Pasta Emilia, Surry Hills

As I walked into Surry Hills based restaurant Pasta Emilia, I felt like I was entering a remote little town of Italy. The family orientated and rustic decorated restaurant felt very comforting. I peek through the restaurant and notice a pasta making class taking place. No cooking for me today though, I'm here to dine in the restaurant.

 

Pasta Emilia is located in Surry Hills, a short walk from Central Station. On this particular day, we drive into the city and luckily get a parking spot nearby. MW and I sit down and eagerly await a lovely lunch on a Saturday. I notice some really good lunch deals at Pasta Emilia. There's a Tasting Lunch Special $35 which includes a shared antipasto platter, selection of pasta and a glass of organic wine. Or you can just order off the menu which has more variety.

I order the 2015 Gutturno Superior (55% Babera, 45% Bonarda) Villa Tavernago, Piacenza which is an organic fresh and sweet medium bodied wine ($12 glass). While I absolutely love wine, MW shys away although he really likes organic wine that is sweeter with strong citrus flavours.

The Birra Del Borgo (hand crafted beer) is a reale, amber inspired by traditional British India Pale Ale. It's characterised by an abundant hopping. MW loves his beers but I stick to the wine.

MW talk about Sydney's property market and the crazy prices compared to salary ratio. It's absolutely insane! I take a deep breathe and have another sip of wine. I start to eat my feelings away lol.

MW and I share the Daily Bruschetta special ($15). On crunchy sour dough bread, the daily bruschetta has a avocado and cream cheese mixture that is topped with beetroot, cabbage and is drizzled in a light, sweet balsamic vinegar. I've never had beetroot on bruschetta but really enjoy it. I love beetroot.

At the moment, I'm very big on meat and cheeses so it's a heavenly experience for me. The Chisule con affettato misto e giardiniera ($23) brings joy to the taste buds as I combine wine with the meat and cheese. The fried task dough that I dip into the olive oil is a nice textural addition. The fried bread and oil is so simple but works so well with the sliced meat.

MW and I have been eating a lot of cheese recently and we're always fans of burrata cheese. The Burrata fresca con insalatina di carote which is a fresh burrata with carrot salad ($18) is incredibly creamy. The carrot provides a nice slightly crunchy contrast.

As you would expect, the highlight of Pasta Emilia is their pasta!! This one immediately caught my attention on the menu - the Tortelli alla zucca con creama al tatufo is a pumpkin tortelli served with truffle cream sauce ($32) because I love a good hearty pumpkin tortelli and it's combined with my favourite thing in the world - creamy truffle sauce!!! The description lives up to the taste with the light little pillows of pumpkin being well complemented by the creamy sauce.  I highly recommend this dish.

The crowd favourite seems to be the Tortelli anatra and tartufo al burro e timo which is a duck and truffle tortelli served with herby butter ($36). MW loves the duck tortelli as it melts in your mouth with finely minced duck flavours and that butter sauce is subtle so it doesn't take away from the duck. I highly recommend.

For something different you may want to try the Strozzapreti al ragu di campagna ($28) which is a strozzapreti with a selection of pork/veal mince.  The Strozzapreti pasta is a hand rolled pasta which more dense and heavier than your average pasta. The ragu is quite homely although the heavier type of pasta is unfamiliar for me. MW loves trying new things whereas I long for more familiar flavours and textures to the palette. So it depends on your preferences!!

For dessert, there's quite a few options on the menu and I was able to sample a small portion of everything. My favourites are definitely the hazlenut ice cream with cookie, closely followed by the strawberry ice cream in a soft pastry bun. MW really likes the tiramisu and hazlenut ice cream with cookie!

Summary: I am absolutely in love with Pasta Emilia. I suggest sharing a board of meats/cheese and follow it up with a Tortelli dish (and some wine). It will be a lovely lunch, all for $35. This is the perfect combination for a nice catch up with friends. If you are feeling naughty - definitely ask for the fried bread. I highly recommend it.

Price: $mains are $30ish. 

Location: 259 Riley St, Surry Hills

Opening Hours: 
Closed Monday
Tuesday - Sunday - 11am to 4pm, 6pm to 10pm

Weekend Food Escapes dined as guests of Pasta Emilia. All words, opinions and photos are my own.