Rogue District - Brunswick

A few weeks ago, we went to Rogue District for some brunch. I have a habit of just seeing 1 photo on Instagram and then I am set on going to the brunch place. Nothing can deter me.

Nice latte art

Gruyere and Leek Croquette

I got the Gruyere and Leek Croquette ($19). I had literally went to Rogue District just to try this and I was not wowed at all. The croquette was indiscernible in flavour. If I hadn't read the menu, I would've just tasted potato. Its saving grace was its accompaniments of field mushroom, poached egg, capsicum pesto, sweet potato crisps and rocket salad.  The pesto had nice flavour but the whole dish just lacked seasoning.

Reuben

Quynh got the Reuben ($17), which consisted of wagyu pastrami, saukekraut, gruyere, house pickles, aioli and dijon on rye. It wasn't the best reuben she has had but the classic flavours melded well together.

V vibrant colours

Overall, we left Rogue District feeling a little bit dejected. I expected my palate to be pop pop popped with flavour. The vibes were nice since we got to sit outside. Would I return? Yeah probably not.



Taste: 6/10
Presentation: 7/10
Value for Money: 7/10
Service: 7/10

Maccaroni Trattoria Italiana - CBD

For John's birthday, we went to Maccaroni Trattoria Italiana, located on Manchester Lane. We ordered a bunch of dishes to share between 4 people.

Lasagne

The Lasagne ($18) was fresh pasta with bolognese sauce, bechamel and parmesan. Your standard lasagne. Nothing to rave about but nothing to complain about either.

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

We also ordered the Risotto Chicken and Mushrooms ($24). This was disappointing to say the least. It was clumpy rice with dry shredded chicken. Where is my creamy risotto that is barely being held together on the plate. I've been robbed.

I had high hopes for the Pappardelle Funghi e Tartufo ($26). This was fresh pappardelle with mushrooms, truffle sauce and parsley. Boy, did this not disappoint. It had an intense truffle flavour and each strand of perfectly cooked pappardelle was coated with the scrumptious sauce. This was a great pasta dish. YOM.

We also got the Quattro Fromaggio ($22). It was topped with tomato, mozzarella, gorgonzola, parmigiano, pecorino and oregano. Yes it was cheesy, and yes it was good.

Dat spread tho

Nice wall decor

Cute!

Overall, we had good Italian food at Maccaroni Trattoria Italiania. The restaurant was quaint and very Italian. The food was hit and miss but that truffle pappardelle was its saving grace. Would I come back? Maybe. We will have to see.



Taste: 7/10
Presentation: 6.5/10
Value for Money: 7/10
Service: 7/10

400 Gradi - Brunswick

We recently had a Quynh's Cupcakery team meeting at 400 Gradi. 400 Gradi boasts being the number 1 pizza in the world. V keen.

No wine for us

Dranks

Fiori di Zucca

To start we got the Fiori di Zucca ($19). This was 3 Zucchini flowers stuffed with buffalo ricotta, spanner crab and chilli. This was a tad bland and I would've loved more crab flavour and a dipping sauce. 

Arancini

We also the Arancini ($16) which was crumbed rice balls, bolognese, peas, mozzarella and spicy rose sausage. This was a tad more flavoursome starter and the sauce was good.

Margherita Verace

Pizza time! The Margherita Verace ($22) had San Marzano tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil and extra virgin olive oil. It wasn't as beautifully presented as the other pizzas we saw as the basil and mozarella wasn't evenly spread.The dough was lovely and so puffy on the end and I'm not even a crust person! It was a good pizza. Basic, but good. 

Pizzaaaaaaaaaaaa

Romano

We also got the Romano ($25). This was San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, Prosciutto Cotto. This was more flavoursome and the prosciutto paired well with Balsamic. It is a shame that you have to eat the pizza immediately because it loses its puffliness if it sits there too long. 

Spaghettini al Granchio

Next was the Spaghettini al Granchio ($36). This was Spaghettini with spanner crab meat, garlic, chilli, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, white wine and lobster bisque. OOFT this was pure seafood flavour. I really enjoyed this pasta and it had ample chunky pieces of crab. 

Yay parmesan and chilli oil

Pappardelle al Sugo D'agnello

We also tried the Pappardelle al Sugo D'agnello ($32). This was pappardelle with slow cooked lamb ragu. I had expected this to be super rich but it was basic and needed more parmesan and chilli oil to oomph up the flavours.

Tiramisu

For dessert, we got the Tiramisu ($16). It was a traditional serve of savoiardi biscuits soaked in coffee and marsala layered with mascarpone cream, topped with cocoa and icing sugar. I haven't had many traditional tiramisus and boy was this good. Great dessert to end the night!

Layout

Overall, we had an alright night at 400 Gradi. The pizza and pastas were good. While they didn't exceed my expectations, I still ate good flavoursome food. The Spaghettini was definitely the winner of the night! It was relatively busy but service wasn't lacking. If I want to eat some gourmet pizza and pasta, I'll probably try other avenues in the future.




Taste: 6.5/10
Presentation: 7/10
Value for Money: 7/10
Service: 7/10