4/885 Beaufort Street, Inglewood
Ph: (08) 9271 7870
www.ilpasto.com.au

Up-scale dining, old-school flavours

Il Pasto Italian Trattoria has joined the food scene in Inglewood recently and is dishing out upscale comfort food to satisfy your Italian cravings.

This sophisticated restaurant, complete with white tablecloths and gilt-framed mirrors, offers a simple menu of classic dishes, as well as chef specials that are regularly changed by chefs Tony Garita and Kwang Kang. “The locals love what we’re doing here,” says Chef Tony Garita, “people walk away from here with a memory, our food resonates with them.” Coming from his well-known business The Arancini Man, and Cheeky Mamas, Tony shows his love and passion for Italian cooking in every meal he and the team at Il Pasto serve.

We started with the Arancini Selection. With four per serve, this dish allows you to try both the Three Meat Ragu and the Mushroom Truffle. Whilst the Three Meat Ragu was a well-seasoned and crisp celebration of pork, veal and lamb served on a fresh tomato sauce base, the standout for me was definitely the Five Mushroom Arancini that was paired with a beautifully creamy and rich truffle mayo.

Next we enjoyed the Slow Cooked Veal Ragu and the Chef’s Special Grilled Lamb Cutlets.

The Veal Ragu Pappardelle has an extremely rich reduction of robust vermouth flavours and pronounced basil profiles. The meat is marinated for 24 hours before being cooked for an additional two to three hours, and it’s a complete melt-in-your-mouth moment. Thankfully, we had a very generous portion as it was not the type of dish you want to stop eating.

The Grilled Lamb Cutlets that were served as a perfect medium rare, came with lemon infused crushed potatoes, feta cheese and a crisp cucumber salad. The lemon driven warm potato salad was an unexpected star from this dish. The freshness and acidity from the lemon created a great balance with the saltiness of the feta and sweetness from the cucumber salad’s mustard-based French style vinaigrette. As a whole, the dish was homely with great complexity from perfectly balancing such opposing flavours. Definitely a must try from the Chef’s Specials, that Chef Tony Garita has told me may become a staple on the menu.

As we moved onto desserts, we were lucky enough to try both Sticky Date Pudding and Pannacotta which I was very thankful for as I was having trouble deciding which sounded more delicious.

The Sticky Date Pudding served with butterscotch sauce and vanilla bean ice cream is a great way to end your dining experience at Il Pasto, as its warm and mildly sweet butterscotch sauce wraps you in a cocoon of comfort. With dates that are hand-cut, the level of care in this dish pays off. Not overly sweet, and not at all sickly, the moist cake and ice cream is a great choice from the dessert menu.

Lastly, the Vanilla Bean Pannacotta, topped with a poached rhubarb and raspberry compote is a light and creamy Italian classic. With a great contrast between the sweetness of the vanilla bean and the acidity of the compote, the creamed dessert may seem simple, but is deeply complex. Along with impressive flavour, the dessert also provides a lavish array of textures as the smooth pannacotta cream and the crisp fresh fruits create a very enjoyable mouthfeel. What’s not to enjoy?

With an emphasis on great Italian flavour and a heartfelt dedication to the art of cooking, Il Pasto Italian Trattoria truly believes in their restaurant’s motto – “We at Il Pasto create memorable food for your enjoyment.” Definitely a restaurant I will find myself returning to again and again.

By Ava Berryman