We've been joined by Al and Elle for dinner at NorthSouth tonight. To keep us company as we try to decide what to eat we order a couple of snacks to begin with:
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| Arancini |
Usually 3 to a serve, they were happy to add another. Good-sized and well made, a lovely creamy interior lies under a crisp shell. We all agreed we could have eaten a whole plate each.
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| Meat Stuffed Olives |
Just cooked but thankfully not too hot - means you can safely gobble these down without burning your mouth. Olives are nice and plump and still moist, filling is quite tasty.
Starters:
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| Watermelon, Feta and Mint Salad with crushed olives |
Elle enjoyed her starter but felt the mint leaves were a little too large and tended to overpower - perhaps shredding or ripping them into smaller pieces would be a better balance. The combination of refreshing watermelon and slightly salty cheese is an excellent one.
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| Tuna Nicoise |
Paalo had seen a photo of this earlier in the day so he already knew what he was going to order. It's odd to say but it's more rustic but yet more refined - the components of the salad have been left in larger pieces. Lovely slices of just seared and beautifully raw tuna top the usual suspects - kipfler potato, green olives, cherry tomatoes, green beans and a perfectly runny egg.
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| Cornmeal Crumbed Calamari |
Both Al and I opted for the calamari - lovely and tender and lightly coated with cornmeal. Served with a simple fennel, witlof and parsley salad.
Mains:
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| Lemon and Parmesan Crumbed Chicken with Hot Mustard Coleslaw |
Paalo and Elle both choose the crumbed chicken - served with its wing attached. It's a simple dish but well executed.
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| Spaghetti Carbonara with Poached Egg |
Al and I continue our double act by ordering the same main - delicious spaghetti carbonara with a magnificent poached egg. Slice it and watch the yolk ooze out to form the sauce. I really liked having the pancetta presented as thin slices rather than lardons - you got the same amount of flavour but without it being too heavy. The pasta was cooked correctly, so it's thumbs up from the both of us.
Dessert:
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| Cheese |
I'm the odd one out - I ordered cheese while the others all ordered Apple Crumble.
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| Apple Crumble |
Mixed reviews on the crumble - both Elle and Al would have preferred a more buttery crumble topping - this was a little too dry and to quote "a bit like a diet crumble". Paalo didn't mind the crumble but would have liked the apple cooked a little more and perhaps with a touch more sweetness.
Overall, we had a really enjoyable and relaxing dinner, the environment, service, wine and food all of an excellent standard.
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