When the Ultimate Plank arrived at our table, I knew that we were in for a treat. We were at Jamie’s Italian for dinner, a two-storey restaurant bearing the name of celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver. The Edward Street venue is located in the heritage-listed Rowes Arcade and has been a favourite of locals since it opened its doors in 2014. Balanced on two rustic looking tins of tomatoes, the Ultimate Plank ($39) was piled full of flavour and delicious morsels. I’m talking about a selection of cured meats like prosciutto, finocchiona and schiacciata piccante, as well as seasonal marinated vegetables, boccocini, olives… the list goes on!
We were seated on the upper level of the restaurant and had a perfect view of the restaurant’s antipasto bar, decorated with hanging strings of garlic, dried herbs and cured meat, where chefs sliced and prepared our Ultimate Plank. Above us, a massive custom-made chandelier sparkled away.
Taking inspiration from the “Italian table” - where people relax, share and enjoy each other’s company, the menu offers a great range of food options from quick nibbles to fresh salads, pasta and even slow-roasted porchetta. For mains, we just couldn’t resist going for pasta. I ordered the fresh blue swimmer crab spaghetti with chilli, fennel, capers, white wine & garlic ($29) while the other travel bunnie decided to get the porcini mushroom gnocchi with rich porcini mushroom sauce, smoked mozzarella & lemony gremolata ($28). Both pasta dishes were as you’d expect, perfectly cooked and utterly delicious. Surprisingly both packed quite a punch with the addition of fresh chillies tossed through. If you have a bambino dining with you, you’d be happy to know that at Jamie’s Italian, they have curated a kids menu that offers two size options and all dishes come with a fresh shake-me salad (very cute!) and a choice of fruity water or juice. The best of all? They sneak in extra veggies in ways that you wouldn’t imagine (e.g. the seven-veg sauce and five-a-day picnic box).
Of course, a visit wouldn’t be complete without dessert and man, oh man, we were spoilt rotten by the team at Jamie’s. Instead of giving us the two desserts that we ordered, they presented us with a wooden plank topped with ALL the items on their dessert menu. I was beyond satisfied, and if I had to pick a favourite, it would be the epic brownie, which was covered with thick, creamy chocolate sauce then topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramelised amaretti popcorn. What a decadent way to finish your dinner!
Service was spot on, and the staff were so friendly, especially to Minibun George, throughout the entire night, it was so warm to see as a parent. You really can’t go wrong with this place.
Oh, and did you know that they offer a Super Lunch menu? $25 for two-courses! Jamie’s, I’ll be seeing you very soon again!
Disclaimer: with thanks to Jamie’s Italian for welcoming me to the property as a guest, please note that my opinion is as always, my own.
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