And then YAY, time for dessert.
Starting with….. of course…..
Tiramisu! Who doesn’t want to
eat tiramisu at an Italian? It’s one
of those dishes that love is a major
ingredient; laziness and/or a lack
of love will leave it bland, dry and
utterly disappointing. Ladies &
Gentlemen, this, was none of those
things. We received a tumbler-full
of punchy, coffee-filled goodness.
I mean this was really, seriously
good. Silky smooth, balanced,
clever and pretty. I’d go back again
if that were their only menu item!
As if an unnecessarily good
tiramisu ain’t enough, our new
(best) friends presented their
cheesecake. Oh boy! Head Chef
Otto has created a real master class
here in cheesecake reinvention. His
decision to use panko breadcrumbs
instead of the more common
tennis biscuit (or variation of)
was a revelation. Texturally it left
a mouth-feel somewhat similar
to desiccated coconut, which in
contrast to the unbearably smooth
cheesecake made for clever cooking
– and happy eating. As if it weren’t
enough, the superbly restrained
use of cinnamon provides an
interesting lingering taste once the
explosion of early flavours fade.
This dish is one squeeze of a lemon
– or grate of some zest – short of
being a very special dish, missing
out with the lack of balance again
so needed. A quick fix, though,
one hopes the much needed acidity
injection will be found at Filini.
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