Buon
Ricordo
By Franz Scheurer
Armando Percuoco has been spoiling his patrons for 13 years at Buon Ricordo Ristorante in Paddington, and it shows! There doesn’t seem to be a single guest in there that Armando doesn’t know, as he works the room brilliantly, with easy showmanship and genuine Neapolitan charm and friendliness. Each guest, no doubt, feels special, recognized, pampered and privileged to be there. On the other hand it is the clientele and their unconditional love for Armando and Gemma and their restaurant that makes the atmosphere so special. It’s like a large family outing without the fighting, happy and sharing, boisterous without being loud.
The space is unmistakably Italian without the kitsch. Warm, welcoming and eminently comfortable. You can hear a sigh of relief from each guest as they sit down and settle in for the treat to come. Everything is designed to make you feel at ease. The air-conditioning is just right, the table settings simply perfect, the flowers fresh and beautifully arranged and the waiting staff proficient with service that is very cheeky Italian, but impeccable. Make sure you have a look at the recently refurbished upstairs room and the terrific new wine room.
The food is classic Italian fare with flair. Perfect ingredients are treated with respect and it’s all about flavour. The arrival of new chef Massimo Bianchi has added a new focus to excellence, and the perfect truffled egg pasta remains, as does the terrific and poignant wine list. If you can’t fly to Italy to eat, this is the next best thing!
I
simply love the ‘Bigoli con vitello’ (home-made diamond pasta with a sauce of
braised veal with thyme and parmesan). It’s one of the most flavoursome pasta
dishes I have ever tasted. Perfectly al dente, unctuous, with deep, long
flavours it’s just fabulous. Trouble is that the ‘Timballo Napoletano’, an 18th
century festive dish of tubular pasta filled with meat balls, peas, quail eggs
and provola topped with Napoletana sauce is just as good. As any Italian mother
would say: “mangi!” (eat!)
Score: 8.5/10
Buon Ricordo
108 Boundary Street
Paddington
Tel.: 02 9360 6729