Ragazzi is an Italian restaurant in Sydney CBD, recently hyped by all the influx of Instagram foodies. I have been seeing this place so often on Instagram over the last few months that I was starting to believe it was worth the hype.
We got the set menu for $70pp. The food was good but I don’t think Ragazzi is as fantastic or a showstopper as the Internet makes it out to believe.
We got the set menu for $70pp. The food was good but I don’t think Ragazzi is as fantastic or a showstopper as the Internet makes it out to believe.
Entrée
Our first entrée was cantabrian anchovy and butter on sourdough. We were drooling as we ate this: simple and well-executed 🤤.
I could totally see why people were raving about this on IG. It was clever of Ragazzi to balance the heavily salty fish with a heck tonne of creamy, milky butter and a fluffy, crunchy sourdough. Most restaurants would achieve this balance by either pickling small anchovies or choosing larger-shaped ones so the flesh would mellow out the salt.
If there was one dish I’d recommend, this gluttonous, salty snack is the one 👍🏻.
I could totally see why people were raving about this on IG. It was clever of Ragazzi to balance the heavily salty fish with a heck tonne of creamy, milky butter and a fluffy, crunchy sourdough. Most restaurants would achieve this balance by either pickling small anchovies or choosing larger-shaped ones so the flesh would mellow out the salt.
If there was one dish I’d recommend, this gluttonous, salty snack is the one 👍🏻.
The burrata was served with pickled green tomato, dill, chilli and pangrattato (bread crumbs). The cheese was cold and smooth, enhanced by the sweet and acidic tomatoes. There was a nice micro crunch from the toasted bread crumbs The mint added the slightest earthy tones to the bite. The chilli was ever so slight but almost unnoticeable as it was overpowered by the refreshing creaminess of the burrata, tomatoes and dill.
Next was kingfish crudo with plum, sesame, and wasabi on crispy seaweed. This was a delicious and fragrant three-biter 🤤. It had a mix of soft, cold flesh contrasting with the nori crunch. Again, another refreshing and light entrée, and one I would recommend.
Main Course
Our first pasta was the spaghetti, cacio e pepe served with roasted cabbage, garlic sauce and chilli. The spaghetti was slightly al dente. The flavouring was a tad too salty and not peppery or cheesy enough. The shredded pecorino romano cheese would have been enough to salt the pasta but the chef must have added another handful of sea salt. We were quite thirsty by the end of this dish.
It was good the roasted cabbage had a deep lasting flavour so it felt like it masked a lot of the salty pasta. The garlic and chilli enhanced the cabbage nicely. Texture-wise, it was soft but still crunchy in some areas.
It was good the roasted cabbage had a deep lasting flavour so it felt like it masked a lot of the salty pasta. The garlic and chilli enhanced the cabbage nicely. Texture-wise, it was soft but still crunchy in some areas.
Our next pasta was the rigatoni, lamb ragu, goats curd, sage served with leaf salad. The lamb was tender with a moderately strong gamey flavour, enhanced by the earthy tones of the curd. The sage was a nice aromatic touch.
However, these two confirmed for us that the chef was heavy-handed with the salt. This pasta was even saltier than the last one. A lot of the salt explosions were attached to the rigatoni itself so it may have been the water they were cooked in..? 🤔 Or just adding one too many handfuls in the seasoning process.
To balance the salt, we tried to eat the leaf salad but my goodness, we felt our tastebuds shrivel up with each bite. There was not enough vinegar or lemon in the salad. We didn’t even eat half of it because it was that unendurable.
However, these two confirmed for us that the chef was heavy-handed with the salt. This pasta was even saltier than the last one. A lot of the salt explosions were attached to the rigatoni itself so it may have been the water they were cooked in..? 🤔 Or just adding one too many handfuls in the seasoning process.
To balance the salt, we tried to eat the leaf salad but my goodness, we felt our tastebuds shrivel up with each bite. There was not enough vinegar or lemon in the salad. We didn’t even eat half of it because it was that unendurable.
Dessert
Our dessert was a miso banana tart with milk chocolate. This was a light and creamy ending that was moderately sweet and revitalising, especially after the last dish. I really enjoyed the soft, formed pastry base and the refreshingly sweet banana flavour.
Service
The service was great and as expected of this fine establishment.
Review
Overall I enjoyed Ragazzi but nothing stood out for me in terms of gastronomy. It felt like a fancy Italian restaurant that does pasta well, or well enough. I’d have to judge their lasagne to really tell if they’re amazing as everyone proclaims. I do like that they’re located in the centre of the CBD so it was easy to access.
P.S. Casoni is a much better Italian spot, eaten only a week apart (LINK).
Thank you for reading. Happy eating! 😁
P.S. Casoni is a much better Italian spot, eaten only a week apart (LINK).
Thank you for reading. Happy eating! 😁
