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WINE&DINE
223
November14
Alba 1836
28 Duxton Hill
6222 2048 | alba1836.com
New Duxton Hill restaurant Alba 1836 is a collaboration
between chef Alessandro Frau of Acqua restaurant in
Phuket, managing director Matteo Trabaldo Togna, and
partner Cm Shih. Diners can choose between seating in
the internal roofed courtyard, in the main dining room or
at alfresco tables under sweeping branches in the garden.
The restaurant offers Italian fine dining, with the option
of a reasonably priced set lunch menu ($35). Happily, the
wine choice is extensive – more than 40 are served by the
glass, starting at $10.
From the set lunch menu, which offers four choices
for each of the three courses, we started with the
grilled
spicy octopus
on fennel mash and Taggiasche olives
followed by the
tuna tagliata
on smoked eggplant mash.
The dishes were light and fresh, and the texture of both
the slow-cooked octopus and the sashimi-style tuna were
excellent. We also tried
grilled eggplant rolls
stuffed with
truffle ricotta cheese: a strongly flavoured dish that turned
out to be one of our favourites.
From the à la carte menu, we chose the delicate and beautifully
crafted Tajima
wagyu beef carpaccio
($32) and the fresh
ravioli
agnolotti
stuffed with burrata cheese and black truffle with osso
buco ragù sauce ($35). Beautifully balanced flavours with none
of the heaviness of a typical pasta dish.
We finished with a
tiramisu
($16) and a selection of
artisan
ice creams
, rich in flavour but not too sweet. The hazelnut was
a particular favourite.
General manager Michele Zanella enhanced our dining
experience with his knowledge of the menu and thoughtful wine
recommendations, including a
Franz Haas Pinot Nero 2001
and an
Amarone della Valpolicella
.
Liz McCabe
MUST-TRY DISH:
Grilled eggplant rolls (from
the set menu) or the Tajima wagyu beef carpaccio (à la carte)
Tajima wagyu beef carpaccio with wild
rocket, foie gras praline, fresh black truffle,
crescenza cheese and parmesan