Travel Nibbles: 'Sora Lella' Review

Hey Nibblers!

        This week, we still find ourselves reviewing Roma. This is my last documented meal/ last dinner in Roma so, when we saw the raves of a Michelin star ratings and ads all over their entrance door plus a 4/5 Tripadvisor score, we just had to try it.

        Situated on Isola Tiberina, a small island in Rome, it sits on a corner of one of Rome's bridges on the way to Trastevere. So, if you're lucky enough to cross there, you'll find 'Sora Lella.' According to reviews on Tripadvisor, it can be pretty packed so reservations are necessary. We did make a booking but by popping in early that morning to reserve seats on our way to Trastevere and Vatican City.

'Sora Lella' Review
Where: Via Ponte Quattro Capi 16                                 Website: http://www.soralella.com/

Image viewed from Lifestyle/ Tastebook at 'http://www.i-italy.org/8407/mood-amatriciana-try-sora-lella'

               One of the main reasons why we wanted to try 'Sora Lella' was because my cousin Katy (Kelly's older sister,) was joining us for the rest of her trip to Florence, Germany etc. as she needed to go back to London to get settled for her move. She said Florence had the best tripe dish she had ever had so she was hoping Roma would produce one of the same standards. We had actually made a booking for the previous night but we were so tired to go back out as it would have been a 30-45 minute walk after a whole day of exploring. We blew them off that previous night and they remembered our faces when we came back to make another reservation. They were surprisingly really nice about it and said they thought we had lost our way.

               We were seated promptly as soon as we arrived. First ones in the restaurant that night at 730PM. People in Europe sure eat late! It was really cosy and were given a bread basket as soon as we sat down. The pretzel like sticks in the 'Roberto' packet were delicious! I wish I had time to go to the supermarket to grab these as a snack!              

Those Roberto bread sticks. mmmmmm

            As it was our last night in Roma, I had not yet had a traditional gnocchi. So, as soon as I say gnocchi on the menu I immediately said yes. We decided to share the dish between the three of us. What I loved about their service here was they actually portioned out three separate plates of gnocchi for us so we didn't have to dig and split it ourselves. It was steaming hot when it came out. It was soft, not chewy and the tomato sauce was flavoursome. The menu also said it had pig's cheek infused but, I couldn't taste it nor see it. 

Gnocchi di Palate all' Amatriciana 'Home-made Gnocchi in a classic Roman sauce with cured pig's cheek, tomatoes and Roman pecorino'

            For my main, I ordered 'Polpettine di Nonna Lella' which translated is 'Grandmother's traditional veal balls' which was served with pureed potatoes on the side. These meatballs were so full of flavour. They were perfectly cooked and just melted in your mouth. I loved the hit of all the spices in the meatball and it just tasted fresh. The pureed potatoes were of the same standard. It was fluffy, smooth and meshed well with the meatballs. It did have a lot of butter mixed in which is delicious but oh the arteries!

Polpettine di Nonna Lella / Grandmother's traditional veal balls with pureed potatoes

               Kelly ordered a lamb dish. I've tried to search the menu for this one and no luck. Taste wise, the lamb was soft and just pulled away from the bone. It had a great rosemary flavour and was nice dipped with a bit bread. 

Lamb dish. Anyone care to help if you have been?

               Katy of course ordered the 'Trippa di Vitello alla Romana' or Roman-Style Veal tripe with tomatos sauce flavoured with mint and pecorino cheese. It was nice of the waiter to clarify with Katy that she knew which part of the body tripe comes from. He didn't know the word so just rubbed his stomach. It was such a sweet thing of him to do. Good laugh!

             I don't know what Florence tripe tastes like but, like the other two dishes, the sauce is flavoursome. Full of the rich tomato taste it tasted very home-made and fresh. 

Trippa di Vitello alla Romana / Roman-Style Veal tripe with tomatos sauce flavoured with mint and pecorino cheese.

Our dinner before devouring

           For dessert, we ordered the tiramisu to share. We were quite disappointed with this one. The serving was tiny and presentation was not eye-catching. My picture is too blurry to post up but it was just basically served in a 250ml clear glass cup. Nothing special nor were the tastes. I prefer the 'Life' tiramisu.
               All in all, 'Soral Lella' is a lovely, cosy place. Great if you want a nice home-cooked feel meal. To get all the rave and Michelin Star rating I don't understand. While the dishes were not terrible, I don't see a 'WOW' factor in any of them. All  had the same soft, mushy textures. It could of possibly been our dishes we chose but, I still think while the sauces were full of fresh flavour, my expectation for a Michelin star restaurant was not met. Price wise, I forgot to write down the figures but from reading the Tripadvisor posts, many travellers thought it was overpriced for portions. 

