We booked for the final night of the June celebration and was told a live jazz band would be performing (the degustation has now been extended to July). This may have been the biggest mistake ever, as the music was so overpowering that me and my companion were screaming to each other to be heard.
This place emanates a high class cafe vibe rather than a fine dine establishment, but that may well be the aim - to be unpretentious.
We were promptly served our first course. From 2000 year, hand made focaccia and grissini with 36 month old Reggiano Parmesan and warm marinated olives. The focaccia was wonderfully soft with a crunchy crust and beautifully complimented with warm olives. I have only recently become an olive fans, and the olives did not disappoint.
Next came a dish from 2001 year - Stracciatella - Roman chicken broth with cheese ravioli. The issue with this was that there wasn't enough!! i love broth that is quite gingery as it delivers a punch when it slides down the throat and delivers a delightful warming sensation. However not everyone will appreciate the taste. The cheese in the ravioli were rich and creamy.
I have never tried air dried beef so this was something new to me. 2002 year's Bresaola - air dried beef fillet with truffled baby green peaches and parmesan. I quite liked the thinly sliced raw beef as it was chewy but the rawness does not disgust. Something like a beef proscuitto. For those who would not appreciate raw beef, you can request this course to be substituted with bruschetta.
2004 year dished up Char grilled eggplant baked with buffalo mozzarella and dressed with 25 year old balsamic vinegar. I am not a vinegar expert but the 25 balsamic vinegar was awesome - very tangy and bold. The tomato salsa on top was fresh and the eggplant quite soft however the eggplant skin was a little tough which let this dish down.
Next came the 2003 dish of Hawkesbury river calamari with fresh chilli and lemon. As soon as this dish was placed on the table, i gasped. But when i sniffed the dish, i frowned. It smelt quite fishy. The texture is also not the nicest as it was slimy and hard to chew. The chilli tried to cover the fishiness but unsuccessful. Cant deny it is photogenic though!
I found the next course quite disturbing, to say the least. 2005's Red wine, pancetta and radicchio risotto looked like a plate of ...well....animal biproducts. Sorry, but it was very unappealing and should not be plated this way. If only it was served in a pasta bowl, it would have been more pleasant for the eyes. The risotto itself was thick in consistency, rich in red wine flavour and was firm to the bite.
Our 7th course was Barramundi baked in a bag with black mussels, thyme and vermouth on cavalo nero from 2006. This course was lovely. The barramundi was moist and flavoursome from being baked with the juice of the mussels. If only there were more broth it would have been perfect, as the broth was already soaked up towards the end of the dish. It could have also done with a bit more seasoning.
The final savoury was 2009's lightly beaten char grilled fillet of black angus beef with fresh baby peas and potato al forno. This beef was absolutely AMAZING, one of the best (if not the best) black angus i have had in a restaurant. It was so tender that you cannot believe it actually is beef. If you like ur eye fillet more well done, the beef is equally as tender. The bed of potatoes is creamy but light. The main criticism of the dish was that the peas were freezing cold when it was served.
Our palate cleanser came from 2007 - blood orange sorbet. If you enjoy your sorbet super smooth and velvety, this is the one! It was so flavoursome that you will be left begging for more. A definite winner.
Panna cotta with fruit salad and mint marked the end of the degustation, from 2008. I loved the berries and how the pomegranate seeds pop in your mouth, offering a contrasting texture to the creamy panna cotta. The layer of passionfruit is very appealing - simple but effective.
Alio Restaurant
5 Baptist Street
Surry Hills
Tel (02) 8394 9368
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