Etto Italian Street Pasta - South Melbourne

'How good can fast food pasta be?' i hear you ask. Well, pretty darn good if you're heading to Etto Italian Street Pasta in South Melbourne.  And no, I'm not turning to blogging about a fast food joint because I'm out out of classier content - I actually thought my experience at Etto's was worth sharing as it was so incredibly delicious.

Having a few establishments scattered across Melbourne, Etto offers a range of fresh pastas made daily, as well as a range of salads, pizzas and sides.  With sauce options ranging from chicken cacciatore, black truffle and salami, to garlic prawn and pea - there's definitely a pasta to suit anyone's taste.

On this occasion we went for the bolognese della nonna (with extra chilli), the truffle and mushroom mac'n'cheese and the rocket and parmesan salad.  Whilst the pasta in both dishes was cooked to perfection, the bolognese was the highlight, and an absolute must if you're a bolognese fan.

Incredibly cheap (only $15 for the bolognese and $18 for the truffle mac'n'cheese), incredibly delicious and incredibly quick (out in only 10 minutes) - how can you go wrong with Etto.

Food: 4/5
Venue: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Total: 10/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon.

Las Tapas

On pulling back the curtain and entering Las Tapas’ front door, you’d be forgiven for thinking you had stumbled across a transporter and had found yourself in Spain. With its blackboard scrawled menus, festive music and flowing sangria - the venue is often packed to the brim, whilst still managing to have an intimate, rather than crowded, vibe.

The food is nothing less than authentic, with menu items such as Catalan bread and patatas bravas. 

If your not turned off by the idea of breathing copious amounts of garlic on your companion/s later in the evening (or happy to brush your teeth for an hour) the garlic prawns are a must - coming out on a sizzling in a warm bed of buttery garlic, you’d be forgiven for wanting to pick up the bowl the end of the dish to lick the sauce. 

However, make sure to make room for desert - for all those Crema Catalana fans who live for the unusually satisfying crack, this is the desert for you.



A slice of Spain without the 18 hour travel - Los Tapas is a must if you’re in St Kilda and in the mood for some sangria and tapas. Although, as it takes reservations - to avoid dirty dishcloths and dirty glasses being stored on the table in front of you as you eat, try to wrangle a seat at a table and not the bar.

Food: 3.5/5

Venue: 3/5

Service: 3/5

Total: 9.5/15

Verdict: Like - get around to trying it at some point

 

David's

As a huge fan of the Sunday yum-cha, on finding out that it was possible to get 'all you can eat' yum cha (which was actually delicious) for the very low price of $40 a head on a Sunday, I couldn't believe that I hadn't been to David's before. 

Situated off Chapel Street, David's in Prahan is packed to the brim on weekends. Squeezing in as many tables as possible to accommodate the multitude of people wanting to dine there, there's no surprise that there's no room for the traditional trolleys being skirted around the restaurant - David's instead opting for staff carrying around giant platters and trays to feed its guests.

But what's on offer, I hear you ask - you'll be happy to know all of your yum cha favourites - from fried rice to dumplings, and spring rolls to Chinese brocolli.

But to impart some valuable wisdom -  make sure to save room for desert - the white chocolate dumplings and the banana fritters were surprisingly highlights of the lunch menu.

The best part - David's takes bookings - so make sure to make one if wanting to visit this tasty establishment.

Food: 3/5
Venue: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Total: 9/15
Verdict: Like - get around to trying it at some point