The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2021 - Issue 29

bitecuisine Como Garden Carbonara Chicken Alla Pizzaiola was light, creamy and fresh with the lovely taste of black- currants and the mocktail was refreshingly delicious with the combined ingredients of coconut, lychee, lemon and passion fruit. Other Italian cocktails include Como signature Lecca-Lec- ca with vodka, amaretto, lemon juice and sugar and Hugo with prosecco, elderflower, soda and fresh mint. They have classic cocktails such as Cosmopolitan with vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime and Whisky, Amaretto or Pisco Sour with your choice of spirit, lime, egg white and sugar. Diners can also choose from a selection of whiskies, mocktails, beers, the usual spirits, liquors and mixers, juices and water. The Italian tapas menu consists of Antipasti (traditional Italian first course), Contorni (sides), freshly Home-Made Pastas, Carne e Pesce (meats and seafood second course) and Dolci (desserts) followed by a selection of coffees or teas. Jaune chose several signature dishes from the Anti- pasti menu on our behalf: Beef Carpaccio with pesto and parmesan on a dressing of rocket, Arancini with parmesan and fontina cheese, Confit Artichokes and Gorgonzola & Pear Raviolo. The beautifully presented Beef Carpaccio was colourful and had a distinct flavour that worked well with the pesto and parmesan. The breadcrumb coated Arancini with its en- riched flavours of cheese was my favourite of the four dish- es. I liked the combined taste of the Italian hard, granular and softer cow’s milk cheese. The roasted artichokes were crunchy, and the contrasting flavours of Gorgonzola & Pear Raviolo were unique. It was sweet and mildly overpowering at the same time. Other mainly vegetarian dishes on this extensive menu include Minestrone Soup with mixed seasonal vegetables; Arancini All'Amatriciana - stuffed, breadcrumb coated and deep-fried Italian rice balls with a traditional pasta sauce based on guanciale, pecorino Romano cheese and tomato, and in some cases, onion; and Truffle, Pecorino & Taleggio Cheese Raviolo. There is also Burrata with pesto and dat- terini tomatoes, Prawns Carpaccio with smoked aubergine, and others to choose from. Next, we had Gnocchi with Gorgonzola & Caramelised Walnut, Pappardelle Ai Funghi with fresh flat pasta and wild mushrooms, and Como Garden Carbonara with fresh pasta, egg, parmesan, cured pork and pepper. The gnocchi had a slightly overpowering taste due to the gorgonzola but blended well with the caramelised walnut. The mushroom pasta was delicious with a satisfying sauce, and the Como Garden Carbonara skilfully mixed by our server, Giuseppe, was creamy, tasty and enriched with the seasoned pork. Diners can also choose other intriguing dishes from the Home-Made Pastas like Tagliatelle Al Beef Ragu, flat pas- ta with slow-cooked beef ragu and tomato; Trofie Al Pes- to, short pasta from Liguria and pesto; Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe, thick pasta with pecorino and black pepper; Risotto Alla Milanese, slow-cooked rice with saffron and parme- san; Beef Ragu Lasagna - pasta layers with beef ragu, to- mato and mozzarella; and Rigatoni Alla Norma, fresh pasta with aubergine, ricotta salata and tomato. We also had Chicken Alla Pizzaiola with tomato and moz- zarella, a dish Jaune explained is like a pizza translated into cubes of chicken and Pilaf Rice. Other dishes from the Carne e Pesce menu include Beef Tagliata - grilled thin sliced sirloin and mixed leaves with parmesan; Marinated Lamb Chops with garlic and red wine sauce; Ossobuco - veal shank braised with polenta; Veal Milanese 600 gram - breaded veal rib chop; and Grilled Turbot with roasted potatoes and caramelised small onions. For dessert, we indulged in Panna Cotta &Wild Berries and