Milano Torino Rosebery

Milano Torino can mean a couple of things. It's a cocktail for a start. Milano and Torino are a couple of Italian cities. But we're in Rosebery, at a restaurant, and I'm figuring, you're guessing the joint is Italian. Yep, Milano Torino is a new Italian restaurant in Rosebery, now licensed, so they can make you that Milano Torino cocktail - made with equal parts Campari (the bitter orange liqueur from Milano) and Cinzano (the vermouth from Torino or Turin). It's the first drink ordered by James Bond in Ian Fleming's book, Casino Royale. Milano is also the family name of Dario who comes from Torino. On a visit to his Rosebery restaurant, you'll probably also spy Dario in his open kitchen, waiting to cook your meal.

My foodie friends tipped me off. "Was there Wednesday - that Tonnato" And he was right. Even without his tip, I would have ordered the Vitello Tonnato as it's one of my favourite Italian dishes. It's a showcase dish for Dario yet also typical of his northern Italian menu, which is somewhat traditional with some light modern touches, tiny pretty flowers on the plate, and little baby capers too. The tuna hides under tender paper thin slices of cold veal. And the hidden sauce is a surprise. Dario likes to keep some texture in the tuna. It's a wonderful dish and lovely way to start the meal. Also on offer in Antipasti on the well sized menu is Burrata with san daniele prosciutto and figs, Capionata multipla piemontese and very good home made focaccia.

From the five pasta offerings I forgo Agnolotti, Buckwheat maltagliati with duck ragout, Hand cut potato gnocchi with gogonzola and toasted walnuts, and Tagliatelle with Italian sausage ragout and opt for the Risotto marinara: mussels, pippies, snapper and prawns. The flavour is soft and embracing, the seafood tender, but the rice is a bit past bite. To be fair, perhaps that is the fault of my delayed eating habits, chatting away and taking photographs. Though I think I might have liked it just a little bit less done. It was still a beautiful dish. But as I watch the kitchen preparing other house made pasta, I think I'll be trying one of those next time. And there will be a next time. My foodie friends that tipped me off have been back already, some of them a number of times.

Three mains and two salads are also offered. The news is that this place is very good value. The most expensive of the mains and pastas is twenty eight bucks and most sit very snuggly at $27. Pressed lamb shoulder with lamb jus potato puree and asparagus, vies with barramundi or pork fillet to get my attention, and wins. A fat slice is cut from a terrine before being roasted and served with a precise quenelle of potato, and sweet young and gorgeously trimmed asparagus. It looks simple and tastes simply delicious.

There's no room in the belly for dessert, but somehow we manage to share the toffee topped brulee to complete a delicious night.

There's a sign in the kitchen: Buon Cibo, Buon Vino, Buon Amici - Good Food, Good Wine, Good Friends. All for Good Value.

Milano Torino borders the street with open arms, and serves up food with an open heart. Even if you are not a Rosebery, Kensington or Mascot local, or from the surrounding suburbs of Alexandria, Zetland, Waterloo, even if you are from farther afield, book a table and take your seat at Milano Torino soon. Go before the word gets out.