            If I was ever in Rome again, I would probably go again just for the familiarity of it all and the great atmosphere/ staff. I think it's a good place for lunch/dinner with friends if you want a place to relax after a day of exploring. But, if it was to impress a certain special someone, I say count 'Sora Lella' out. Otherwise, I'm sure you will run the risk of being friend-zoned. 

    Hope you have a lovely rest of the week!

          Nibble away,
                   Jo x.

'Felix Bistro and Bar' Review.

"Felix Bistro and Bar" Review
Where: 2 Ash Street, Sydney, 2000.  Website: http://merivale.com.au/felix/

 Bonjour Mademoiselles and Miser!

          I have heard many rave reviews of "Felix" before finally experiencing the French brasserie for myself. "Felix Bistro and Bar" is one of Merivale's most highly-rated restaurants serving modern European cuisine with a one chef's hat rating added to it's name.
           I had been quite unorganised on my food endeavour but managed to secure a 9:30PM reservation on a bustling Friday night. Upon arrival, the detail in the surrounding back drop of "Felix Bistro and Bar" immediately caught my eye. To the dim light, the chairs to the ceiling and tiling felt so authentic as if we had teleported ourselves across the globe. To add to the Parisian atmosphere, the waiter that greeted my partner and I had a French-accent as well. I do love a good European accent, definitely added to the experience.
          To start off our feasting, I ordered the 'St. Daisy' cocktail ($18) which was a tad pricey but the balance between the mint, ginger, apple juice and Elderflower Liquer was delicious. I also liked the fact it came in a skinny jug and was at least three servings. My partner ordered the 'Homemade Ginger Ale' ($8) which was just right, not too sweet and complimented our dishes well.
       

Homemade Ginger Ale ($8)

St Daisy's ($18)

         






For the entree, I ordered the 'Chicken liver pate, current relish and cornicorns' ($16). This was by far the star of the night. The pate was creamy and melts in your mouth. Combined with the cranberries and pickled gherkins this dish is definitely a must.
           As for the second entree, my partner ordered the fish of the day. We asked the waiter for the name of the fish but, "Felix" was so loud, his answer was lost in the crowd. The fish was cooked to perfection with the skin as crispy as can be. The dish was fresh and the mussles, prawn and mushroom white sauce was flavoursome which really added an edge to the dish.

Chicken pate, current relish and cornicorns. ($16)

The fish of the day ($28)

              For mains, we went a bit food crazy. We ordered the 'Steak frites Rangers Valley sirloin and herb butter,' ($38 the 'Lamb pie, sauteed mushrooms and tarragon jus,' ($32) fries ($8) and a 'spinach and rocket salad with spanish onion, feta, croutons.' ($8)

              The Steak was cooked perfectly at medium rare. The meat was soft and seasoned well. I found the gravy too salty to accompany the steak and similar mistake with the fries which was smothered in salt. While the chips were cripsy, we were unable to finish the fries on my plate and also as our side. Overall, the steak was amazing, the accompanying aspects on the dish were a let down.

               The Lamb pie on the other hand was very different to anything I had ever tasted. The lamb was encased in a ball of pastry which sat on a bed of mushy peas and tarragon jus. The pastry casing was amazing. It had an great crust to it and combined with the tenderness of the lamb, it was delicious. On it's own, the lamb was again quite salty however, by mixing all the components together everything balances out.
                The Spinach and rocket salad was supposed to be our 'healthier' option. The amount of feta and dressing on this salad was generous to say to least. With that said, it was delicious and would gladly clog my arteries away. I felt quite sick after demolishing the majority of the dish but it was just scrumptious. If you like feta, you'll love this!

               We were so full by the end with our food babies, we couldn't fit in dessert. So silly of us. I do blame the late reservation for our fast chow down.

Steak frites Rangers Valley sirloin and herb butter ($38)

Lamb pie with sauteed mushrooms and tarragon jus ($32)

Mains are served

       Overall, it was a great experience with the chicken pate definitely reigning supreme. While it was a great atmosphere and experience it did leave quite the hole in our pockets. If you want the same experience but have a budget, they do offer a Prix Fixe menu that has set course prices from between 5:30PM- 6:30PM everyday.
     
Hope you all have an amazing weekend.
Au revoir!
Jo x.

Travel Nibbles: "Borough Market"

Hey everyone!

A week has flown by and it's Tuesday again already! I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend and enjoyed feasting on some delicious food. Speaking of a feast, I certainly had my own little food festival at "Borough Market." This week, I want to give you a few reviews of some of the dishes I tried there.

  

"Borough Market" Review:

Where: 8 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TL                  Website: http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/

   My cousin had suggested we make a trip to "Borough Market" on a Saturday as all the stalls would be open. Lucky we did! There was quite the crowd when we arrived but, it just added to the atmosphere. There were fresh veggies and fruit on sale, vintage cheese, home-made dips, pestos, cakes, etc, every food lovers dream! Which is why, we did not stop at just one food stall.

