Dinner at Al Piatto Ricco, Rome

This evening we were in the bohemian Trastevere area of Rome, and this local restaurant Al Piatto Ricco came up tops on Tripadvisor for the vicinity as we were looking for somewhere to have dinner.

The ambience was cosy and homely, and lots of old photographs on the wall seemed to suggest that it had a pretty long history and that it had been frequented by many celebrities. As with most restaurants in Rome, service was basic but efficient. We ordered 2 dishes each and shared.

Minestrone soup with macaroni

This popular Italian vegetable soup came in a surprisingly hearty portion that would have sufficed as a full meal for smaller appetites. Perfect for the chilly early spring weather! It was extremely good too; chunks of sweet and juicy vegetables in a thick tomato-based broth, coupled with al dente macaroni, made for a remarkably substantial and wholesome starter, with delightfully rich and complex flavours. There were definitely more vegetables than broth, unlike inferior and bland foreign versions which are often nothing more than watered-down tinned tomato soup with a few perfunctory chunks of chopped vegetables. You could taste the freshness of every ingredient in this bowl. I liked it a lot more than I was expecting to!

Risotto della casa

This is the only risotto dish on the menu, which also happens to be a chef's recommendation. This homemade seafood risotto left us gaping in awe when it was served; it was almost spilling out of the large plate! They are really not stingy with their portions in this place. Every grain remained well-defined with a pleasant firm bite, while the rich seafood cream sauce and generous chunks of seafood (clam, squid, prawn etc.) with which the rice had been mixed made for an incredibly luxurious and tasty experience. We were starting to fill up and wondered whether we had ordered too much food, if the portions so far were indicative of what was to come!

Spaghetti alle vongole

Another chef's recommendation, and the only spaghetti dish in this restaurant with that honour. It was not difficult to see why; the clams were very fresh and succulent, and perfectly complemented by equally juicy baby tomatoes and zucchini strips. The pasta had a lovely firm bite, and it had soaked up the full-bodied flavour of the clam sauce in which it had been tossed. Utterly delicious and satisfying.

Roasted fish of the day (swordfish)

They're pretty proud of their seafood in this restaurant, and this dish (yet another chef's recommendation) was the best proof. The fish was firm and succulent, and it had been roasted with minimal seasoning to allow its natural flavour to shine through. A touch of olive oil and a sprinkling of basil were all that were needed to complete this excellent fillet. A side of fresh rocket salad with its spicy and nutty flavours was very refreshing and enhanced the wholesome character of this dish.

Mixed fried fish

I've come to realise that this popular battered dish on Italian menus doesn't actually contain any fish, but rather a mixture of (typically) squid and prawn/scampi. Not complaining though - I love them all! The whole prawns (very decent-sized I must add) and squid rings remained moist and firm but not rubbery or tough, which can happen all too easily even if slightly overcooked. The quick deep-frying had enhanced their fresh sweet taste even further, and the batter was crisp and light, making for an extremely moreish dish which was gone all too soon!

As you might have sensed by now, we were truly stuffed after all this food and had to forgo dessert, which was a shame as it would probably have been really good too. Well, at least we had covered some of their signature dishes! Prices here are astonishingly reasonable for the generous portions offered, and the overall atmosphere is peaceful and familial - highly recommended if you are in the area.

Pizza galore at Sapori e Delizie, Rome

How does one leave Italy without having tried some authentically made pizza? On this cold and rainy evening, we followed recommendations on Tripadvisor and found what was supposed to be one of the best pizzerias in Rome, on a long side street between Cavour and Vittorio Emanuele metro stations (I would advise getting off at the latter station so as to avoid walking uphill). It was a very small and unpretentious locale overseen by two friendly guys at the counter. They didn't speak much English but we still managed to strike up a brief conversation about where we came from, whether we were enjoying the food etc. We took the table by the door as it was full inside - not the best location because of the constant draft and being nudged by customers coming in for takeaways, but we were just looking for a quick, comforting meal after a long day of walking.

1,50 Euros per large slice chock-full of fresh toppings -
unbelievably cheap and enticing! 

Our orders, freshly made and about to go into the oven.

Wasn't expecting it to be this large!

Pizza 'funghi': tomato, mozarella, button mushrooms. The freshness of the ingredients was obvious, and the sliced mushrooms had a lovely succulent bite about them. The crust was light, thin and crisp so we didn't feel overly stuffed with carbs. Everything was just right. The price? Only 5 Euros! If you find something cheaper and bigger/better than this, let me know!

Pizza 'boscaiola': similar to the above, but with chunks of sausage instead of tomato. A more savoury and substantial item, and really delicious too! Just 6 Euros for this gargantuan piece that turned out bigger than the plate itself.

Pasta 'genovese': pici (like Japanese udon, or a fat version of spaghetti) with a basil and pine nut pesto and copious amounts of olive oil. Pure comfort food on a chilly night - a generous portion of thick pici strands with an excellent al dente texture and soaked in olive oil were heavy yet wholesome; yes it was quite greasy but you know it's all good for you! The wonderful aromas of basil permeated the dish while crushed pine nuts gave a further bite to the dish. Completed with a fine sprinkling of parmesan for extra flavour. So simple yet so unforgettable. In hindsight I can safely say that this was one of the best pasta dishes we had during our Italian vacation. At 5 Euros, food really doesn't get much better than this!

