Carne - yes please

I know I'm always going on about health and how important it is but I think what's just as important is not to get too anal about it. It's easy to get obsessive and forget that food is there to be enjoyed. If I'm craving something I never deny myself from having it. I just work a bit harder at the gym the day after, or if I know I'm going out for dinner I will go on a good run in the morning. That way I feel like I've earned it and I can go big. Friday night was one of those days, except I didn't go big...I went huge.

Not to be patronising, but for those of you who didn't know, Carne is Italian for meat and when you arrive at this place, you will understand why they have gone with that name. With the same owner as 95 Keerom Street, the menu has got every cut, type and style of meat you can imagine. (And a few you probably can't) The usual suspects like fillet, sirloin, rib-eye etc. are all there but things like tongue, lamb-shoulder, baby chickens, ostrich lasagne, veal livers and more make an appearance. Now, it is really important that I stress this place is not a steakhouse. It is a celebration of meat, sure, but the dishes are elegant and well thought out. There are also items like a caprese salad with authentic buffalo mozzarella and grilled asparagus with a poached egg to keep vegetarians happy.

I started with the kudu tartare and was blown away with the depth of flavour. This was far more than raw meat on a plate. My fiance ordered the ravioli stuffed with lamb shoulder and dressed with a sage butter sauce. Rid-ic-u-lous. One of the best dishes I have seen in a long time. For mains, the waitress presented us with a selection of meats recommended by the chef for that day. I went with a hanger steak. Hanger steak is an unusual cut of beef often referred to as the butcher's cut, supposedly because it's so good the butcher keeps it for himself. The meat is found on the front of the rib near the kidney so the flavour is quite 'gamey'. It's not as tender as the fillet or sirloin, or even rump actually, but the flavour in my opinion is the best. It is phenomenal. If you ever see it on a menu, give it a try.

I thought I would start a new paragraph for desserts because mine deserved it. A chocolate souffle that arrived warm, wobbled just enough, and oozed chocolate sauce when I broke it open. My fiance had something too but to be honest, I was too involved to pay it any attention.

My verdict is that this place is a winner. It was pricey, but the food was out of the top drawer. My only complaint would be the winelist. Although broad, I found it a bit steep. That said, I will absolutely be returning.

Cheers,

Jamie Who