A store at "Borough Market" selling exotic meats

Food Stop #1.

   Our first stop was a chorizo burger place. Unfortunately, I forgot to write down the name of the stall and have been browsing on their website for the name but have had no luck. However, I do know that it's on Stoney Street towards Rochester Walk. Anyway, this burger consisted of chorizo, grilled 

patties, rocket and a splash of olive oil. It was made to order and at 4GBP (approx. $5.80 AUD) I have to say I was a tad disappointed. While the chorizo was home made and was flavoursome, most of my bites were of crispy bread and rocket. They do offer to add an extra chorizo to your burger for 2GBP but, I wanted to try other foods so I didn't go for that option. To me, this burger was mediocre, standard priced and imbalanced in terms of the components inside so, not a must.

Chorizo burger: too much bread compared to chorizo

Food Stop #2: "Roast."

Where: Located in Middle Road of the markets.                 Website: http://www.roast-restaurant.com/

     I definitely remember the name of this bad boy. Wow. This is seriously the best roast pork roll I have ever eaten. That's actually saying something because I don't usually like eating a lot pork but "Roast." changed my mind for sure. The line was about a 15 minute wait and after the first Chorizo burger round, this had to be amazing. At 6.50 GBP (approx. $9.40 AUD) I thought it was a tad expensive for a roll but, it certainly delivered. The bread was soft like a burger bun. The pork was succulent, juicy and the meat portion was just right. The large crackling in the roll added a crunch and great texture. Combine the saltiness of it all, the apple sauce spread added another dimension to the taste making it sweet but also balancing out the salt. It just melted in my mouth and I wish I came back to grab another roll. :( It was that good!

    They have a restaurant next to their stall where you could sit for a meal but, I wasn't able to try as they were fully booked when I wanted to go.

Bad angle shot. Doesn't do it much justice but, MUST try!

 Food Stop #3: "Pieminister."
Where: Green Market of the market towards the Southwalk Cathedral.   Website: http://www.pieminister.co.uk/

        Apart from fish and chips I had to try a pie in England. I walked past quite a few gourmet pie places but the line for those were not as big compared to the crowd around "Pieminster." I do have to say I was quite amazed at the sizes of pies in England compared to Australia. I never thought that pies in England would actually look like the pies in the 'Sweeney Todd!' They're huge and had so much more pastry. I ordered the 'Moo' pie that consisted of British beef steak, cracked pepper and real ale with mash and gravy. If you bought the pie by itself I believe it was 4GBP ($5.80) or 6.50 GBP ($9.40) with the gravy and mash. The pie was steaming hot and they served the it in a nice little cardboard box which is nice if you wanted to eat on the go or take home. The filling had chunky steak inside and you could really taste the tang of the ale. The pastry was thick, flakey and crisp just the way you want it to be. I was quite full by this stage so if you do want to try more foods I suggest just getting the pie. The flavours are all in the pie and the gravy/mash seemed more of a novelty.

Steaming hot pie, mash and gravy at "Pieminister."

Food Stop #4: "Kappacesein"

Where: Green Market on the Southwalk Chapel side next to "Pieminister." Website: http://www.kappacasein.com/

      I had never heard of 'Raclette' before so when my cousin brought this over I didn't think much of it. 'Raclette' is a name of a cheese but also a Swiss dish where the cheese is heated and then the melted cheese is scrapped  off. The melted Raclette was poured on a bed of potatoes with a side serving of baby gherkins. It may not sound that appetising but, the simplicity of this dish was certainly one of the winners. The sharp, mature taste of raclette was balanced out by the tang of the baby gherkins so you have a mix of salty, sour, sweet all in one mouthful. The taste is quite strong so if you love cheese and potatoes, I say this is a must. My cousin purchased this so I don't remember the exact price but by judging by the rest of the market food, I would say it was no more than 6GBP. 

Raclette. New food experience!

Hope you enjoyed these little reviews from "Borough Market" and be sure to check it out if you're ever there. Would love to read your thoughts!

Hope you have an amazing week.
Eat away!
Jo x.

Travel Nibbles: "Wishbone" Chicken

Hey Everyone! :)

      Since it's Tuesday here in lovely Sydney, I thought I would start a new series called, "Travel Tuesday." (Yayy for alliteration!) I have just come back from a holiday in Europe with my cousin Kelly just recently and thought I would review some of the places incase you ever find yourselves around these areas and feeling a bit peckish, your food dilemma is solved! 

    Just to feel a bit festive about my new segment I thought I would have a little pic to go along with it.