Highly recommended, especially for those on a tight budget who still wish to experience a true taste of Italy. (No extra service/'coperto' charges for what is essentially a takeaway shop, I might add.) Go anyway even if you're not living on a shoestring - the food is truly excellent and well worth travelling a little out of the central area for.

Pompi - The King of Tiramisù, Rome

Did I mention in my last post that service at our local trattoria was so slow that we decided to forgo dessert there? Well fortunately for us, it happened that Rome's best tiramisù place was just a stone's throw away, so we definitely made it up to ourselves! And it was so good that we returned the next evening to cover more items on the menu. This post summarises what we had over the two evenings.

Pompi is a highly regarded dessert establishment in Rome and proudly calls itself 'The King of Tiramisù'. It does have a few branches throughout Rome, but the main shop on Via Albalonga is where both locals and tourists are gathered. It opens till late (1.30 am) everyday except Monday, which is great if you're feeling peckish like we did!

This layered dessert of mascarpone cheese and ladyfinger biscuits (savoiardi in Italian) dipped in coffee, and dusted with cocoa powder on top, is arguably Italy's most famous confectionery export. The mascarpone used here is made using milk that is sent every morning from a specific farm, and they use a light and fat-free biscotto di Novara (of monastic origins) for their ladyfinger biscuits. Pompi has also created its own variations upon the classic coffee tiramisù, almost all of which we tried over the two evenings.

Most people get their fix in a paper takeaway box and sit around outside or stand in any available space within the shop (it really gets quite crowded especially at weekends). If you want table service and slightly more space and comfort, there is also a dine-in area where individual items are charged at €1 more than counter purchases - no-brainer which one we went for, really!

On our first evening: this is pistachio tiramisù. The nut's distinctive aroma was evident in every bite, with real chopped pistachios on top providing a lovely crunch. One must really try pistachio-based dessserts whilst in Italy as the nut's quality seems particularly high there. The mascarpone was extremely light and non-cloying, while the ladyfingers within were soft and spongy. I was very impressed with the quality of the mascarpone and the generosity with which it was slathered; good mascarpone is expensive to make and highly perishable, so in most places they use rather more ladyfingers than mascarpone in their tiramisù, which often makes the dessert feel more like an ordinary sponge cake. Not here, though; their tiramisù is both utterly indulgent and easy on the stomach.

Of course, we also couldn't miss the classic coffee version. This was a dessert fit for the gods; the intense aroma and slight bitterness of Arabica coffee were the perfect foil to the sweet mascarpone. Here, the ladyfingers dipped in coffee were delightfully moist, and still retained their spongy bite without a hint of sogginess (as opposed to more inferior places). The cocoa dusting and chopped bitter chocolate topping imparted a further depth of flavour. This was truly substantial and heady stuff, perfectly balanced in texture and taste - still our favourite tiramisù version in hindsight, amidst all the fancier variations.

We also had banana and chocolate ice cream, which was good too, but somewhat difficult to judge objectively after such great tiramisù. The fresh whipped cream was a lovely touch, light and airy yet so full so flavour, unlike those out of a spray can.

Second evening of gluttony!

This was banana and dark chocolate tiramisù, with an optional Nutella topping at no extra cost. Cant' go wrong with this flavour combination, but in hindsight the Nutella wasn't really necessary (appealing as it sounds) as banana is already quite sweet. The whole thing became just a tad too rich and cloying for my taste.

Lastly, the hazelnut tiramisù. This is the other nut for which Italy is well-known (especially the ones from Piedmont). I love the taste of hazelnuts so this was perfect for me. I think nuts in tiramisù are a really good idea for both texture and flavour!

We would have ordered the last tiramisù version consisting of strawberries and forest berries as well but after these two rather sweet slices we thought maybe it wasn't a good idea to go for a third one. Instead, we ordered a gelato version, which turned out to be a really wise choice! This possessed the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, and was an aptly refreshing way to end our sinful late-night escapades. While the texture was not entirely smooth (shame about some grainy icy bits) the gelato's fruitiness was immediate; seeds within the mix further attested to its authenticity and freshness. Probably the next best thing to actually eating the fruit; we definitely preferred this to the dairy ice-cream from the previous evening.

Pompi is a must while in Rome - only problem: no tiramisù will be good enough for you after this!

Dinner at Trattoria Re di Roma, Rome

I am currently on a family holiday in Italy, and this being the first time in the country for all of us, we were naturally excited about being able to sample the sheer breadth of Italian cuisine in their most authentic possible settings. One of our first blog-worthy meals in Rome was in a little family trattoria this evening called Re di Roma, a stone's throw from the pensione where we were staying. We were all a little tired from the early morning flight, and it was a rather chilly spring evening, so we were glad to find a couple of highly regarded eateries on Tripadvisor in our vicinity for some simple comfort food.

