Because it was Italian Week on Masterchef, we decided to have Italian food for dinner. There is an Italian Restaurant just around the corner so we decided to give that place a go. I tried making a reservation for 7pm but they were fully booked even a couple of days before we went there for dinner so we went there around 6.30pm for dinner. I have always walked past this restaurant but I never walked in because the food is a little pricey but fortunately Jeff was feeling generous that night so he treated both of us an amazing dinner.
Entree: Antipasti Plate ($13 per person)
It is a selection of Belluci's most popular hot and cold antipasti with baked ciabatta.
I enjoyed everything on the plate except the olives. I never really like olives because the taste is a little too overwhelming but everything else was yummm. The pork belly was well seasoned and cooked, I thought it would be perfect if the skin was crunchy and crispy. The prosciutto and salami were fresh and yummm, this is my first time having a 'good quality' prosciutto. The calamari were fried really nicely, it was tasty and crispy. My favourite was definitely the arancini balls, I love the filling and I love the fragrance and crunchiness of the outer later.
Jeff couldn't look pass this - Saffron and Potato with South coast Mussels so he decided to order this. It was on their specials menu. The dish was $14. The soup was dense and exploding with the potatoes flavour and the mussels were perfectly cooked, this is definitely a dish that I would order again if it is still on the menu the next time I decided to visit this restaurant.
The bread that came with the antipasti and the soup was soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, I had it with the soup and they were awesome combo.
Mains:
Jeff got the Risotto Con Pollo ($26)
Chicken risotto with pancetta, mushrooms, roast peppers, asparagus and a generous amount of Parmesan cheese.
I tried some and it was very yummy, it wasn't creamy like how a lot of restaurants make their risotto which made it really special. When I told Jeff that, he told me that Risotto isn't meant to be creamy and this is how a good quality risotto would taste like.
I haven't tried veal and the contestants on Masterchef were cooking Veal in that week so I decided to give the veal dish a go.
Vitello Saltimbocca ($34)
Veal involtini with prosciutto, sage, soft truffled polenta and braised tomato.
I like the polenta, I thought it went really well with the tomato and the veal. The veal was cooked very nicely, it was neither too soft nor too chewy - the way I like the meat to be cooked. I thought this was a pretty good dish but Jeff didn't find it amazing, he had had better veal before and thought this was ordinary and a little pricey.
Desserts:
We had a hard time deciding which desserts to get. Initially we just wanted to share a dessert because both of us were pretty full after the entree and desserts. Initially we had already set our mind on the Creme Brulee but when I saw the Chocolate Terrine on the menu, I really wanted that because I haven't tried a chocolate terrine dessert before.
We asked the waitress which one should we get and she said BOTH so we ended up getting both. Jeff and I are both real FATTIES.
Terrina Al Cioccolato ($15)
Bitter sweet chocolate terrine with raspberry and vanilla mousse.
This is probably the best chocolate dessert I have ever had. It wasn't sweet like how I expect most chocolate desserts to be so I am assuming they used good quality dark chocolate to make this. The raspberry and vanilla mousse complemented the chocolate terrine so well. I really enjoy this dessert, I would give it a 10/10.
Brulee Alla Vaniglia ($15)
Baked vanilla bean brulee with mandarin marmalade and toasted crumble.
We thought the chocolate terrine was terrific until we tried the creme brulee. This was definitely the dish of the night and I would call it the PERFECT CREME BRULEE. The filling was so smooth and the toasted crumble was to give this beautiful dessert a nice texture. The top was crispy and sweet, everything was just so yummm. I will definitely go back for this.
How would I rate this place:
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Food: 8.5/10
Presentation of food: 8/10
Price: 7.5/10
Service: 7/10
Belluci's at Manuka
http://www.bellucis.com.au/manuka.php
Cnr of Furneaux St and Franklin St, Manuka, ACT
(02) 6239 7424
Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday
Lunch 12 - 2.30pm
Dinner from 6pm
