Sapore, St Kilda

Armed with an Entertainment Book voucher, we set out to Sapore. The menu seemed a bit pricier than what we usually pay for so I hoped the restaurant lived up to its Urbanspoon rating and Good Food Guide recommendation.

As usual, the meal started off with complimentary bread, which was warm and delightfully chewy. To accompany the bread, a small bowl of green olives and a dish of freshly poured olive oil were presented on the table.

Based on some reviews I read, we ordered an entrée serve of their house-made gnocchi to share. The texture of the gnocchi was like none I’ve tasted before. Each little, square parcel seemed to disappear into my mouth without so much as a press of the tongue; a far cry from the tough, wads of flour that one might buy from a supermarket.

The saffron broth was poured into the dish at the table so the risotto wouldn’t be too soggy. There were quite a number of saffron strands in the broth. Needless to say, mum consumed every one of them. The risotto was perfectly cooked and went very well with the sauce. I wouldn’t have thought of turning whole garlic cloves into one of the major components of a dish and surprisingly, the fritters didn’t have a strong taste.

Dad and I ordered the same dish: duck three ways. There were two pieces of deep-fried duck, one of which was presented on a mound of spinach, and two pan-fried, crispy-skinned breast pieces. One slice of breast was presented on a thick bed of butternut pumpkin puree and the other had a quenelle of sauce on top (I’m still not sure what the second sauce was). The sultanas in the dark, Marsala sauce on the sides tasted like one of the varieties of preserved plum that mum often buys for Chinese New Year. The duck was well-complemented by all the different sauces and was not overcooked.

Like with many of the better restaurants, the serves appear small, but it’s the quality that counts – we all left the restaurant full and well-satisfied.

Sapore
5 Fitzroy St
St Kilda, VIC, 3182
(03) 9534 9666
http://www.sapore.com.au/
Sapore on Urbanspoon

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