#atthespit

By Greedy Financier

Ever since Ormeggio at the Spit featured on Masterchef, I have wanted to go eat at this Two Chef’s Hatted Italian restaurant. Having not fine dined for a while, I thought it was about time I pay a visit to this restaurant up north.

Ormeggio at the Spit from the Outside

Ormeggio has a picture perfect location setting, being positioned at The Spit Road bridge. It sits right on the edge of the water with stunning views across the Marina. When you make a reservation, be sure to request a table by the window.

Views of the Marina

We decided to go with the 8-course degustation menu. To start us off, we were presented with some cute little snacks from the chef. A play on the traditional fish and chips – these snacks were a tantalising way to kick start our degustation.

Snacks from the Chefs

The first course of the night was an extremely pretty looking dish. The combination of sweet mud crab with fresh salmon roe and crunchy almonds resulted in a refreshingly beautiful starter.

Hand Picked Mud Crab Meat, Salmon Roe, Burnt Butter, Almond, Tapioca

The next course was a well-known Italian dish, veal tonnato. Essentially not dissimilar to a beef carpaccio, raw diced veal was served with capers, pine nuts and a very delicious tuna flavoured mayonnaise.

Biodynamic Veal Tonnato, Capers, Toasted Pine Nuts

The only pasta dish of the night was next, and it was definitely not a disappointment. Cooked perfectly al dente, the agnolotti was filled with an Italian pork sausage. The tangy sheep’s ricotta and crumbed olives were a superb complement to the dish.

Agnolotti with Asparagus, Aged Sheep Ricotta, Black Olives, ‘Nduja, Watercress

I’m not usually a fan of bonito tuna as I find it can be a little too fishy. However, the confit bonito in this course was exceptional. Melt-in-your-mouth and with no overpowering fishiness, it went scrumptiously with the green peas and herbs.

Confit Bonito, Charcoal Tuna Consomme, Green Peas

Deceptive in appearance, the next course looked like a simple fried egg. Upon delving into it, we discovered a super gooey egg yolk surrounded by a rich creamy pecorino sauce, sitting atop puffed grains.

Free Range Egg Yolk, Puffed Grains, Pecorino Sauce

The last savoury course for the night was a lovely duck dish. Strands of duck meat were pressed together to form what could almost be described as duck loaf but fancier, and was perfectly accompanied by a smoked potato puree.

Pressed Free Range Duck, Turnip, Red Cabbage, Smoked Potato

As a precursor to dessert, we were served yet another aesthetically pleasing dish. This was an impeccable palate cleanser consisting of a combination of fresh cucumber and citrus fruits, with subtle liquorice undertones.

Cucumber, Orange, Lemon, Buttermilk, Liquorice

Dessert was a relatively light dish that reminded me of a lemon tart. Smooth lemon curd and crunchy macadamia shards united effortlessly with the refreshing lemon myrtle sorbet.

Macadamia, Lemon Myrtle

As is customary in fine dining, we concluded a wonderful meal with tea and petit fours. The menu and execution of the dishes at Ormeggio are certainly worthy of their Hats. The degustation was superbly balanced with a range of courses that definitely emphasised freshness. With its stunning location and impeccable food, you couldn’t ask for more from a restaurant.

Ormeggio at the Spit

http://www.ormeggio.com.au/

Lunch: Thursday to Sunday 12.00pm – 3.00pm

Dinner: Wednesday to Sunday 6.00pm – 10.00pm

Ph: +61 2 9969 4088

D’Albora Marinas The Spit

Mosman