DENGON NET

ふらりと立ち寄ったこじんまりとしたレストランで、おいしい料理に出会う - そんなことが度々起こるメルボルン。今回紹介する『Sartago  Tapas & Wine Bar』もそんなレストランのひとつだ。「食事はおいしいだけじゃなくて、体にも良くないと。だから、食材は可能な限りオーガニックのものを使っている」と語るイタリア人シェフのRiccardoさん。ヨーロッパ各地での経験を生かして、イタリア料理をベースにヨーロッパ、地中海、アフリカなどの料理をアレンジした創作料理の中から彼のお勧め料理をいただいた。

最初に登場したのは、House smoked chicken salad, cauliflower, pomegranateとZucchini fritti。House smoked chicken saladは、白樺とジャスミン茶でスモークしたやわらかいチキンに歯ごたえの残るカリフラワー、食感の違いが楽しい上に、ザクロの甘酸っぱさがアクセントになったシェフ自身もお気に入りの一品。Zucchini frittiは、ありそうでなかった、フライドポテトのようなズッキーニの揚げ物。サクサクした食感についつい手が伸びてしまうこと間違いなし。ビールと相性が良さそうだ。

House smoked chicken salad, cauliflower, pomegranate $15 & Zucchini Fritti $7 

続いてFree range duck rillette, toasted baguette, pickled cucumbers。Rilletteとは、豚や鳥の細切り肉をラードで長時間煮詰めたやわらかいパテのようなものなのだが、実はこの手のもの、特にダックは癖が強くて苦手だった。意を決して食べてみると…意外なことにクセがなく、肉の旨みが出ていておいしい。こちらは、赤ワインと合わせたら良いかも。

Free range Duck rillette, toasted baguette, pickled cucumbers $15

Char-grilled stuffed calamari, clams and tomatoは、クスクスがぎっしり詰め込まれたやわらいなイカにちょっぴりピリ辛のトマトソースが絡みシーフード好きにはたまらないひと皿。どんなお酒にも合いそうだし、食べ応えもあるので、みんなでシェアするのがお勧め。

Char-grilled stuffed calamari, clams and tomato $25

最後を締めくくるのは、Chocolate brick, coffee mousse, flaked coconut & passion fruit。ほろ苦いコーヒームースと濃厚なチョコレートのバランスが絶妙な大人のデザート。一見脇役のピスタチオのマカロンやココナッツの薄焼きビスケットもしっかり存在感がある、満足度の高いデザート。

Chocolate brick, coffee mousse, flaked coconut & passion fruit $14

　メニューを見ただけでは分からない、奥行きのある味。例えば、モロッコ料理には欠かせないChermoulaというスパイスがさりげなく使われていたり、さまざまな国の食材や調理法が駆使されていて、食の世界が広がりそう。Riccardoさんによる料理教室も開催しているので興味のある人は、チェックしてみては。また、ファンクションルームもあるので、誕生日や年末年始にも使えそう。ごちそうさまでした。

To spontaneously visit a small restaurant and find the food is delicious   such is a frequent occurrence in Melbourne. Today I introduce one such place - ‘Sartago Tapas & Wine Bar’. ‘A meal shouldn’t just taste good; it should be good for you as well. That’s why we try to use organic ingredients as much as possible,’ says Riccardo, Sartago’s Italian-born chef. I try some of his recommendations from their menu of creative cuisine, which is based on Italian food but also features European, Mediterranean and African influences from the chef’s experiences around the world. 

The first two dishes to arrive are the ‘house smoked chicken salad, cauliflower, pomegranate’, and the ‘zucchini fritti’. The salad has wonderful textures, the tenderness of the chicken smoked with birch and jasmine tea contrasting with the crunchiness of the cauliflower. The sour-sweet pomegranate adds an appealing accent; this dish is a favourite of the chef himself. The zucchini fritti is fried zucchini that bears an improbable resemblance to hot potato chips. You’re sure to reach out and take one again and again, lured by the crunchy texture. It would go well with beer.  

Next comes the ‘free range duck rillette, toasted baguette, and pickled cucumbers’. Rillettes are a sort of pate made from finely chopped meat (eg. pork or chicken) simmered slowly in lard. To be honest, I don’t usually like this sort of thing, especially duck that I find gamey. But I set my teeth in and gave it a try... to find it unexpectedly tasty, not gamey at all. It might be good paired with red wine. 

‘Char-grilled stuffed calamari, clams and tomato’ will be irresistible to seafood lovers, with squid stuffed full of couscous and covered in a slightly spicy tomato sauce. This would go with any drink and is quite filling, so I recommend it as a dish to share. 

To round off the meal, I try the ‘chocolate brick, coffee mousse, flaked coconut & passion fruit’. The bittersweet coffee mousse and rich chocolate balance superbly in this grown-up dessert. The pistachio macaron and the coconut biscuit look as if they would play a minor role, but in fact they have real substance. As a whole, it’s quite filling. 

‘Sartago Tapas & Wine Bar’ features depths of flavour you wouldn’t guess just by looking at the menu. For example, the spice blend ‘chermoula’ (indispensible to Moroccan cuisine) is casually used, and ingredients and seasonings from different cultures are combined freely. Riccardo also runs cooking classes, so if you’re interested why not check them out? The restaurant also has a function room, which could be suitable for birthday or New Year parties. Thanks for the meal. 

 
Sartago
460 Church St. Richmond
03-9427-9063
Fri-Sun   Lunch: 11:30am-  3:00pm
Tue-Sun Dinner: 5:30pm- till late
www.sartago.com.au