{"id":18519,"date":"2013-01-31T07:18:33","date_gmt":"2013-01-30T21:18:33","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/?p=18519"},"modified":"2018-05-15T03:58:58","modified_gmt":"2018-05-14T17:58:58","slug":"a-little-taste-of-sicily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/a-little-taste-of-sicily\/","title":{"rendered":"A little taste of Sicily"},"content":{"rendered":"
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lastminute lovely Nicole samples a Michelin Star menu without even needing her passport.<\/p>\n

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Update: We\u2019re sad to report that Caffe Sicilia closed its doors in June.<\/strong> <\/em>
\nEating up a storm at a Michelin Star restaurant is pretty high on my travel happiness radar. But with no immediate plans to indulge such fantasies overseas, what\u2019s a girl to do but find the next best thing in her own home town. Thankfully, Sydney\u2019s own Surry Hills is currently offering an appealing alternative.
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German-born Heinz Beck is one of the world\u2019s top chefs. Most renowned for his Three Michelin Star restaurant \u2018La Pergola\u2019 in Rome, he has also written eight books, has various other top restaurants across Europe and has even cooked for Beyonce and Michelle Obama (not a bad CV!).<\/p>\n

Sydney\u2019s Caffe Sicilia<\/a> scored quite the coup, hosting the renowned chef for a series of events late last year but for those of us not lucky enough to sample dishes from the man himself, he worked with the Caffe Sicilia team to create a \u2018Legacy dish degustation\u2019 that the rest of us can now enjoy.
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Heading down Crown Street in Surry Hills you can\u2019t deny this is one of the hottest restaurant strips in the city: Toko<\/a>, Red Lantern, Marquee and Billy Kwong just to name a few, call this stretch home. I\u2019m crossing fingers Caffe Sicilia is as good as its neighbours.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

The first thing we notice about Caffe Sicilia is that it feels like an old school Italian restaurant that\u2019s been part of the neighbourhood for decades. Turns out it\u2019s only been there since early 2011. The art deco vibe, black and white check marbles floors, gold features, crisp white tablecloths and smartly dressed wait staff (who are super friendly and knowledgeable) set the scene for a classy yet laidback meal.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

The Legacy dish degustation is great value at $65 for four courses or $85 with matching wines. And with Beck\u2019s focus on healthy and fresh Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, it\u2019s not a degustation that will have you feeling like you need to roll home afterwards (been there, done that many<\/em> times).<\/p>\n\"<\/a>\n

First course is a \u2018Crispy bread cannolo with sea bass and a brunoise of melon and celery\u2019. I\u2019ve never tasted anything quite like it. The delicate melon and celery combo is a light and fresh start on the warm summer\u2019s day and perfectly complements the crunch of light crispy bread cannolo, as does the flute of 10 Ca Dei Frati \u2018I Frati\u2019 Lugana D.O.C Lomardy.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Course number two is \u2018Sedanini pasta with red shrimps, smoked aubergine coulis and anchovies croutons\u2019. The pasta is cooked to al dente perfection and the smokiness of the aubergine puree, saltiness of the croutons and juiciness of the shrimps create a taste sensation. It\u2019s certainly not your average pasta dish. It\u2019s matched with a NV Berlucchi \u2018Cuvee Storica61 Rose\u2019 Franciacorta Lombardy that is a little on the sweet side for my taste on its own but a very fitting partner to the pasta.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

At this stage, Mr LML likens the food style to a recent meal at Ormeggio at the Spit<\/a> in Mosman. We\u2019re lucky enough to chat with Head Chef Paolo Tisi who reveals that he and Ormeggio\u2019s Executive Chef Alessandro Pavoni in fact know each other well. Small world. (If you like the food at Ormeggio, I\u2019d recommend you cross the Bridge for a meal at Caffe Sicilia too).<\/p>\n

Onto the third course and we\u2019re presented with \u2018Veal in pistachio crust with mortadella and Jerusalem artichoke puree\u2019. According to Mr LML, it\u2019s hard to go wrong with a well-cooked piece of meat and he\u2019s right. Not as unique perhaps as the previous courses but one of my favourites of the day. The \u201910 Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo Piedmont, a black-skinned red wine grape variety, is the perfect accompaniment. An ageless, classic combination of flavours.
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And finally, dessert of \u2018Orange jelly with bergamot ice cream and edible flowers\u2019. Jelly doesn\u2019t really rock my dessert world but this is certainly in keeping with the light and fresh theme of the four-course feast. The dessert wine, a NV Rallo \u2018Normanno\u2019 Zibbibo Sicily is definitely to my liking though with the apricot flavours complimenting the citrus of the jelly.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

My sweet tooth not quite satisfied, we venture inside to inspect the dessert display and we aren\u2019t disappointed.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

We\u2019re offered a sample plate and it\u2019s the cannoli that wins our hearts. Filled to order to ensure freshness, the crunchy and smooth combination of the pastry with the ricotta, cream and chocolate fillings hits the spot.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

So next time the travel bug bites but you\u2019re not quite in the market to book flights, book a table at Caffe Sicilia instead and satisfy your tastebuds with a little taste of Sicily.<\/p>\n

To book your own meal at Caffe Sicilia, click here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Have you dined in a Michelin Star restaurant? Is it on your travel to do list? <\/em><\/h2>\n
Nicole and Mr LML dined as guests of Caffe Sicilia and Wasamadia.<\/em><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\"Caffe<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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