Mantecato, Balmain

I loooove pasta, give me a giant carbalicious bowl of pasta and I’m a happy camper! Sarah, Viv and I have slowly been eating our way around Sydney at anywhere that serves pasta and next on our hit list is Mantecato, a neighbourhood gem in Balmain known for their risotto and hand made pastas.

But first, some cured meats and cheese please! Culatello and Burrata ($22) is a great starter and comes with a basket of freshly fried crisps that were puffy and deliciously buttery. The ribbons of culatello are lusciously fatty and the burrata oozes with all the charm of a thousand car salesmen.

The Battuta di manzo ai porcini ($22) is a beef eye fillet tartare dressed with extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper and served with porcini mushrooms. I think I liked the pile of super juicy mushrooms more than the tartare itself, I mean it was tasty and all, but I prefer the classic steak tartare with the egg, capers, Tabasco sauce etc? Also I would’ve loved some bread or something to eat the tartare with.

Onto the pastas! The Risotto al Tartufo ($35) is a carnaroli parmesan risotto with freshly shaved black truffle. I freaking love truffle season you guys! That heady perfume is unlike anything else and the smell of the truffle is just so intoxicating! The risotto has a great consistency, it’s creamy and each plump grain has the perfect bite.

Whilst I liked the delicate truffle risotto, I was much more in love with the Alla milanese con ossobuco ($29), a saffron risotto with braised veal osso buco that was unctuously tender. It was rich and comforting and is definitely a winner for winter. And you betcha we scraped out all the bone marrow!

The Tagliatelle al ragù ($23) is a pile of hand made tagliatelle pasta with a pork & beef ragù bolognaise. The tagliatelle pasta is al dente and the rich ragu sauce is easily twirled and slurped with gusto.

We had to order the Ravioli di ricotta e spinaci ($25), the handmade pasta parcels are stuffed with a creamy ricotta cheese and spinach filling and topped with a rich butter and sage sauce. That sauce man, SUH GOOD! Is there anything butter can’t make taste good?!

The Lasagna verde al ragù ($24) doesn’t look super pretty but it was so fricken delicious! It was baked perfectly with the pasta sheets holding a rich pork and beef ragu sauce layered with creamy bechamel sauce and a golden cheesy top crust that hit all the right umami notes.

“Should we get a salad?” asks Sarah. “Well I mean the Insalata Mantecato ($18) has got gorgonzola cheese, pear, walnuts and speck,” we reply with a grin. And just look at those generous wedges of cheese! This is totally my idea of a great salad, with heaps of ingredients and not so much greenery 😛

And what’s a lunch without house made Tiramisu ($10)?

We’d hoped the tiramisu would be a giant wodge ala 10 William Street but alas. Mantecato’s version is served in a jar, and while the bottom layers of lady finger sponge is a touch on the dry side, there is generous amounts of cream.

A rare humans shot! Cream, Cheese, Carbs makes the world go round 😛

Mantecato
129/85 Reynolds Street,
Balmain

Trading Hours:
Mon – Fri: 6pm – 10pm
Sat – Sun: 12pm – 10pm