How this dish has escaped Italian restaurant menus all over the world astounds me. In Perth, Western Australia, at neighbourhood pizzeria Amore Mio, classic Sardinian food is proudly celebrated.

I haven’t been to Sardinia yet, but I have certainly been enjoying the unique, often rustic flavours of it’s wonderful cuisine wherever I can find it. Luckily, here in Sydney, we have one of its very finest exponents in chef Giovanni Pilu. His two-hatted beachside restaurant, Pilu, is a temple of fine Sardinian cuisine. Just a stone’s throw away however, lies his more relaxed but no less excellent restaurant, AcquaFresca, which turns out easy-going Sardinian classics cooked with the same outstanding attention to produce and fine cooking.

AcquaFresca By Pilu
88 Evans Street, Freshwater NSW 2096
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I knew this would be a different beast as the bottarga and the sea urchin came as two sauces, both with different textures and density. Creamy and luscious. Mixing them through the pasta created a bomb of umami. Tasting of the sea, of course, but not overpoweringly. A lovingly made and creative dish and a spectacular way to showcase two of the seas most exotic ingredients. I’ll be back for more of this.

Olio Kensington Street
Level 2, The Old Rum Store
2-10 Kensington Street, Chippendale, Sydney NSW 2008
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