and crispy polenta. Oh the flavours were awesome! The fish was aparently cured in salt for 2 days then cooked in another method for another 2 days before it was prepared in some way to end up on this amazingly delectable dish being so wonderfully soft and creamy and tasty and what not. The cubes of crispy potenta were there to just be different to the smooth rich dallop, but I would have been happy with a creamy concoction :)
Tiramisu of ling fish baccala, dutch cream potato spuma, crispy polenta
The ravioli dish which followed the creamy ling fish looked simple enough, and yet - just like it's predecessor, whetted our appetites with fantastic aromas. The ravioli was filled with romanesco broccoli, and there were bits of anchovies and capers scattered for added flavour. I never knew you could fill ravioli with broccoli but oh my - it was wonderful! The buttery sauce was spot on - not too greasy and yet, just enough to douse the pasta with that wonderful melt-in-your mouth feeling. Soooo good!
Ravioli filled with romanesco broccoli, anchovies, capers
Onto the mains - the fish dish looked like a painting. There was the pan-fried flounder encrusted in almond in the midst of the garden of asparagus, herbs, smoked tuna bits and the artistic squid ink sauce. The encrusted skin of the flounder was crisp, yet the fish was cooked wonderfully. Not a bad dish.
pan fried flounder fillets, asparagus, smoked tuna and squid ink sauce
Our last dish before dessert was the veal. This was no ordinary veal. It was smoked biodynamic veal rump (cooked at 68 degrees for three days or something) served with vegetable ash (veges that have seeminlyl been burnt or dehydrated or just crumbed in some way), a toasted hazelnut puree, spring onion, radish and a bone mrrow sauce. It was really really tasty, really really tender (cooked medium) and really really un-veal like (in the sense that a lot of veal I've had previously had been relatively more dry, more tough and more chewy). I would like all my veal to taste like this in the future :)
smoked biodynamic veal rump
Our pre-dessert was a wonderful strawberry granita with foam and lime. What kind of foam? Couldn't tell you. But the granita was thoroughly endoused by strawberry flavour. Cold and icey and yummy.
strawberry granita with foam and lime
The usual dessert which followed this degustation was some mixed berry thing. As mixed berries is something I do not fancy, we managed to change the dessert to the 'barbajada solida'. This was an armedei chocolate and coffee barbajada. The traditional barbajada is an Italian drink, but on our plate, it was like a really really dense, really really chocolatey, really really strong coffee flavoured mousse thing. It was a touch on the grainy side (which I'm not sure if it's intentional) but it would have been better if it was completely completely smooth. it came with a caramel gelato which was sitting on an almond and mint crumble.
barbajada solida
All up - food here is pretty damn good. The views and the atmosphere is spot on and we couldn't really complain about the service either. Definately a good choice from my dear hubby :)
Ratings:
Food - 9/10
Service - 7.5/10
Ambiance - 8.5/10
Value for money - 7.5/10
Overall - 32.5/40
Ormeggio
d'Albora Marina
The Spit , Mosman
NSW 2088
Tel: (02) 9969 4088
Food - 9/10
Service - 7.5/10
Ambiance - 8.5/10
Value for money - 7.5/10
Overall - 32.5/40
Ormeggio
d'Albora Marina
The Spit , Mosman
NSW 2088
Tel: (02) 9969 4088
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