Basta
15 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy,
03 8657 8542
Italian
$$$$
Food
- Calamari
- Papardelle Integrali Al Maiale Al Latte
- Porchetta
- Chicken Breast
- Cheesecake
- Caramel Panna Cotta
The Good
It was a promising start to our Italian feast with the Calamari. The calamari was incredibly tender and cooked just right, it’s slight springy feedback well complemented by crunchy, warm cauliflower and of course the amazing roasted tomato sauce. With the occasional bit of dehydrated olive adding an intensity in flavour, this was no ordinary calamari dish!
We thoroughly enjoyed our next course, the Papardelle Integrali Al Maiale Al Latte. What a mouthful of a name for such an elegantly simple dish! The pappardelle was thick and wholesome, cooked to al dente and offering a slightly textured experience thanks to the wholemeal dough. With chunks of delightfully tender suckling pig cooked in milk stirred in throughout, this pasta was rich and creamy, offering plenty of flavour and a hint of tangy freshness thanks to the unique application of orange.
The Porchetta was nothing short of a show-stopper. Our slice of the classic Italian pork roll was just roasted to perfection, it’s outer crackling offering an incredible crunch, enclosing an inner that exhibited intertwined layers of fat and protein. This of course ensured not only a juicy and succulent experience, but the tender protein was just full of just the most amazing pork flavour. Coupled with a tinge of herbs for seasoning, this simple yet flawlessly executed pork roll was just astounding.
Our Chicken Breast was no less enjoyable. Nine out of ten times you order a chicken breast, it’s bastardised and cooked within a inch of being inedible. Fortunately, Basta is one of the lucky few that absolutely nailed it. First sous-vide then finished off in a pan, we found the breast just so incredibly succulent and juicy, without so much of a hint of dryness to be found. The soft protein was a delight to dig into, offering a lovely chicken flavour accompanied by a hint of lemon throughout. Served alongside a lovely, and slightly meaty wild mushroom ragu and some sauteed greens, you seriously can’t perfect the humble chicken breast any better than this.
We rounded off the evening with their yet-to-be-on-the-menu Cheesecake and their signature Caramel Panna Cotta. The Panna Cotta was beautifully jiggly, silky smooth, and it’s amazing texture was well matched by a good about of caramel that didn’t overwhelmed in sweetness. This was served a good amount of hazelnut crumbs scatters throughout to provide textural diversity and an indulgent dollop of chocolate ganache for those after an intense cacao hit.
The Cheesecake definitely deserves a special mention. Digging down from the delightful berry coulis and crunch of the crumble topping, we revealed a cheesecake that was incredibly creamy and smooth. The thick and dense texture offered up an unrelentless, cheesy texture that was well balanced. A thoroughly decadent experience to polish off the night.
The Mediocre
Nothing.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
Don’t be fooled by the simple presentation here at Basta, because their food is anything but. The authentic dishes here pays homage to the traditional way of Italian cooking, and the near flawless execution in every item is testament to the care and attention to detail
We polished off every plate clean and just couldn’t get enough of each dish, and hence our only wish would be that the servings be a tad more generous.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Most definitely. Such authentic and quality Italian is hard to come by, and we should all thank Basta for bringing a piece of Italy to Fitzroy.
Penguineats would like to thank owner Carrie for inviting us to Basta.