Received this cute scratch map from my brother for xmas so, I can scratch away all the countries I've been to :)

Review: "Wishbone" Chicken
           Where: 12 Market Row, Brixton, London, SW9 8LD. Brixton Market           Website: www.wishbonebrixton.co.uk

•    After 24 hours on a plane and arriving at Heathrow Airport at 5am in the morning I was seriously starving. But, my growling stomach had to wait because we needed to make the long journey to my Kelly's sister's place (yup, also my cousin) in Clapham North before we could get anything in our bellies. Because we were there so early, we wanted to take a walk around Central London after breakky so the 10 minute walk to Brixton sounded perfect. My cousin who had been living in England for almost two years by this stage had suggested we go to "Wishbone" for lunch. All she said was fried chicken and I was SOLD!

   Now, I blame the jetlag for how much we ordered but, I'm so glad we did because this chicken was AH-MAZING. It was still quite early for lunch so there was much of an atmosphere but I loved the quirky chalkboard menu thing they had going on, the bar was nice and the tables were high (which is a tad hard to get up on when you're only standing at 153cm tall but food is food, gotta soak in the atmosphere hey?). 

Terrible picture of the cute chalkboard. Used the flash on my camera. Rookie mistake Jo.

This is what we ordered: (forgot to mention that all their chicken is Free-Range.)

- The "Buffalo" wings

- The "Chicken Shop" wings

                 all wings at 4.50 GBP (approx. $6.50 AUD)

- The "Thai" thighs 

- The "Salt 'N' Pepa" thighs

                 both at 5.50 GBP (approx. $8.45 AUD)

- "Slaw"at 2.50 GBP (approx. $3.85 AUD)

- "Deep friend Mac & Cheese" at 4.50 GBP (approx. $6.50 AUD)

                All prices as of 26th of March but, I was at "Wishbone" on the 24th of Jan, 2013?

From bottom left to right: "Thai Thighs," "Salt 'N' Pepa (with the lime)," "Chicken Shop," "Buffalo" and "Deep fried Macaroni & Cheese" in the styrofome cup. 

   Anyway, back to taste. I thought the "Thai" thighs were so scrumptious! It definitely did not taste like plastic meat/texture that you get at many fast food places and it had the right balance between the tang of chilli/ tamarind and freshness of the mint/ shallots. All our dishes were made to order to the wait time was probably 15 minutes but, everything was nice and hot. Price wise, it was a tad higher than I had expected. The thigh portion was quite small but quality was good and the outer crumb was crispy which is just the way you want it to be.

   The "Salt 'N' Pepa" thighs were equally crisp. They were basically your standard salt and pepper squid type of seasoning except "Wishbone" takes it a step further with the asian mayo. This asian mayo was delicious! It wasn't too creamy and oily in your mouth but added the right tang and sweetness that your average tartare sauce could not provide. I don't know what they do with that mayo but it really kicks this dish up a notch.

   The wings on the other hand, had 6 wings in each basket. My favourite was the "Chicken Shop" out of the two. It only had a BBQ marinade but, the simplicity made them awesome. They were still crispy and a great flavour kick of BBQ sauce. They weren't too sweet either which I was expecting them to be.  

   The "Buffalo" wings were good. They weren't crispy but, the meat just fell off the bone and melts in your mouth. They put a tonne of marinade on these wings so expect your hands to be messy if you do decide to order them. They do have quite the kick to them so if you can't take chilli make sure someone in your party will be able to finish them. The blue cheese dipping sauce that looked more like ranch sauce to me did cut some of that taste but I felt that if you dipped too much, it overpowered the tang of the marinade.

   The "Slaw" side we ordered was mediocre. I guess if you wanted something cold to balance all those strong flavours then order it but nothing I couldn't get in Australia so if I'm ever in England again I would probably pass on it.

   The "deep fried Macaroni cheese" on the other hand was awesome. I don't know if it was because of the concept of deep fried pasta that made me squeal in excitement or the taste. I've never even heard of deep-fried macoroni before. I was expecting the dish to come in a small ceramic bowl with crispy bread crumbs on top like a pie but no, they cam out in like rectangular shaped macaroni & cheese filled chocolate bars. The first bite was awesome! They were cheesy, smoking hot inside and crispy on the outside. The only thing was, they gave us three in the serving and after one, I could not have possibly eaten more because it was just too rich. I have never heard of anything like that from Sydney before so, if you're ever there and love macaroni & cheese/ fried foods, it's a must!

So all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed "Wishbone." I think it's a good and satisfying lunch that you can have with a small group of friends. I do hope you give it a try and if you ever do give it a try or make some fried chicken be sure to leave a comment below! Or if you enjoyed this review or have any other suggestions, I would love to read them!

Hope you all have an amazing week,

x Jo.