Here’s to another great evening at The Italian Supper for our second menu experience. From our previous experience, we made sure to skip lunch in preparation for this one!
As always, you walk in through an open door and are received with a glass of Prosecco and 3 welcome bites. The first toast was with burrata and anchovies, and the second with a pumpkin puree. The third was a medley of cherry tomato, mozzarella and a rich homemade pesto. Simple, but delicious, they’re the perfect indication of things to come.
The first antipasti was an Italian classic of sweet melon pearls with Parma ham, which always reminds me of summertime in southern Europe. I was especially looking forward to the second antipasti with the duet of artichokes. This is a very rare vegetable to see on a menu in Dubai, and one I would love to see more of, as it’s such a versatile ingredient and incredibly delicious when well prepared. On the left of the plate we had the traditional Roman style deep fried artichoke, and on the right was the ingredient that made my night – the blowtorched artichoke carpaccio with truffle and parmesan shavings. So simple, yet so fantastic in flavour and texture. The third antipasti was a portion of traditional Roman tripe with tomato sauce, pecorino Romano and mint, combined with borlotti beans in tomato sauce and pork rinds, which I loved. I’ve never been partial to tripe, but I certainly gave it a good sampling. Safe enough to say, I’m still not partial to tripe! T on the other hand, went in for seconds, so it really is a matter of taste, but above all… it boils down to texture.
The first primi course was the paccheri pasta carbonara with cured pork cheek and truffle which we tucked into quickly while it was still hot. It was a perfect carbonara. For those who do not eat pork, there is always another accommodating option. In this case it was served with artichoke, which was highly praised, and I got serious FOMO from having missed out on trying another dish prepared with the elusive artichoke! I was however quickly made to forget my grudge as the gorgeous lemon sorbet palate cleanser was served. The second primi was the homemade potato gnocchi with tomato sauce. I’m very particular when it comes to homemade gnocchi as I always find it too doughy. I’m the philistine who prefers the fresh gnocchi bought at the supermarket because it holds sauce so well, and that’s how I grew up with it. I’ve tried to make my own and store-bought gnocchi wins every time which is, I know, sacrilege!
The secondi course of classic Roman Saltimbocca, Parma ham wrapped veal with sage and fennel salad was a masterpiece, vividly taking me back to my time spent eating in Rome. This was a great closing to welcome in the Bronte Pistachio Tiramisupper, a fabulous dessert that ticked all the boxes on a perfect tiramisu’s checklist. The final treat was the unmissable ‘digestif’ of delicious homemade Negroni. It is by far the best one in town.
So much effort goes into these evenings to make the experience as memorable as possible for the guests, so grazie to you both!
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