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When you’re next craving a world-class bowl of pasta, want to take a pizza-loving date to a romantic restaurant, or are looking for a modern upgrade to the Italian eatery down the road, let one place and one place only come to mind – Pomodoro Ristorante in Morningside Shopping Centre.
Ever since I moved up to Joburg, I’ve been frequenting Pomodoro. I blame their outstanding seared salmon dish served with smokey grilled broccoli for this. Yes, I fell helplessly in love with it at first bite! However, it wasn’t up until last week Thursday that I visited the restaurant and was talked into trying something different off their menu. All I can say is that I’m ever so delighted that I did!
I arrived at the trendy restaurant in the early evening with my boyfriend, Nik. I’ve always really enjoyed the atmosphere that this establishment has to it – it’s very sophisticated, but at the same time somewhat homey. Its Italian authenticity shines through in all aspects! To add, it feels like the furthest thing from your typical “shopping centre restaurant”, if you get what I mean.
To kick off the evening, proud and passionate owner Stefan recommended we order up a bottle of the Babylonstoren Mourvèdre Rose. I must say, one of the things I really enjoy about owner-run restaurants like this one, is that most of the time there’s an enthusiastic owner on the floor making top-notch recommendations and explaining the idea behind each dish. Stefan never fails to do this – and I might add that his wine pairing recommendations are always spot-on!
To start, Nik and I then ordered the deep-fried crumbed aubergine scallops to share. They were divine – light and perfectly crumbed. As our main course, we opted to share four delicious dishes – the squid ink tagliallini with rosa tomatoes and prawns, spinach and goat’s cheese risotto with truffle oil, fontina and parma ham raviolio in a burnt butter and sage sauce, and, of course, my beloved salmon dish. To accompany our mains, we ordered a bottle of Nico van der Merwe 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot; also as per Stefan’s recommendation.
All four dishes were beautifully presented and gloriously hearty. While it was a tough call to decide on a single favourite, I must say that the ravioli was especially excellent! The filling was fresh and flavourful, while the sauce it was done in was nothing short of exceptional.
Nik’s favourite was the tagliallini, which was sublime – who would’ve thought that such a simple combination could be so tantalising? I’m delighted to announce that this wonderfully authentic dish is being added to their specials menu! I must also mention that the top-notch bottle of wine that we indulged in with our mains was the perfect pairing – a very special bottle of vino, indeed.
To end off our immensely enjoyable Italian meal on a sweet note, Nik and I each tucked into a trio of miniature desserts, consisting of decadent Belgian chocolate mousse, Limoncello pana cotta and Nutella tirasmu. All three were nothing short of heavenly, but my inner Nutella addict forces me to say that the tiramisu was my favourite – it was simply to-die-for! I’m still feeling rather mesmerised by that ever-so-dreamy dessert.
All in all, I had an outstanding experience at Pomodoro. From the pitch-perfect risotto to the mouth-watering salmon dish, each and every dish was wonderfully unique and perfectly prepared. It’s abundantly clear from the minute you step inside Pomodoro Ristorante that there’s an authentic individual behind everything that they do.
Darlings, if you’re looking for an Italian restaurant with five-star ambitions and service to match, I highly recommend Pomodoro Ristorante. The menu and wine list are both extensive, the service is friendly and knowledgeable, and the ambiance is something special – intimate but at the same time lovely and relaxed. It’s the perfect place to visit for a sophisticated lunch, a romantic date night or just a hearty dinner. Go on and indulge – I urge you to!
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