We had not thought to make reservations, which was probably a mistake on a Saturday evening. When we got there at around 8.30 pm it was still full, so we had to wait outside (the space is really quite small) while the owner kindly tried to make space for us despite not having reserved a table. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait too long (about 15 minutes or so) as some early diners were leaving. We ended up by the steps just beyond the doors - somewhat drafty, but still better than nothing.

As far as I could tell everyone else was Italian - always a good sign!

Very simple and homely wall decorations.

The restaurant seems to be run by only a husband-and-wife team, with the wife cooking and the husband serving customers. The energetic middle-aged husband doesn't speak much English so he can't really get as chatty with tourists as he does with fellow Italians, but he is at least able to recommend dishes, and the menu does come with a translation. A word about service before I get on with the food (which was really lovely, by the way): if you arrive on a busy evening be prepared for extremely slow service. This simple dinner took us about 2 hours (!) in all and we actually decided to forgo dessert because that might have added an extra hour or so. Sometimes we feared that our orders had been forgotten by the husband, who looked rather overwhelmed and flustered this evening.

Our orders arrived slowly but surely. This is mixed bruschetti, a popular Italian starter consisting of pieces of toasted bread with different toppings.

The bread was a little dry and tough but the toppings more than compensated for this. The diced tomatoes, possibly the most common topping for this starter, were really sweet and juicy. Combined with a sprinkling of herbs and olive oil, this was wonderfully fresh and flavourful. The others were no less delightful; the bruschetta with a rich and grainy black olive spread left a particularly deep impression with its intense briny taste - here was the fruit in its full concentrated glory. The Parma ham with its slightly creamy texture (due to the fat) and nutty taste was really good too.

Next, one pasta main each: this was my amatriciana, a typical Roman-style pasta with bacon, pomodoro (tomato) sauce, grated black pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese. 

The first thing that I noticed was the al dente texture of the pasta. Up till now, I hadn't really known what a true al dente was - foreign restaurants tend to cook their spaghetti too soft, which isn't helped either by the fact that individual strands are usually much thinner than what you see here. This pasta in front of me possessed a truly lovely firm bite, which stood up perfectly to the viscous sauce that accompanied it. On that note, if you think tomato sauce is just that, this would change your mind. One can always tell when the sauce is homemade without cutting corners. I found it nothing short of miraculous how tomatoes could be made so rich and tasty - must be an Italian thing! Generous sprinklings of bacon, black pepper and cheese enhanced the overall flavour even further. This was perfect comfort food for a chilly evening.

This was my mum's pasta with walnut sauce and tomatoes, a most unusual combination.

She had chosen it based on the menu description. No cheese, perfect she thought - like a lot of older Chinese people she doesn't take to the aroma and taste very well. Still came with a generous sprinkling of Pecorino, but after moving most of it to my plate (yes please!) whatever that remained in fact enhanced this relatively mild pasta dish very effectively with a pleasant sharpness and saltiness. The combination of walnut and tomato worked surprisingly well, delicately balancing the tangy and the savoury. The bitter nutty edge was apparent but not overwhelming. There was somewhat lesser sauce, though all the flavour seemed to have been soaked up by the pasta.

As expected, she also found the al dente texture rather firmer than she's used to - there's always a first time for everything I suppose!

Lastly, my partner's carbonara, another Roman-style pasta that is known all over the world. Very similar to my amatriciana in fact, but using a rich egg-based sauce in place of tomatoes.

Carbonara pasta as we know it outside Italy is typically an artificial cream-drenched affair which clogs arteries without really satisfying the tastebuds. Here, a substantial combination of eggs, cheese and olive oil made for a sauce that was not only infinitely more complex in flavour but also somewhat lighter on the stomach, without compromising its creamy textural appeal. There was also just the right amount of sauce to pasta, which left one feeling very satisfied but not bloated. Lovely!

We also ordered two sides to share - this is potatoes and broccoli sautéed with garlic and chilli.

This Italian version of a vegetable stir-fry was delicious. When one cooks with good olive oil and fresh ingredients, very little else is needed. Here, only touches of garlic and chilli were necessary to enhance the aroma of the dish and stimulate the palate at the outset.

We also had a very typical springtime dish of carciofi alla romana, literally Roman-style artichokes.

This heavier artichoke dish braised with a mixture of herbs, garlic, white wine and olive oil was a first for all of us, and we stupidly tried to eat the hard and fibrous outer leaves before realising that the heart was what really mattered (pun intended!). The flaky artichoke heart was naturally tender, juicy and bittersweet, while the condiments imparted further aromas and depths of flavour. Despite its seemingly unappealing look, this dish is apparently a lot more difficult to prepare than it seems. All in all, a really interesting initial experience with this vegetable.

As mentioned earlier, it was well past 10 pm when we finished our savoury courses, and decided to call it an evening. It was a shame somewhat, as I'm sure the desserts would have been pretty good - but we just had no idea how long more they might take. In summary - highly recommended, but come with lots of time and patience to spare!