“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well”, or so says Virginia Woolf. This quote is printed on the top of La Scala’s menu. From the beginning, you know that at La Scala, you’re in for a fine dining experience.
The restaurant sits atop of the Light Brigade Hotel and after a hike up the stairs (‘La Scala’ translates to ‘the staircase’), we walk inside the restaurant, the walls are freshly painted and there is a warm glow coming from the lights. There’s a bar to the left, and a long wooden table with young people sipping drinks and nibbling on plates of things to the right. Walking further into the restaurant we reach the main dining area filled with white clothed tables and a more mature crowd. “Well this is nice” my grandmother exclaims, and it is, very.
Menus are presented in a brown snakeskin folder, with a red matching folder for the wine list and there’s a pretty class bowl of chestnuts sitting on the table. The restaurant manages to be stylishly elegant and quirky at the same time. With a table next to a wall, our seating choices are between a leather couch and armed wooden chairs. I choose a chair, and my rear side reminds me of this choice as I shift around at various times throughout the meal.
The service at La Scala is efficient, polite and very friendly. Throughout the meal we got a chance to get to know Andy, our humorous waiter and I believe he played a big part in enriching our night.
The table beside us is sharing entrees and we decide to do the same, ordering Carpaccio Cipriani ($17), Fritto misto, made up of deep fried Hawkesbury squid, tiger prawns, zucchini blossoms, herb mayonnaise & lemon ($22) and Salumi misti – a selection of Italian cured meats, pickled fennel & gherkins ($ 19). The zucchini flower on the Fritto Misto was crisp and fresh, the crab was fleshy and full of flavour (but not fishy). The small prawns however left some to be desired. The Carpaccio was cool, served with a creamy sauce and tasted rather good with lemon. I was however expecting the meat to be thinner – it was quite thick in some sections. The cured meats, including salami and prosciutto, ranged in levels of salt and some were a bit smokey. Overall, the entree portions were generous, but sharing is probably a good idea as it gives you more variety and you don’t have to succumb to an entire plate of cured meats, raw meat or tempura.
Between entree and main, we got chatting with Andy who recognised my grandmother from when he was waiting at Bilson’s. Despite the need of both my grandmother and mother to hold Andy in ongoing conversation, Andy was entirely pleasant and charming. I’d say he was a truly great waiter but that’s evident from his past work at the like of Bilson’s and Aria.
I was curious as to why each waiter had a different number embroidered on the back of his waistcoat. Andy explained that at La Scala, they were all part of a team. The jersey numbers are reminiscent of that. Also, Chef Darren Simpson has an Irish background – so perhaps the jersey numbers (No play on Jersey Road here) are indicative of a love of football.
My main course was an addition to the menu, swordfish done with eggplant and olives ($34). The fish was firm and moist and the eggplant complemented the flavour well. The olives however were a little bitter but the dish, which also included pine nuts, was wonderfully light. When ordering I couldn’t decide between the swordfish and the Scampi, done with parsley, garlic & almond butter ($39), so my grandmother and I shared both dishes. The Scampi had a nutty flavour and wasn’t too greasy at all, nor did it have an overpowering garlicky taste. It was however slightly fidgety to get out of the shell, but well worth the battle! As the Scampi doesn’t come with any sides we ordered a serving of Tuscan fries with herbs, garlic, olives & chilli ($8). Unfortunately not many of the chips picked up the flavour from the herbs and chilli.
After two courses we weren’t overly stuffed but weren’t really considering dessert. Andy encouraged us not to pass up the Chocolate Nemesis ($14) though and it’s honestly never that hard to talk me into ordering chocolate! We were all glad (including my grandmother who usually avoids chocolate desserts) that we took Andy’s advice as the flourless chocolate cake was sinfully delicious! Very rich and moist, and served lukewarm with Crème fraiche (which I ate it without), the Nemesis was a smooth dark chocolate piece of ecstasy. Unless you’re a true chocoholic though, it would be better to share it and leave wanting more than to have a chocolate overload.
Done for the night, we were ready to leave but I remembered Andy telling us that the best room in La Scala was the little girl’s powder room. So, up the celebrity stairs I trotted to the large pink room with arm chairs a plenty. On either side of the room were doors that lead to bathrooms full of stalls and sinks. I did say La Scala was quirky!
Only open three months, La Scala plays on the name of Simpson’s previous restaurant, La Sala and offers sophisticated food in a lovely restaurant with vivacious staff. Unbeknownst to some, it has not only taken over the upstairs premises of the Light Brigade, but also accepts the Entertainment Card, as the Light Brigade restaurant did, honouring the same discount.
Above the Light Brigade Hotel
Corner of Jersey Road and Melrose Lane
Woollahra 2025
Opening Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday 6pm – 11pm
Price:
Around $70 a head for three courses
Been wanting to go there for a while...Now want to go even more!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed my meal here too! How great is that Chocolate Nemesis? I was lucky to dine with someone that let me try some of hers. I loved the Vitello Tonnato too :)
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