Da Noi (by Chloe)

My brother Tom is a great fan of the little cult Sardinian restaurant on Toorak Road, Da Noi, has been for quite a while, and when he sent me a text message from there saying "just had the best oysters of my life" I decided it was time for me to get in on some of the action. With my birthday fast approaching, and me being a huge fan of indulging at any opportunity, this was my moment! All I needed now was twelve friends to indulge with me... easy.

Da noi inside is a quaint little restaurant with lovely welcoming staff, a cosy unassuming interior, and small tables with white tablecloths. But out the back is a beautiful outdoor area with an open fire (where apparently on occasion they will roast a suckling pig)... its like having a little intimate party in someone's backyard, but with your own waitstaff, loungy music and beautiful ambience.

The thing that really turned me on about Da Noi was that there's no menu (well there is, but no one really uses it), they simply ask if anyone is allergic or adverse to anything, and serve you what they think you want to eat. And according to Tom, they seem to always get it right.

This time was certainly no exception! Liz and I (sitting next to each other) started with a Prosecco (or two) and didn't actually move on from there until the main course, they were going down so well. We started to nibble with some homemade herbed bread - delish! Then a number of little antipasti dishes that included some crunchy fried fish, grilled asparagus, tomato baked eggplant, gravlox with a beautiful homemade tartare, pickled octopus and I'm sure a few more I can't remember I gobbled them down so quickly. Each one was so interesting and delicious, completely different in taste and texture, exciting the palate perfectly, which is indeed, exactly the job they are meant to do.

The next course was the Primi Piatti, a delicate pasta with so much flavour, and not too saucy at all. With flakes of salty crab meat through the tiny little Bumbola (Bee shaped-pasta - I googled), a light white wine base with all the right things, sea salt, garlic, butter, and perhaps a hint of sage? It was absolutely my idea of nirvana.

The Secondi Piatti was a rolled piece of lamb with prosciutto and spinach, there were simple flavours but just beautifully cooked and showcased the lamb perfectly. We did decide to move on from the Prosecco for the main event, though, with a rich and silky red (can't even remember what type!) to go with our lovely lamb. The wait staff are very well educated on the right wine choices and in the end, we really all just left it up to them to bring it on, and with complete trust as all their suggestions were spot on.

Did I hear someone say we should skip dessert? No way jose, with the journey my tastebuds have been on there how could I deny them the final leg? I'm riding this baby all the way to the end. So with a macchiato and a beautiful tasting plate of desserts (panna cotta, tiramisu, and pear tart) I blew out my candles on my mini croque en bouche and declared the night just beginning...

Bellissimo!

Oh... one thing I forgot to mention was the price. For a night of pure indulgence, although worth it, it was certainly wasn't cheap, at around $140 a head ($85 for the set menu and quite a fair few drinks)... special occasions only.